Summary:
Escondido Union High includes five schools, all serving grades 9–12. In 2025–26, their equal-weight average proficiency was 53% in English language arts (ELA), compared with 49% statewide, but 21% in math versus 38% statewide and 27% in science versus 36% statewide. Every school scored below the state in math, making math the clearest shared academic challenge across the area.
Del Lago Academy - Campus of Applied Science was the strongest overall, leading in ELA at 75%, math at 33% and science at 55%; its graduation rate was 97%, compared with 66% at Valley High (Continuation), the lowest in the group. Valley also had the lowest proficiency in every subject—9% in ELA, 0% in math and 3% in science—and the highest dropout rate (17%) and chronic absenteeism (78%). The span between the highest and lowest school scores was 66 points in ELA, 33 in math and 52 in science. San Pasqual High and Escondido High also stood out in ELA, at 68% and 66%, respectively, both above the state’s 49%.
Average scores rose from 2024–25 to 2025–26 in all three subjects: by 2 points in ELA, 2 in math and 3 in science. However, three schools’ math scores fell, even as every school’s science score improved. SchoolDigger’s statewide rankings also differ: Del Lago ranked at the 83rd percentile with 4 stars, while Valley was at the 6th percentile with 0 stars. Other measures offer context, not explanations: in 2024–25, Del Lago’s student–teacher ratio was the group’s highest at 26.7, while Valley’s was lowest at 14.8; their free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 73% and 92%, respectively. Del Lago and San Pasqual had similar free/reduced lunch eligible shares—73% each—yet Del Lago’s science score was 27 points higher.
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