Half Moon Bay High

Summary:

Half Moon Bay High is a public high school located in Half Moon Bay, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,024 students. The school is part of the Cabrillo Unified School District, which is ranked 636 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Half Moon Bay High has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from a high of 339 out of 2,354 California high schools in 2011-2012 to a low of 949 out of 2,348 in 2022-2023. The school's performance is stronger for female and white students compared to other subgroups, with rankings in the top 25% of California high schools. However, the school's performance for Hispanic students, English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Low Socioeconomic Status students is relatively lower, with rankings in the bottom 25-30% of California high schools. While Half Moon Bay High maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate, its dropout rate has been increasing, and the school has seen a significant rise in chronic absenteeism.

Academically, Half Moon Bay High's performance is generally on par with or slightly above the Cabrillo Unified School District average, but below the statewide average, particularly in CAST Science and CSA Spanish/Reading/Language Arts assessments. Compared to nearby high-performing schools in the San Mateo Union High School District, such as Mills High, Burlingame High, and Aragon High, Half Moon Bay High lags behind in various metrics, suggesting the need for further analysis and targeted interventions to address the identified areas of concern.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1 Lewis Foster Dr.
       Half Moon Bay, CA  94019


(650) 712-7200

District: Cabrillo Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
743rd of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,964 Help


Feeder schools for Half Moon Bay High:

Elementary:    Alvin S. Hatch Elementary
    El Granada Elementary
    Farallone View Elementary
Middle:    Manuel F. Cunha Intermediate

Student/teacher ratio:  19.4 Help
Number of students:  987

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
50.3%
White:
41.2%
Two or more races:
5.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  36% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Half Moon Bay High ranks better than 68% of high schools in California. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.28. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Half Moon Bay High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (50.3%), White (41.2%), two or more races (5.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 36% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Half Moon Bay High is 19.4. (See more...)
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Compare Half Moon Bay High employs 50.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Half Moon Bay High is $6,964.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Half Moon Bay High:

SchoolDigger ranks Half Moon Bay High 743rd of 2323 California public high schools. (See Half Moon Bay High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Cabrillo Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Cabrillo Unified 636th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Half Moon Bay High

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Rank History for all students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 78.53 86th 1653 94.8%
2005 79.48 98th 1901 94.8%
2006 77.79 155th 1968 92.1%
2007 74.64 197th 2063 90.5%
2008 71.26 251st 2117 88.1%
2009 64.47 349th 2238 84.4%
2010 70.51 277th 2281 87.9%
2011 67.81 335th 2367 85.8%
2012 68.37 339th 2354 85.6%
2013 65.72 401st 2426 83.5%
2015 67.09 607th 1994 69.6%
2016 71.56 528th 2039 74.1%
2017 69.38 615th 2021 69.6%
2018 78.85 427th 2017 78.8%
2019 74.86 455th 2133 78.7%
2022 70.70 519th 2123 75.6%
2023 46.71 949th 2348 59.6%
2024 55.28 743rd 2323 68.0%
See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.94 464th 786 41.0%
2024 54.50 302nd 804 62.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.02 512th 938 45.4%
2019 67.51 130th 941 86.2%
2022 38.30 576th 1044 44.8%
2023 41.91 423rd 1323 68.0%
2024 25.02 1048th 1350 22.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.70 1039th 1547 32.8%
2024 23.90 1214th 1534 20.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.60 854th 1862 54.1%
2019 45.73 1035th 1937 46.6%
2022 45.73 960th 1943 50.6%
2023 24.19 1564th 2247 30.4%
2024 30.31 1418th 2235 36.6%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.95 401st 1760 77.2%
2019 75.09 395th 1833 78.5%
2022 69.25 472nd 1858 74.6%
2023 51.10 802nd 2118 62.1%
2024 60.96 582nd 2098 72.3%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.91 565th 1052 46.3%
2019 64.08 249th 1117 77.7%
2022 38.29 605th 1161 47.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.56 448th 1834 75.6%
2019 68.47 507th 1880 73.0%
2022 66.34 540th 1916 71.8%
2023 39.15 1075th 2207 51.3%
2024 44.54 936th 2172 56.9%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.90 637th 1742 63.4%
2019 49.65 881st 1814 51.4%
2022 55.92 704th 1861 62.2%
2023 23.46 1528th 2142 28.7%
2024 20.57 1562nd 2125 26.5%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Half Moon Bay High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.66 270th 1173 77.0%
2019 81.19 181st 1222 85.2%
2022 75.74 263rd 1204 78.2%
2023 55.06 521st 1434 63.7%
2024 66.31 360th 1406 74.4%
See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Half Moon Bay High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Half Moon Bay High

