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River Valley Charter

Public, Charter Grades 7-12

45^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 98% of California high schools

Summary

River Valley Charter is a small, high-performing public charter high school serving grades 7-12 in Lakeside, CA, with an enrollment of about 230 students that consistently ranks among the top schools in the state.

Academically, the school is a standout in the region, with student proficiency rates in English, math, and science that are dramatically higher—often two to six times higher—than those at nearby schools like El Cajon Valley High, Granite Hills High, and Santana High. This excellence is consistent across all student groups, and the school maintains an exceptional attendance culture, with a chronic absenteeism rate of less than 5%, which is four to eighteen times better than surrounding schools.

Operating under the highly-ranked River Valley Charter District, the school achieves these elite results while spending significantly less per student than other local high schools. While its small size contributes to a strong community, other small local schools do not see the same success, indicating the effectiveness of its specific model. It's important to note that the school's graduation rate, while strong, is slightly below the state average, suggesting a focus area even amidst its outstanding academic achievements.

231

Students ?

19.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

20.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9707 1/2 Marilla Dr.
Lakeside, CA 92040-2868

(619) 390-2579

District: River Valley Charter District

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.4%

Hispanic:

24.2%

Two or more races:

3.0%

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Compare River Valley Charter to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2019 → 98th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (70% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of California high schools

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the California average (79% vs 86%)

!Dropout rate above the California average (21% vs 9%)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school70%

California avg41%

Middle school

288^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 10%▲ up 12 pts since 2019

From top 22% (2019) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

45^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 2%▼ down 1 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 1,543River Valley Charter District 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
2025	89.4	288 of 2761	89.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	564 of 2783	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	85.5	361 of 2781	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	86.7	344 of 2740	87.4%	★★★★☆
2019	75.0	599 of 2715	77.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	84.4	349 of 2533	86.2%	★★★★☆
2024	62.4	775 of 2551	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	84.1	362 of 2509	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	56.0	910 of 2380	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	80.5	298 of 2213	86.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	83.4	370 of 2552	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	97.1	75 of 2538	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	86.3	327 of 2527	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	85.7	326 of 2407	86.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	69.6	438 of 1520	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	49.7	748 of 1537	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.6	370 of 1543	76.0%	★★★★☆
2022	77.6	285 of 1555	81.7%	★★★★☆
2019	51.7	760 of 1602	52.6%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	97.5	45 of 2162	97.9%	★★★★★
2024	96.6	75 of 2159	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	98.9	21 of 2170	99.0%	★★★★★
2022	98.1	42 of 2123	98.0%	★★★★★
2019	99.0	17 of 2133	99.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	97.7	27 of 1906	98.6%	★★★★★
2024	92.5	135 of 1915	93.0%	★★★★★
2023	98.4	19 of 1915	99.0%	★★★★★
2022	97.5	40 of 1858	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	97.8	29 of 1833	98.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	96.1	73 of 1942	96.2%	★★★★★
2024	98.0	49 of 1948	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	98.8	29 of 1963	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	98.0	50 of 1916	97.4%	★★★★★
2019	99.4	9 of 1880	99.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	96.0	20 of 1155	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	95.3	23 of 1173	98.0%	★★★★★
2023	97.4	12 of 1193	99.0%	★★★★★
2022	96.6	20 of 1204	98.3%	★★★★★
2019	96.9	13 of 1222	98.9%	★★★★★

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

Hispanic (2019)87th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)86th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2024)86th percentile+6 vs school

White (2025)71st percentile-18 vs school

High school

Female (2025)99th percentile~ school

White (2025)98th percentile~ school

Male (2025)96th percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy76%+27 vs state

Mathematics66%+29 vs state

Science65%+33 vs state

★

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Schools Near River Valley Charter

