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San Diego County school performance
Poway Unified is a good district.
Reading and math results average to the 92nd percentile among California school districts.
73.5% of students met California's reading standard, and it is holding steady.
66.2% of students met California's math standard, but it is trending up slightly.
| Current Reading Proficiency | 73.5% |
| Current Math Proficiency | 66.2% |
| District Reading Rank | 70 / 977 (93rd percentile) |
| District Math Rank | 79 / 977 (92nd percentile) |
| Student / Teacher Ratio | 23:1 |
| Spend per Student | $15,555 |
| Schools in District | 39 |
| Student Enrollment | 34,259 |
| Low-Income Students | 5,399 (15.7%) |
| English Learners | 2,339 (6.8%) |
District Website
Great Schools
Niche
Ed-Data
CAASPPTest score trends
Reading fell 0.2 points from last year and was unchanged over the full period. Math fell 0.2 points from last year and rose 0.7 points over the full period.
•Math +0.7 percentage pointsBoard Members
| name | elected | up for re-election |
|---|---|---|
Michelle O'Connor-Ratcliff President [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Heather Plotzke Vice President [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Tim Dougherty Board Clerk [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
David Cheng Member [email protected] | 2024 | 2028 |
Ginger Couvrette Member [email protected] | 2022 | 2026This year! |
Expand for details on low-income and english learner performance
Reading Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 29.1 points in reading. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
15.8% of English learners meet the reading standard, compared with 74.1% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•Math Proficiency Scores
Comparison of low-income and English learner groups using district-level CAASPP proficiency data.
Low-Income vs Non-Low-Income
Low-income students trail other students by 30.7 points in math. It widened over the period shown.
•English Learners vs English Native
24.3% of English learners meet the math standard, compared with 65.3% of English-only students. The gap widened as English-learner results fell and English-only results rose.
•District School Map
Schools in this district, color-coded by reading proficiency.
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Hover over a school marker to see details
Schools
Understanding this district
How does Poway Unified rank in California?
Poway Unified ranks No. 70 of 977 in reading and No. 79 of 977 in math for 2026. These proficiency rankings compare districts across all district types.
How much do results vary between Poway Unified’s schools?
Among the 25 schools serving K–5, proficiency ranges from 54.4% to 85.2% in reading and 48.7% to 87.4% in math.
See the district’s schoolsAre results improving across Poway Unified’s schools?
Over 2024–2026, reading proficiency rose at 16 of 39 schools with results covering that full period; math rose at 21 of 39.
Compare school trendsHow do low-income students in Poway Unified compare with other districts?
Low-income reading proficiency is 49.2%, compared with 35.1% at a typical California unified district. In math, it is 40.5%, compared with 23.6%.
See student-group resultsWhich districts should I compare with Poway Unified?
Unified districts in San Diego County. Peers have the closest enrollment sizes.
| District | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Poway UnifiedThis district | 66.2% | 73.5% |
| Vista Unified | 34.1% | 45.3% |
| San Marcos Unified | 47.7% | 58.2% |
How we compare low-income results
“Typical” is the median across 339 California unified districts with 2026 results, a reported low-income population, and at least 20 low-income tested students in each subject. Each district counts once. This compares proficiency for low-income students, rather than the gap between income groups.
