High Schools in Calexico Unified

Calexico Unified has two high schools serving grades 9–12: Calexico High and Aurora High (Continuation). They differ greatly in size—2,746 students at Calexico and 96 at Aurora—and in school type. The clearest finding for families comparing them is that Calexico reports higher proficiency in every tested subject.

Calexico High is the stronger academic performer: in 2025–26, proficiency was 46% in English language arts (ELA), 16% in math and 17% in science, compared with 13%, 0% and 0% at Aurora High (Continuation). The school-to-school gaps were 33 points in ELA, 16 in math and 17 in science. Calexico’s ELA result was 4 points below the state, while Aurora was at least 36 points below the state in each subject. Graduation rates were high at both schools—97% at Calexico and 95% at Aurora, versus 88% statewide—but Aurora’s 95% chronic absenteeism is a major concern; Calexico’s was 30%, also above the state’s 18%.

Recent results show no consistent improvement across subjects: Calexico’s science proficiency rose 6 points from 2024–25 to 2025–26, while its ELA fell 4 points and math fell 2. Aurora’s ELA rose 5 points, but math and science each declined; across the two schools, the average state gap widened in all three subjects. SchoolDigger ranks Calexico at 2 stars and the 34th percentile, ahead of Aurora at 0 stars and the 4th percentile. In 2024–25, the free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 85% at Calexico and 80% at Aurora. Aurora also had a lower student-teacher ratio (9.9 versus 22.2) and higher spending per student ($66,987 versus $24,872); these are differences in context, not explanations for the results. Aurora’s continuation-school status and much smaller enrollment are important considerations when comparing the schools.