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High Desert Premier Academy

Q: Is High Desert Premier Academy a good school?

High Desert Premier Academy ranks in the bottom 5.0% of California alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend High Desert Premier Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 208 students attended High Desert Premier Academy.

Q: What is the racial makeup of High Desert Premier Academy?

Students at High Desert Premier Academy are 66% Hispanic, 24% White, 5% African American, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

Public, Alternative Grades K-12

2568^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,703 California Alternative Schools

Better than 5% of California alternative schools

Summary

High Desert Premier Academy is a 208-student K–12 alternative school in Apple Valley, California. Its latest reported results show serious concerns in both academic proficiency and attendance. In 2025–2026, 73% of students were chronically absent, and proficiency was 10% in English language arts (ELA), 1% in math, and 5% in science. Most importantly, High Desert had the lowest scores in all three subjects among the seven nearby schools with comparable results.

Test proficiency is far below state and district levels: High Desert trailed California by 39 percentage points in ELA, 37 in math, and 31 in science, and also scored below Apple Valley Unified in each subject. Attendance is another major concern: chronic absenteeism was 73%, versus 27% in the district and 18% statewide. Graduation is a brighter result. The school’s 89% rate in 2025–2026 was above the state’s 88%, below the district’s 94%, and third-highest among eight nearby schools with reported rates.

Some trends are encouraging, but they do not erase the concerns: graduation rose from 71% in 2022–2023 to 89% in 2025–2026, while chronic absenteeism fell from 84% to 73% and remains exceptionally high. Over the same period, ELA proficiency declined from 15% to 10% and math from 2% to 1%; science improved from 3% to 5%. The 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio was 14.9, the lowest among 10 nearby schools with reported figures, whose average was 22. High Desert reported 81% free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–2025, compared with a 71% nearby-school average. School-level SchoolDigger ranks and stars are not reported; the one-star, 19th-percentile rating (rank 788 of 968) is for the district, not the school.

208

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$42,627

Per pupil spending ?

80.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

21950 Nisqually Rd.
Apple Valley, CA 92308-7256

(760) 240-4252

District: Apple Valley Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.9%

White:

24.0%

African American:

4.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare High Desert Premier Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 23rd percentile in 2019 → 4th in 2026

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (73% vs 18% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2019

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg24%

California avg42%

Middle school

2,568^th of 2,703

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 5%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

2,045^th of 2,137

California public high schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 4% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Alternative Schools in the Apple Valley Unified

788^th of 968Apple Valley Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	9.9	2568 of 2703	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.5	2745 of 2761	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.8	2690 of 2781	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	2032 of 2740	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.9	2491 of 2715	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.9	2329 of 2480	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.4	2471 of 2508	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.6	2398 of 2497	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.3	2397 of 2477	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.8	2309 of 2379	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.0	2197 of 2259	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.9	2126 of 2236	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	9.1	2056 of 2179	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.4	1960 of 2063	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	8.2	1906 of 2005	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	10.6	1864 of 1999	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.7	1721 of 1804	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	15.4	1566 of 1777	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	13.1	1613 of 1769	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	6.2	2518 of 2531	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.7	2255 of 2380	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.5	1991 of 2262	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	5.4	2364 of 2374	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.5	2180 of 2213	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	2058 of 2072	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	4.5	2528 of 2542	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.8	2507 of 2531	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	2267 of 2369	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.4	2010 of 2230	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	12.3	2391 of 2538	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.0	2221 of 2407	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.4	2237 of 2273	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	7.0	1531 of 1602	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	8.2	2045 of 2137	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.8	1980 of 2162	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	1993 of 2159	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	1944 of 2170	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.1	1933 of 2123	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	1640 of 2133	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.5	1650 of 2017	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.5	1689 of 2021	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	10.7	1818 of 2039	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.0	1570 of 1994	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	13.5	1955 of 2426	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	11.7	1953 of 2354	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.7	1770 of 2367	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	20.0	1616 of 2281	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.1	1475 of 2238	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	23.5	1385 of 2117	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	37.7	932 of 2063	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	19.8	1435 of 1968	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	26.3	1156 of 1901	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	21.4	1210 of 1653	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	25.8	1032 of 1085	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	742 of 1064	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	6.9	1781 of 1865	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.9	1746 of 1906	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.6	1844 of 1915	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	1706 of 1915	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.1	1735 of 1858	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.6	1371 of 1833	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.2	1563 of 1760	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	8.1	1805 of 1880	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.5	1786 of 1900	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	1824 of 1902	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.2	1738 of 1917	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.5	1675 of 1861	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	1723 of 1814	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.7	1418 of 1742	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	8.7	1888 of 1999	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.6	1843 of 2013	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.6	1916 of 2026	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	1811 of 2030	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	1773 of 1943	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	1428 of 1937	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.7	1563 of 1862	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	7.9	1837 of 1932	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.9	1826 of 1942	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	1694 of 1948	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.9	1828 of 1963	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	1749 of 1916	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	1495 of 1880	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	1469 of 1834	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	2.0	1111 of 1132	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.3	1108 of 1155	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.2	1127 of 1173	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.3	1140 of 1193	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.3	1198 of 1204	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.2	1130 of 1222	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.3	1097 of 1173	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Male (2023)6th percentile+3 vs school

White (2019)4th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

Female (2023)1st percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2023)<1st percentile-3 vs school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)6th percentile~ school