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 692 10 31 98 0 n/a n/a 0 831
1989 662 5 31 105 0 n/a n/a 0 803
1990 636 7 35 104 1 n/a n/a 0 783
1991 632 6 33 135 1 n/a n/a 0 807
1992 644 8 28 163 1 n/a n/a 0 844
1993 644 8 35 188 2 n/a n/a 0 877
1994 645 6 46 205 7 n/a n/a 0 909
1995 671 8 45 181 2 n/a n/a 0 907
1996 671 8 45 181 2 n/a n/a 0 907
1997 704 10 58 190 4 n/a n/a 0 966
1998 780 8 55 202 5 n/a n/a 0 1050
1999 817 6 48 261 5 n/a n/a 0 1137
2000 831 9 45 287 7 n/a n/a 6 1185
2001 840 8 44 325 0 n/a n/a 1 1218
2002 779 4 35 319 2 n/a n/a 19 1158
2003 779 4 35 319 2 n/a n/a 19 1158
2004 746 5 29 341 6 n/a n/a 42 1169
2005 705 6 24 349 8 n/a n/a 33 1125
2006 673 8 33 375 7 n/a n/a 37 1133
2007 581 8 38 398 7 n/a n/a 32 1064
2008 557 11 46 398 1 n/a n/a 0 1013
2009 542 5 41 406 2 6 39 0 1041
2010 540 6 44 379 1 4 13 0 987
2011 512 9 48 390 2 2 8 0 971
2012 466 5 43 405 3 2 11 0 935
2013 471 5 44 421 5 2 17 0 965
2014 486 5 37 437 4 1 25 0 995
2015 492 5 34 456 5 0 26 0 1018
2016 483 7 38 459 3 0 30 0 1020
2017 461 6 28 474 2 0 24 0 995
2018 438 5 28 491 4 1 28 0 995
2019 418 3 31 508 2 1 38 0 1001
2020 438 4 28 555 0 2 46 0 1073
2021 423 4 29 549 0 2 53 0 1060
2022 430 4 22 528 0 1 53 1 1039
2023 417 5 22 519 0 0 59 2 1024
2024 407 6 25 496 0 0 52 1 987

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Half Moon Bay High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 831 36.8 22.5 n/a
1989 803 34.9 23.0 n/a
1990 783 34.8 22.5 n/a
1991 807 37.2 21.6 n/a
1992 844 37.8 22.3 17.1
1993 877 38.6 22.7 15.6
1994 909 39.1 23.2 16.2
1995 907 41.2 22.0 14.4
1996 907 41.2 22.0 14.4
1997 966 41.4 23.3 13.9
1998 1050 43.2 24.3 13.2
1999 1137 48.7 23.3 14
2000 1185 51.0 23.2 14.2
2001 1218 51.2 23.8 15.4
2002 1158 50.6 22.9 15.6
2003 1158 50.6 22.9 15.6
2004 1169 48.0 24.4 20.1
2005 1125 47.0 23.9 22.4
2006 1133 46.0 24.6 24.8
2007 1064 43.5 24.5 27.9
2008 1013 50.4 20.1 29.1
2009 1041 44.1 20.1 25.9
2010 987 44.5 22.1 34
2011 971 n/a n/a 37
2012 935 42.3 22.1 n/a
2013 965 40.7 23.7 28.9
2014 995 43.4 22.9 25.7
2015 1018 41.0 24.8 28.2
2016 1020 42.0 24.2 34.8
2017 995 44.0 22.5 34.8
2018 995 42.4 23.4 34.7
2019 1001 42.9 23.3 36.4
2020 1073 n/a n/a 38.4
2021 1060 45.3 23.3 35.8
2022 1039 47.5 21.8 35.7
2023 1024 48.8 20.9 32.1
2024 987 50.8 19.4 36

