Best Public Schools in Zip Code 92628

Zip code 92628 in Costa Mesa, California, is served by two alternative K-12 schools operated by the Orange County Department of Education, both of which face significant academic and attendance challenges compared to broader district and state averages.

The larger school, ACCESS County Community, enrolls most of the area's students and serves a population with very high economic need, yet it shows somewhat better graduation and dropout rates than Orange County Special Education School. Both schools have very low proficiency rates in English, math, and science, and they struggle with high chronic absenteeism, particularly at ACCESS where over half of students are chronically absent.

Notably, Orange County Special Education School operates with a very low student-teacher ratio and per-student spending that is three times higher than ACCESS, but it has a much higher dropout rate. This highlights the complex challenges of serving specialized student populations in alternative settings. Parents should understand these schools serve students who may not thrive in traditional environments, which is reflected in the performance data, and that the district's averages for alternative education are themselves below state standards.