Duarte Unified

The Duarte Unified school district in California serves students from preschool through 12th grade across 6 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 2 high schools, and no middle schools or alternative schools. The district's schools vary significantly in size, with student populations ranging from 89 students at Mt. Olive Innovation and Technology High to 872 students at Royal Oaks STEAM Academy (K-8).

Among the standout schools in the district, Valley View Academy of Technical and Creative Learning (Tk-6) ranks 1,431 out of 5,862 California elementary schools and consistently performs well on standardized tests, with over 50% proficiency in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Duarte High is also a high performer, ranking 602 out of 2,323 California high schools and boasting a relatively high graduation rate of 89.7% and a low dropout rate of 5.8%. However, the district also faces challenges, with several schools, such as Mt. Olive Innovation and Technology High, experiencing high rates of chronic absenteeism, up to 86.7%.

Socioeconomic factors appear to play a significant role in student outcomes, as evidenced by the high rates of free and reduced lunch recipients across the district, ranging from 39.22% at Royal Oaks STEAM Academy (K-8) to 77.53% at Mt. Olive Innovation and Technology High. The district's specialized programs, such as the STEAM focus at Royal Oaks STEAM Academy and the dual language immersion program at Beardslee Dual Language Immersion Academy (Pk-8), may also contribute to the unique characteristics and performance of these schools.