Schools in Pine Valley · Mountain Empire Unified School District
Pine Valley’s public schools score below 68% of California districts
The public schools Pine Valley’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 68% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
8%beats similar-income towns
Reading proficiency
29%
▼ 20 pts vs CA 49%
2020–21
Math proficiency
15%
▼ 18 pts vs CA 33%
2020–21
Graduate on time
92%
▲ 4 pts vs CA 88%
class of 2020
Spent per student
$20.1K
▼ 5% vs CA $21.2K
FY2024
Students per teacher
13.0
CA 21.6 · smaller classes
Schools
3
228 students
The School Grade
How Pine Valley compares
C− Test scoresB Graduation
California school districts we grade (1,139)Better than 32%
Lower resultsHigher results
California towns with similar household incomes (396)Better than 8%
High confidence. Built on 815 tested students and a graduating class of 113; ordinary year-to-year swings are unlikely to change it.
How the School Grade works
- Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on California’s state tests against the state average, plus the four-year graduation rate. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
- The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested. Tests count 60%, graduation 40%.
- Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of California only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
- What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Pine Valley.
4 schools teach K in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
4 schools teach 1st grade in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
4 schools teach 2nd grade in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
4 schools teach 3rd grade in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
4 schools teach 4th grade in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
4 schools teach 5th grade in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
4 schools teach 6th grade in Pine Valley’s district. Which one depends on your address: Campo Elementary, Potrero Elementary, Clover Flat Elementary and Descanso Elementary.
The path, start to finish
K–64 schoolsDepends on your address
7–8Mountain Empire Junior HighMountain Empire Unified School District
9–12Mountain Empire HighMountain Empire Unified School District
The district
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Test scores · 2020–21
Well below the state in reading
Reading29%
State average 48.5%
Math15%
State average 33.4%
Every school in Pine Valley
3 schools. Grades are based on state tests and graduation. Any other ratings are made by neighbors.
Also serving Pine Valley · in other towns
Campo Elementary
C359 students22:1Rate it →
Potrero Elementary
C−300 students25:1Rate it →
Clover Flat Elementary
C−190 students24:1Rate it →
Descanso Elementary
B−188 students21:1Rate it →
Mountain Empire Junior High
C−245 students21:1Rate it →
Mountain Empire High
C412 students19:1Rate it →
Private & other
Parents talk
What Pine Valley families are saying about school.
Parents weigh in
Live in Pine Valley? Is a C for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Start the conversation
Within reach
Colleges →Colleges near Pine Valley
There’s no college in Pine Valley, but 5 are within 30 miles. The closest is Southern California Seminary in El Cajon, 23.1 miles away.
Southern California SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · El Cajon
23.1 mi58 students
Cuyamaca CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rancho San Diego
26 mi4,143 students
San Diego Christian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Santee
27.1 mi61 students
ATA CollegeCommunity college · For-profit · El Cajon
27.4 mi106 students
Grossmont CollegeCommunity college · Public · El Cajon
28.8 mi8,594 students
Straight-line distance from the center of Pine Valley. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS.
School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within California. Stars are from neighbors.