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Central Union High

At a glance

997^thof 1,543 California districts▼ 163

Better than 35% of California districts

High 3Grades 9-12

351 Ross Ave.
El Centro, CA 92243-3110·(760) 336-4500·All California district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 35.4% of districts

Schools

4,010

Students

Top rankedSouthwest High911^th of 2,162 California high schools

▲

Biggest riser

Desert Oasis High (Continuation) up 3 spots statewide this year

Compare California districts →See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

The Central Union High district in El Centro serves about 4,070 students across five schools, including four traditional or virtual high schools and one alternative school, primarily educating a high-needs community where most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among the comprehensive high schools, Southwest High stands out as the top academic performer with the district's best test scores in English, math, and science, along with a strong 96.1% graduation rate. Central Union High also shows strengths, boasting the district's highest graduation rate (98.5%) and lowest chronic absenteeism. The district's alternative schools, Desert Oasis High (Continuation) and Phoenix Rising High, serve vulnerable students with significant support and small classes but face major challenges with attendance and academic proficiency.

The district excels at keeping students on track to graduate, with an average graduation rate well above the state, but struggles significantly with academic achievement, particularly in math where proficiency is less than half the state average. Mt. Signal Virtual Academy presents a mixed picture, performing adequately in English but very poorly in math with a high dropout rate, highlighting the varied effectiveness of different educational models within the same district.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Union High	Public	9-12	1001 Brighton Ave.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4300	2,006	96	20.9	72.6%	41 (2.0%)	19 (0.9%)	1,931 (96.3%)	10 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.2%)	51	1018^th of 2162 public high schools	52.9%		61.1	740^th of 2159 public high schools	65.7%	278	23.7	23.7	48.5	48.5	19.2	19.2	$26,604	$25,254	$1,350
Desert Oasis High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	1302 South Third St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4555	138	10	13.9	94.2%	3 (2.2%)	3 (2.2%)	131 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14.4	1821^st of 2162 public high schools	15.8%		14.8	1824^th of 2159 public high schools	15.5%	3	4.1	4.1	22.1	22.1	0.0	0.0	$43,806	$40,908	$2,898
Southwest High	Public	9-12	2001 Ocotillo Dr.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4100	1,846	94	19.5	72.1%	54 (2.9%)	6 (0.3%)	1,760 (95.3%)	19 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	55.8	911^th of 2162 public high schools	57.9%		61.3	735^th of 2159 public high schools	66.0%	176	25.5	25.5	53.4	53.4	20.6	20.6	$27,495	$25,764	$1,731
Phoenix Rising High	Public	9-10	1302 South Third St.	El Centro	92243	Imperial County	Central Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 336-4555	20	3	7.4	85.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							$69,015	$68,470	$545

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
El Centro Elementary	0.22 mi	14	889^th
Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program	0.4 mi	1
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District	0.42 mi	1	722^nd
Imperial County Office of Education	1.55 mi	4
Imperial Unified	2.59 mi	6	572^nd

See the top CA California districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.