Chaparral High

Summary:

Chaparral High is a small public high school in El Cajon, California, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Grossmont Union High School District. However, this school has consistently struggled with extremely low academic performance, high dropout rates, and chronic absenteeism, making it one of the lowest-performing high schools in the state.

Chaparral High's proficiency rates on standardized tests are alarmingly low, with 0% proficiency in English Language Arts, 5% in Mathematics, and 0% in Science in the 2023-2024 school year. This is significantly behind the district and state averages. The school has also grappled with high dropout rates, ranging from 15% to 37.5% in recent years, and chronic absenteeism as high as 100% in the 2020-2021 school year. These challenges are likely exacerbated by the fact that Chaparral High serves a student population with a high percentage of low-socioeconomic status students, with over 80% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

In contrast, nearby high schools like Grossmont High, Santana High, and West Hills High have significantly higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and better academic proficiency scores. This stark contrast highlights the need for equitable access to quality education, regardless of a student's socioeconomic background. Addressing the systemic challenges faced by Chaparral High and similar schools should be a priority for the district and the broader education system.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1600 North Cuyamaca St.
El Cajon, CA 92020-1187

(619) 956-4600

District: Grossmont Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
2159^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $32,683

Student/teacher ratio: 8.8

Number of students: 76

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.3%

White:

31.6%

African American:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Chaparral High ranks worse than 92.9% of high schools in California. It also ranks last among 13 ranked high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.25. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Chaparral High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (51.3%), White (31.6%), African American (9.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chaparral High is $32,683, which is the highest among 15 high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chaparral High:

SchoolDigger ranks Chaparral High 2159^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Chaparral High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Grossmont Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Grossmont Union High 660^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chaparral High

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Rank History for all students at Chaparral High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	17.93	1354^th	1653	18.1%
2005	22.67	1297^th	1901	31.8%
2006	19.71	1442^nd	1968	26.7%
2007	27.54	1209^th	2063	41.4%
2008	26.56	1270^th	2117	40.0%
2009	32.38	1287^th	2238	42.5%
2010	23.32	1491^st	2281	34.6%
2011	19.64	1648^th	2367	30.4%
2012	22.66	1519^th	2354	35.5%
2013	19.75	1661^st	2426	31.5%
2015	10.30	1825^th	1994	8.5%
2016	11.54	1765^th	2039	13.4%
2017	8.47	1987^th	2021	1.7%
2018	8.95	1965^th	2017	2.6%
2019	10.55	2014^th	2133	5.6%
2022	9.42	2085^th	2123	1.8%
2023	8.15	2192^nd	2348	6.6%
2024	8.25	2159^th	2323	7.1%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Chaparral High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	9.41	1913^th	1943	1.5%
2023	7.42	2148^th	2247	4.4%
2024	9.11	2028^th	2235	9.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Male students at Chaparral High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	11.07	1721^st	1880	8.5%
2022	9.11	1884^th	1916	1.7%
2023	7.58	2097^th	2207	5.0%
2024	9.47	1920^th	2172	11.6%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Chaparral High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	397	4	5	31	6	n/a	n/a	0	443
1989	401	16	5	29	7	n/a	n/a	0	458
1990	372	19	6	38	5	n/a	n/a	0	440
1991	375	15	12	71	10	n/a	n/a	0	483
1992	300	18	11	74	9	n/a	n/a	0	412
1993	259	21	12	67	9	n/a	n/a	0	368
1994	268	24	10	96	7	n/a	n/a	0	405
1995	226	30	8	70	1	n/a	n/a	0	335
1996	226	30	8	70	1	n/a	n/a	0	335
1997	265	26	11	82	14	n/a	n/a	0	398
1998	211	23	7	79	8	n/a	n/a	0	328
1999	170	26	8	62	5	n/a	n/a	0	271
2000	155	18	13	60	6	n/a	n/a	7	259
2001	178	26	10	71	5	n/a	n/a	6	296
2002	171	31	10	62	8	n/a	n/a	3	285
2003	171	31	10	62	8	n/a	n/a	3	285
2004	118	39	7	53	4	n/a	n/a	0	221
2005	94	27	5	54	2	n/a	n/a	139	321
2006	88	38	6	66	5	n/a	n/a	51	254
2007	137	36	11	77	3	n/a	n/a	12	276
2008	134	31	11	77	2	n/a	n/a	0	255
2009	158	34	3	81	5	5	22	0	308
2010	172	33	11	92	10	0	1	0	319
2011	119	25	3	90	3	1	12	0	253
2012	132	22	2	84	3	0	14	0	257
2013	160	35	2	126	3	4	17	0	347
2014	146	43	4	103	4	5	23	0	328
2015	132	26	2	116	4	2	16	0	298
2016	30	8	1	31	1	2	4	0	77
2017	30	5	0	25	2	0	3	0	65
2018	28	8	1	31	2	0	3	0	73
2019	10	10	2	26	1	0	4	0	53
2020	15	11	0	29	0	1	4	0	60
2021	19	6	0	19	1	0	3	0	48
2022	10	8	1	15	0	0	2	0	36
2023	19	4	0	35	0	0	4	0	62
2024	24	7	3	39	1	1	1	0	76