Male (2026)5th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)5th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)5th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)4th percentile~ school

White (2026)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics100%+62 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy10%-39 vs state

Science5%-31 vs state

★

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Schools Near High Desert Premier Academy

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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 Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2026)						Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
High Desert Premier Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	21950 Nisqually Rd.	Apple Valley	92308	San Bernardino County	Apple Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 240-4252	208	14	14.9	80.8%	50 (24.0%)	10 (4.8%)	137 (65.9%)	5 (2.4%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)								(n/a)		18.2		2.9		4.7						15.4	8.9	10.4						0.0	1.3	1.0							$42,627	$42,020	$607
Academy for Academic Excellence	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	17500 Mana Rd.	Apple Valley	92307	San Bernardino County	Academy for Academic Excellence District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 946-5414	1,489	68	21.8	35.5%	595 (40.0%)	43 (2.9%)	692 (46.5%)	52 (3.5%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (6.9%)								(n/a)																							98.4				98.4
Mojave River Academy - Route 66	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	14554 Seventh St.	Victorville	92368	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Route 66 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	450	21	21.6	90.9%	92 (20.4%)	27 (6.0%)	299 (66.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)								(n/a)	0.0	4.4		7.5	0.0	5.3	21.4	0.0	7.1	4.6	21.1	12.5	22.1	16.3	7.1	0.0	7.1	0.0	2.7	2.1	0.0	1.6							$22,717	$22,616	$101
Shadow Ridge	Public, Alternative	K-12	15776 Main St.	Hesperia	92345	San Bernardino County	Hesperia Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 949-8267	378	19	19.6	79.6%	58 (15.3%)	27 (7.1%)	277 (73.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)								(n/a)	11.8	12.2		18.9	18.2	14.9	19.1	38.9	29.4	44.4	36.4	30.6	29.7	32.9	14.3	27.8	11.8	22.2	13.6	6.1	10.8	13.6							$27,925	$26,338	$1,587
Mojave River Academy - Rockview Park	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	14466 Main St.	Hesperia	92368	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Rockview Park District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	349	15	22.7	84.0%	89 (25.5%)	21 (6.0%)	215 (61.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.4%)								(n/a)	0.0	4.1		7.4		5.5	15.4	9.1	11.1	7.1	10.0	8.2	16.7	11.7	7.7	9.1	0.0	3.5	0.0	2.0	0.0	1.7							$18,123	$18,036	$87
Riverside Preparatory	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	19900 National Trails HWY	Oro Grande	92368	San Bernardino County	Riverside Preparatory District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 243-5884	2,453	107	22.8	77.5%	354 (14.4%)	391 (15.9%)	1,552 (63.3%)	32 (1.3%)	22 (0.9%)	23 (0.9%)	79 (3.2%)								(n/a)																							97.0				97.0		$20,906	$20,500	$406
Mojave River Academy - Oro Grande	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	12384 Palmdale Rd.	Victorville	92368	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Oro Grande District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	862	39	22.2	85.8%	210 (24.4%)	53 (6.1%)	540 (62.6%)	4 (0.5%)	7 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	40 (4.6%)								(n/a)	9.7	8.5		6.2	12.5	7.6	11.1	8.0	9.1	13.0	29.5	14.1	24.5	19.7	3.7	7.1	0.0	0.0	13.0	3.3	0.5	3.3							$19,459	$19,370	$89
Taylion High Desert Academy/Adelanto	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	11336 Bartlett Ave.	Adelanto	92301	San Bernardino County	Taylion High Desert Academy/Adelanto District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 843-6622	803	34	23.8	80.1%	153 (19.1%)	145 (18.1%)	437 (54.4%)	4 (0.5%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (6.5%)								(n/a)
Granite Mountain Charter	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	8560 Aliento Rd.	Lucerne Valley	92356	San Bernardino County	Granite Mountain Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(909) 906-3593	4,393	164	26.7	39.9%	1,527 (34.8%)	149 (3.4%)	2,119 (48.2%)	195 (4.4%)	17 (0.4%)	11 (0.3%)	373 (8.5%)								(n/a)	34.6	37.2		54.6		38.9	39.4	40.0	42.0	42.5	57.6	51.8	68.8	46.6	31.0	30.6	25.5	26.0	40.1	35.1	43.5	31.9	19.5	27.2	46.6	27.4	30.5	26.4	$27,827	$27,652	$175
Southern California Flex Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	8560 Aliento Rd.	Lucerne Valley	92356	San Bernardino County	Southern California Flex Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(818) 396-8818	505	24	20.7	75.6%	80 (15.8%)	92 (18.2%)	304 (60.2%)	10 (2.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	14 (2.8%)								(n/a)	29.6	50.0		43.9		41.4	45.0	23.3	40.7	24.1	39.5	42.9	66.7	41.9	35.0	30.0	29.6	17.2	44.7	53.6	40.5	36.3	74.6	85.5	96.4	92.7	78.2	92.7	$28,467	$27,950	$517

Frequently Asked Questions about High Desert Premier Academy

Is High Desert Premier Academy a good school?

High Desert Premier Academy ranks in the bottom 5.0% of California alternative schools.

How many students attend High Desert Premier Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 208 students attended High Desert Premier Academy.

What is the racial makeup of High Desert Premier Academy?

Students at High Desert Premier Academy are 66% Hispanic, 24% White, 5% African American, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What district is High Desert Premier Academy in?

Apple Valley Unified

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.