Summary:
Palo Verde Unified has five schools: three elementary schools serving kindergarten through grade eight and two high schools serving grades nine through twelve, including a continuation school. In 2025–2026, the schools’ average proficiency was 24% in English language arts, 12% in math and 12% in science, compared with state figures of 49%, 38% and 36%. The most important finding is that every school was below the state in all three subjects.
Palo Verde High led all five schools in ELA at 43% and science at 23%, ahead of the next-highest schools, Margaret White Elementary at 28% in ELA and Ruth Brown Elementary at 14% in science. Margaret White narrowly led math at 16%, less than one point above Palo Verde High, and led the elementary schools in ELA and math; Ruth Brown led elementary science. At the other end, Twin Palms Continuation was lowest in every subject, at 3% ELA, 0% math and 2% science. It was 18 points below the next-lowest school in ELA, 13 in math and 7 in science.
Results improved overall from 2024–2025: the five-school averages rose 3 points in ELA, 2 in math and 2 in science. Compared with state gains, the group moved closer by 3 points in ELA and 1 in math, but fell farther behind by 1 point in science. Grade-level results can differ sharply: Margaret White’s third graders exceeded state proficiency in ELA and math, while its fourth-grade results were 10% in ELA and 8% in math, versus 46% and 42% statewide. SchoolDigger ranked Margaret White in the 16th percentile, compared with 7th for both Felix J. Appleby Elementary and Ruth Brown; Palo Verde High was at the 36th percentile and Twin Palms at the 1st. As context, free/reduced lunch eligible rates in 2024–2025 ranged from 78% at Margaret White to 95% at Twin Palms; these figures do not explain school results. Palo Verde High’s graduation rate was 97%, but chronic absenteeism was also high at 29%, compared with 18% statewide.
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