C
Mountain Empire Unified School District
Public school districtGrades K–12Regional · 7 towns
Serves Campo, Pine Valley, Descanso, Boulevard, Jacumba, Potrero and Mount Laguna.
Students
1,738
Schools
10
Spent per student
$20,129
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
21:1
Free or reduced lunch
56%
Debt
$14.1M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Mountain Empire Unified School District
- School Grade C: better than 32% of California districts
- Math proficiency 18 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 20 pts below the state
- Spends 5% less per student than the CA average
- 21 students per teacher
- Enrollment up 10.9% since 2020
- Debt of $14.1M, about $8,094 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Mount Laguna.
K–64 schoolsThis district
7–8Mountain Empire Junior HighThis district
9–12Mountain Empire HighThis district
Test scores vs. CA
2020–21Math proficiency15%
State average 33.4%
Reading / language arts29%
State average 48.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)92%
State average 87.6%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$20,129 per student · 5% below CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 59%Support & administration 37%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 30%State 62%Federal 9%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
1,567’20
1,626’21
1,669’22
1,867’23
1,738’24
Up 10.9% since 2020.
Students
Hispanic 65%White 26%American Indian/Alaska Native 4%Two or more races 4%Black <1%Asian <1%
Schools in the district
10 public schools.
Campo Elementary
C359 students22:1
Potrero Elementary
C−300 students25:1
Clover Flat Elementary
C−190 students24:1
Descanso Elementary
B−188 students21:1
Mountain Empire Junior High
C−245 students21:1
Mountain Empire High
C412 students19:1
Hillside Junior/Senior High
C31 students16:1
Sunrise High (Continuation)
13 students16:1
Cottonwood Community Day
0 students
Mountain Empire Special Education Preschool
0 students
Towns served
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.