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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 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 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	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
River Valley Charter	Public, Charter	7-12	9707 1/2 Marilla Dr.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	River Valley Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2579	231	12	19.5	20.8%	158 (68.4%)	5 (2.2%)	56 (24.2%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	97.5	45^th of 2162 public high schools	97.9%		96.6	75^th of 2159 public high schools	96.5%	30	51.4			79.4	65.2	58.6	80.0	86.5	76.2	71.4	62.9	64.9	66.0
El Capitan High	Public	9-12	10410 Ashwood St.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 938-9100	1,810	83	21.8	52.2%	876 (48.4%)	29 (1.6%)	694 (38.3%)	57 (3.1%)	27 (1.5%)	6 (0.3%)	120 (6.6%)	47.7	1080^th of 2162 public high schools	50.0%		64.5	662^nd of 2159 public high schools	69.3%	418			26.3	5.9	25.5			48.7	48.7			21.7	21.7	$26,956	$25,802	$1,154
Santana High	Public	9-12	9915 North Magnolia Ave.	Santee	92071	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0211	1,621	69	23.5	46.0%	868 (53.5%)	23 (1.4%)	529 (32.6%)	68 (4.2%)	7 (0.4%)	3 (0.2%)	123 (7.6%)	76.4	472^nd of 2162 public high schools	78.2%		74	505^th of 2159 public high schools	76.6%	33			39.5	18.2	38.4			65.1	65.1			41.6	41.6	$25,543	$24,398	$1,145
Chaparral High	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-4600	45	6	7.2	77.8%	14 (31.1%)	7 (15.6%)	22 (48.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.4%)	8	2120^th of 2162 public high schools	1.9%		10.7	2022^nd of 2159 public high schools	6.3%	98			0.0		0.0			8.3	8.3			0.0	0.0
MERIT Academy	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0600	68	7	9.6	73.5%	28 (41.2%)	7 (10.3%)	28 (41.2%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	15.9	1771^st of 2162 public high schools	18.1%		11.4	1979^th of 2159 public high schools	8.3%	208			8.3		8.3			16.7	16.7			9.1	9.1	$68,770	$67,100	$1,670
IDEA Center	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-4332	127	16	7.7	65.4%	60 (47.2%)	3 (2.4%)	51 (40.2%)	2 (1.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.3%)	21.4	1665^th of 2162 public high schools	23.0%		34.9	1373^rd of 2159 public high schools	36.4%	292			8.9		8.7			34.8	34.8			6.3	6.3	$61,698	$60,326	$1,372
Altus Schools East County	Public, Charter	7-12	111 Fletcher Pkwy.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Altus Schools East County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 678-2020	287	8	35.3	73.2%	68 (23.7%)	21 (7.3%)	167 (58.2%)	8 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.6%)	36.1	1355^th of 2162 public high schools	37.3%		47.7	1061^st of 2159 public high schools	50.9%	294	20.8	14.7	18.2	17.7	17.4	15.4	29.2	54.1	39.2	15.4	25.0	5.4	13.5	$25,210	$24,086	$1,124
El Cajon Valley High	Public	9-12	1035 East Madison Ave.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 407-4711	1,701	82	20.7	88.8%	633 (37.2%)	157 (9.2%)	692 (40.7%)	120 (7.1%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.4%)	90 (5.3%)	23.2	1629^th of 2162 public high schools	24.7%		25.9	1573^rd of 2159 public high schools	27.1%	56			13.9	4.6	13.0			28.3	28.3			10.8	10.8	$28,121	$26,332	$1,789
Granite Hills High	Public	9-12	1719 East Madison Ave.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 593-5500	2,331	97	24.0	57.6%	1,131 (48.5%)	40 (1.7%)	903 (38.7%)	94 (4.0%)	33 (1.4%)	7 (0.3%)	122 (5.2%)	39.5	1273^rd of 2162 public high schools	41.1%		49.3	1018^th of 2159 public high schools	52.8%	255			19.9	0.0	19.3			46.0	46.0			17.8	17.8	$22,848	$21,646	$1,202
Elite Academy	Public	9-12	230 Jamacha Blvd.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3545	34	3	10.7	64.7%	16 (47.1%)	4 (11.8%)	12 (35.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about River Valley Charter

Is River Valley Charter a good school?

Yes! River Valley Charter is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 45^th of 2162 California high schools.

What district is River Valley Charter in?

River Valley Charter District

What is the racial makeup of River Valley Charter?

Students at River Valley Charter are 68% White, 24% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

How many students attend River Valley Charter?

In the 2024-25 school year, 231 students attended River Valley Charter.

Rate River Valley Charter!

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Schools in Lakeside, CA

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.