San Marcos Unified

San Marcos Unified includes 19 schools—12 elementary, three middle and four high schools—serving students across kindergarten through grade 12. In 2025–2026, the unweighted average across schools was 55% proficient in English language arts, 46% in math and 41% in science, each above the state average by about 5, 8 and 5 points, respectively. But school results vary widely: the top-to-bottom ranges were 67 points in ELA, 72 in math and 64 in science. The most important finding is that the district’s modest overall advantage over the state masks a sharp divide between high-performing schools and schools with very low results.

Discovery Elementary leads math at 76% and science at 69%, while its 77% ELA result is just behind San Elijo Elementary at 77%. Discovery is 38 points above the state in math and 33 points above in science; San Elijo is 28 points above the state in ELA. At the other end, Twin Oaks High has the lowest all-grade results: 11% in ELA, 3% in math and 5% in science. San Marcos Elementary is also low, at 27% in ELA, 21% in math and 11% in science. Among 11th graders, results at Mission Hills High and San Marcos High are generally much closer to state results than Twin Oaks High’s.

Average school scores rose slightly from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, but state results rose faster, particularly in science. Individual schools moved in different directions: Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary gained 11 points in ELA and 17 in science, while Paloma Elementary fell 9 points in ELA and 7 in math. Context also varies: for 2024–2025, free/reduced lunch eligible was 17% at Discovery and 87% at San Marcos Elementary; these figures describe school context, not the reason for results. SchoolDigger ranked Discovery in the 94th percentile statewide among elementary schools, while Twin Oaks Elementary declined from the 63rd to the 50th percentile over three years. Schools serve different grade spans, so all-grade comparisons are a broad guide rather than a direct match.