Is El Puente a good school?

El Puente ranks 1647 th of 2348 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend El Puente?

In the 2022-23 school year, 279 students attended El Puente.

What is the racial makeup of El Puente?

Students at El Puente are 95% Hispanic, 3% White, 1% Asian.

El Puente

Summary:

El Puente is a public high school located in Salinas, California, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 279 students. The school is part of the Salinas Union High School District, which is ranked 1005 out of 1560 districts in California and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

El Puente faces significant challenges compared to nearby high schools. The school has a much higher Hispanic student population at 95.34%, compared to surrounding schools that range from 75.42% to 98.39% Hispanic students. However, El Puente struggles with low graduation rates of only 22.5%, much lower than the 54.8% to 90.8% range of nearby Rancho San Juan High, Salinas High, Alisal High, Everett Alvarez High, and North Salinas High. Correspondingly, El Puente has had dropout rates as high as 53.8%, far exceeding the 2.9% to 8.6% range of the surrounding schools.

The data suggests that El Puente would benefit from targeted interventions and support to address its challenges. With 87.1% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school likely faces significant socioeconomic barriers to student success. Strategies such as increased counseling, academic tutoring, and community partnerships could help improve graduation rates, reduce chronic absenteeism, and boost test scores, which currently lag far behind state and district averages. Addressing these disparities is crucial to ensuring all students in the Salinas Union High School District have access to a high-quality education.

Detail:

Public 7-12

20 Sherwood Pl.
Salinas, CA 93906-4010

(831) 796-7700

District: Salinas Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1647^th of 2,348 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,257

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 279

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.3%

White:

2.5%

Asian:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.1%

See top rated California high schools

Compare El Puente to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details El Puente ranks better than 55.3% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.1. (See more...)

Compare Details El Puente ranks worse than 70.1% of high schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked high schools in the Salinas Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.85. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of El Puente freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (95.3%), White (2.5%), Asian (1.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at El Puente is 15.1, which is the 2^nd best among 7 high schools in the Salinas Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare El Puente employs 18.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at El Puente is $19,257, which is the 3^rd highest among 7 high schools in the Salinas Union High School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

El Puente:

SchoolDigger ranks El Puente 1252^nd of 2802 California public middle schools. (See El Puente in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks El Puente 1647^th of 2348 California public high schools. (See El Puente in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Salinas Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Salinas Union High 1006^th of 1563 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for El Puente?

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Rank History for El Puente

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Rank History for all middle school students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2016	3.18	2479^th	2497	0.7%
2022	23.04	2084^th	2740	23.9%
2023	47.10	1252^nd	2802	55.3%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	27.19	1373^rd	1540	10.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	23.42	1973^rd	2458	19.7%
2023	69.39	531^st	2549	79.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	33.77	1531^st	2509	39.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	17.27	2194^th	2527	13.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	26.23	1774^th	2359	24.8%
2023	61.48	696^th	2391	70.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for El Puente

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Rank History for all high school students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	14.61	1904^th	2426	21.5%
2015	12.06	1692^nd	1994	15.1%
2016	14.02	1650^th	2039	19.1%
2017	11.97	1708^th	2021	15.5%
2018	18.01	1540^th	2017	23.6%
2019	23.59	1546^th	2133	27.5%
2022	20.50	1643^rd	2123	22.6%
2023	21.85	1647^th	2348	29.9%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.71	416^th	938	55.7%
2019	48.95	304^th	941	67.7%
2022	24.88	1002^nd	1044	4.0%
2023	40.86	447^th	1323	66.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.43	1314^th	1547	15.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.30	1431^st	1862	23.1%
2019	16.34	1588^th	1937	18.0%
2022	21.68	1512^th	1943	22.2%
2023	27.64	1477^th	2247	34.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.23	1409^th	1760	19.9%
2019	14.41	1544^th	1833	15.8%
2022	19.15	1510^th	1858	18.7%
2023	24.45	1486^th	2118	29.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.84	1499^th	1834	18.3%
2019	18.17	1477^th	1880	21.4%
2022	19.70	1511^th	1916	21.1%
2023	16.09	1703^rd	2207	22.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.42	1378^th	1742	20.9%
2019	18.16	1439^th	1814	20.7%
2022	23.78	1419^th	1861	23.8%
2023	26.48	1456^th	2142	32.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.92	894^th	1173	23.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for El Puente

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2012	19	5	5	251	1	2	3	0	286
2013	33	6	7	306	3	1	1	0	357
2014	41	3	3	335	0	0	0	0	382
2015	48	5	10	365	0	1	1	0	430
2016	26	7	4	324	0	0	3	0	364
2017	21	5	6	329	1	1	0	0	363
2018	25	4	4	303	1	1	1	0	339
2019	25	5	4	207	0	0	4	0	245
2020	23	10	2	237	0	0	5	0	277
2021	22	5	4	201	0	0	5	1	238
2022	21	3	7	336	0	0	5	0	372
2023	7	1	3	266	0	0	2	0	279

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at El Puente

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	286	10.0	28.6	99
2013	357	13.6	26.1	71.4
2014	382	6.2	61.4	53.9
2015	430	6.0	71.6	54.7
2016	364	4.0	91.0	52.5
2017	363	13.2	27.3	52.3
2018	339	14.6	23.1	65.8
2019	245	15.1	16.2	73.5
2020	277	n/a	n/a	79.8
2021	238	14.6	16.2	89.1
2022	372	20.1	18.4	84.7
2023	279	18.4	15.1	87.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio El Puente