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Half Moon Bay High

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 831 36.8 22.5 n/a
1989 803 34.9 23.0 n/a
1990 783 34.8 22.5 n/a
1991 807 37.2 21.6 n/a
1992 844 37.8 22.3 17.1
1993 877 38.6 22.7 15.6
1994 909 39.1 23.2 16.2
1995 907 41.2 22.0 14.4
1996 907 41.2 22.0 14.4
1997 966 41.4 23.3 13.9
1998 1050 43.2 24.3 13.2
1999 1137 48.7 23.3 14
2000 1185 51.0 23.2 14.2
2001 1218 51.2 23.8 15.4
2002 1158 50.6 22.9 15.6
2003 1158 50.6 22.9 15.6
2004 1169 48.0 24.4 20.1
2005 1125 47.0 23.9 22.4
2006 1133 46.0 24.6 24.8
2007 1064 43.5 24.5 27.9
2008 1013 50.4 20.1 29.1
2009 1041 44.1 20.1 25.9
2010 987 44.5 22.1 34
2011 971 n/a n/a 37
2012 935 42.3 22.1 n/a
2013 965 40.7 23.7 28.9
2014 995 43.4 22.9 25.7
2015 1018 41.0 24.8 28.2
2016 1020 42.0 24.2 34.8
2017 995 44.0 22.5 34.8
2018 995 42.4 23.4 34.7
2019 1001 42.9 23.3 36.4
2020 1073 n/a n/a 38.4
2021 1060 45.3 23.3 35.8
2022 1039 47.5 21.8 35.7
2023 1024 48.8 20.9 32.1
2024 987 50.8 19.4 36

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Half Moon Bay High

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $6,964

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Half Moon Bay High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 455th of 2133 High schoolsRanks 949th of 2348 High schools
 19.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
9th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Half Moon Bay High)2.39.5
 7.2%
   9th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Cabrillo Unified)2.39.5
 7.2%
   9th Grade Reading/Language Arts (California)5.54.7
 0.8%
10th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Half Moon Bay High)2.76.2
 3.5%
   10th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Cabrillo Unified)2.76.2
 3.5%
   10th Grade Reading/Language Arts (California)10.37.6
 2.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Half Moon Bay High)57.141.3
 15.8%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Cabrillo Unified)55.140.5
 14.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)57.355.4
 1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Half Moon Bay High)36.827.3
 9.5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Cabrillo Unified)35.626.4
 9.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (California)32.227.4
 4.9%
11th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Half Moon Bay High)4.15.6
 1.5%
   11th Grade Reading/Language Arts (Cabrillo Unified)4.15.6
 1.5%
   11th Grade Reading/Language Arts (California)10.513.7
 3.2%
12th Grade Science (Half Moon Bay High)36.720.9
 15.7%
   12th Grade Science (Cabrillo Unified)34.120.9
 13.2%
   12th Grade Science (California)25.626.9
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students10011024
 2.3%
African American35
 66.7%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian3122
 29%
Hispanic508519
 2.2%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White418417
 0.2%
Two or More Races3859
 55.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.4%32.1%
 4.2%


Schools Near Half Moon Bay High









Frequently Asked Questions about Half Moon Bay High

Half Moon Bay High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alvin S. Hatch Elementary
Elementary : El Granada Elementary
Elementary : Farallone View Elementary
Middle : Manuel F. Cunha Intermediate

Half Moon Bay High ranks 743rd of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 987 students attended Half Moon Bay High.

Students at Half Moon Bay High are 50% Hispanic, 41% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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