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	286	10.0	28.6	99
2013	357	13.6	26.1	71.4
2014	382	6.2	61.4	53.9
2015	430	6.0	71.6	54.7
2016	364	4.0	91.0	52.5
2017	363	13.2	27.3	52.3
2018	339	14.6	23.1	65.8
2019	245	15.1	16.2	73.5
2020	277	n/a	n/a	79.8
2021	238	14.6	16.2	89.1
2022	372	20.1	18.4	84.7
2023	279	18.4	15.1	87.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for El Puente

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$19,257

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on El Puente

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1546^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1647^th of 2348 High schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (El Puente)	16.9	28.6	11.7%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Salinas Union High)	44.4	50.7	6.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (El Puente)	1.1	3.3	2.2%
11th Grade Mathematics (Salinas Union High)	20.6	16.6	4%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (El Puente)	18.2	0	18.2%
11th Grade Science (Salinas Union High)	27.8	28.5	0.7%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	30.8	0.4%
12th Grade Science (El Puente)	8.2	9.1	0.9%
12th Grade Science (Salinas Union High)	6.4	9.9	3.5%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	245	279	13.9%
African American	5	1	80%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	3	25%
Hispanic	207	266	28.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	25	7	72%
Two or More Races	4	2	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.5%	87.1%	13.6%

Schools Near El Puente

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CAST Science (2023)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2023)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
El Puente	Public	7-12	20 Sherwood Pl.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7700	279	18	15.1	87.1%	7 (2.5%)	1 (0.4%)	266 (95.3%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	21.8	1647^th of 2348 public high schools	29.9%		20.5	1643^rd of 2123 public high schools	22.6%	4	21.4			9.1	11.3	50.0	56.3	28.6	35.1	28.6	7.1	3.3	6.7	$19,257
Carr Lake Community Day	Public	7-12	10 Sherwood Pl.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7700	21	2	10.7	95.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.1	2316^th of 2348 public high schools	1.4%					(n/a)					0.0				0.0				0.0	$22,104
Mount Toro High	Public	9-12	10 Sherwood Pl.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7700	214	14	15.4	92.1%	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	209 (97.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.4	2030^th of 2348 public high schools	13.5%		12.2	1926^th of 2123 public high schools	9.3%	104			0.0	3.8	3.2			7.6	7.6			0.0	0.0	$27,537
Mission Trails Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	867 East Laurel Dr.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Mission Trails Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 753-4209	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Salinas High	Public	9-12	55 Kip Dr.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7500	2,112	98	21.5	92.6%	40 (1.9%)	21 (1.0%)	1,940 (91.9%)	69 (3.3%)	3 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	33 (1.6%)	33.7	1313^th of 2348 public high schools	44.1%		45.7	1025^th of 2123 public high schools	51.7%	288		10.4	17.7	15.4	14.8			46.0	46.0			13.7	13.7	$9,382
Salinas High	Public	9-12	726 South Main St.	Salinas	93901	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7400	2,567	112	22.9	83.4%	417 (16.2%)	16 (0.6%)	1,936 (75.4%)	78 (3.0%)	5 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	110 (4.3%)	58.1	690^th of 2348 public high schools	70.6%		53.3	864^th of 2123 public high schools	59.3%	174		20.3	32.5	7.3	26.0			62.6	62.6			24.7	24.7	$9,289
Salinas Community	Public	7-12	615 Leslie Dr.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-9520	107	6	17.9	80.4%	4 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.1	2050^th of 2348 public high schools	12.7%		14.1	1828^th of 2123 public high schools	13.9%	222				0.0	0.0			14.3	13.3			2.6	2.4	$27,139
Open Door Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	901 Blanco Cir.	Salinas	93901	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 840-8199	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Alisal High	Public	9-12	777 Williams Rd.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7600	2,852	121	23.5	93.9%	10 (0.4%)	1 (0.0%)	2,806 (98.4%)	25 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.2%)	44.8	997^th of 2348 public high schools	57.5%		60.5	711^th of 2123 public high schools	66.5%	286		11.4	31.0	7.3	21.6			49.9	49.9			18.7	18.7	$9,059
Everett Alvarez High	Public	9-12	1900 Independence Blvd.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7800	2,146	98	21.9	90.8%	29 (1.4%)	17 (0.8%)	1,998 (93.1%)	73 (3.4%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (1.2%)	39.7	1150^th of 2348 public high schools	51.0%		45.7	1024^th of 2123 public high schools	51.8%	126		12.8	25.7	3.2	16.3			51.7	51.7			13.9	13.9	$8,635

El Puente

El Puente:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Salinas Union High:

What do you think?

Rank History for El Puente

Rank History for all middle school students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Female students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Male students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at El Puente

Rank History for El Puente

Rank History for all high school students at El Puente

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Special Education students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Female students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Male students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at El Puente

Rank History for high school White students at El Puente

Enrollment information for El Puente

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at El Puente

Student/Teacher Ratio El Puente

Per Pupil Expenditures for El Puente

Impact of COVID-19 on El Puente

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near El Puente

Frequently Asked Questions about El Puente

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