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 Chaparral High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	443	24.6	18.0	n/a
1989	458	23.5	19.4	n/a
1990	440	24.5	17.9	n/a
1991	483	21.4	22.5	n/a
1992	412	21.7	18.9	n/a
1993	368	22.4	16.4	0
1994	405	23.0	17.6	0
1995	335	20.8	16.1	56.4
1996	335	20.8	16.1	56.4
1997	398	20.8	19.1	53.3
1998	328	21.2	15.5	78.4
1999	271	16.8	16.1	46.1
2000	259	20.8	12.5	27.8
2001	296	20.1	14.7	37.9
2002	285	17.0	16.8	41.5
2003	285	17.0	16.8	41.5
2004	221	19.1	11.6	61.1
2005	321	24.0	13.4	91.8
2006	254	21.0	12.1	69.5
2007	276	16.5	16.7	72
2008	255	21.0	12.1	50.2
2009	308	24.2	11.3	46.4
2010	319	28.0	11.3	46.1
2011	253	n/a	n/a	34.8
2012	257	25.2	10.1	n/a
2013	347	23.2	14.9	65.4
2014	328	26.7	12.2	67.1
2015	298	31.0	9.6	75.8
2016	77	10.0	7.7	83.1
2017	65	6.4	10.0	69.2
2018	73	6.1	11.9	78.1
2019	53	7.1	7.3	94.3
2020	60	n/a	n/a	68.3
2021	48	7.0	6.8	72.9
2022	36	7.0	5.1	86.1
2023	62	7.0	8.8	83.9
2024	76	n/a	n/a	84.2

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 Chaparral High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	443	24.6	18.0	n/a
1989	458	23.5	19.4	n/a
1990	440	24.5	17.9	n/a
1991	483	21.4	22.5	n/a
1992	412	21.7	18.9	n/a
1993	368	22.4	16.4	0
1994	405	23.0	17.6	0
1995	335	20.8	16.1	56.4
1996	335	20.8	16.1	56.4
1997	398	20.8	19.1	53.3
1998	328	21.2	15.5	78.4
1999	271	16.8	16.1	46.1
2000	259	20.8	12.5	27.8
2001	296	20.1	14.7	37.9
2002	285	17.0	16.8	41.5
2003	285	17.0	16.8	41.5
2004	221	19.1	11.6	61.1
2005	321	24.0	13.4	91.8
2006	254	21.0	12.1	69.5
2007	276	16.5	16.7	72
2008	255	21.0	12.1	50.2
2009	308	24.2	11.3	46.4
2010	319	28.0	11.3	46.1
2011	253	n/a	n/a	34.8
2012	257	25.2	10.1	n/a
2013	347	23.2	14.9	65.4
2014	328	26.7	12.2	67.1
2015	298	31.0	9.6	75.8
2016	77	10.0	7.7	83.1
2017	65	6.4	10.0	69.2
2018	73	6.1	11.9	78.1
2019	53	7.1	7.3	94.3
2020	60	n/a	n/a	68.3
2021	48	7.0	6.8	72.9
2022	36	7.0	5.1	86.1
2023	62	7.0	8.8	83.9
2024	76	n/a	n/a	84.2

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 Chaparral High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$32,683

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chaparral 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 2014^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 2192^nd of 2348 High schools	1.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Chaparral High)	12.5	10.5	2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Grossmont Union High)	56.1	52.2	3.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Chaparral High)	0	0
11th Grade Mathematics (Grossmont Union High)	32.7	25.9	6.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Chaparral High)	0	0
11th Grade Science (Grossmont Union High)	27.6	26.6	1%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	53	62	17%
African American	10	4	60%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	26	35	34.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	10	19	90%
Two or More Races	4	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.3%	83.9%	10.5%

Schools Near Chaparral High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Chaparral High	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-4600	76	7	8.8	84.2%	24 (31.6%)	7 (9.2%)	39 (51.3%)	3 (3.9%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	8.2	2159^th of 2323 public high schools	7.1%		8.1	2192^nd of 2348 public high schools	6.6%	33			0.0		0.0			0.0	0.0			5.0	5.0	$32,683
MERIT Academy	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0600	64	1	64.0	87.5%	31 (48.4%)	5 (7.8%)	25 (39.1%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	8.7	2119^th of 2323 public high schools	8.8%					(n/a)			0.0		0.0							0.0	0.0
IDEA Center	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-4332	138	2	67.6	72.5%	57 (41.3%)	12 (8.7%)	54 (39.1%)	1 (0.7%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (7.2%)	31.3	1389^th of 2323 public high schools	40.2%		23.5	1604^th of 2348 public high schools	31.7%	215			22.7		22.2			34.1	34.1			11.4	11.4	$22,602
Altus Schools East County	Public, Charter	7-12	111 Fletcher Pkwy.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Altus Schools East County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 678-2020	260	8	31.7	69.6%	52 (20.0%)	18 (6.9%)	161 (61.9%)	5 (1.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	21 (8.1%)	38.6	1171^st of 2323 public high schools	49.6%		49	890^th of 2348 public high schools	62.1%	281	14.3	17.7	23.1	20.7	18.3	18.8	42.9	63.9	47.5	12.5	17.9	8.3	12.5
Grossmont Middle College High	Public	11-12	8800 Grossmont College Dr.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 644-7524	51	2	23.4	37.3%	34 (66.7%)	1 (2.0%)	10 (19.6%)	1 (2.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.8%)	97.1	47^th of 2323 public high schools	98.0%		88.3	205^th of 2348 public high schools	91.3%	158			69.6		69.6			81.8	81.8			71.4	71.4	$8,758
El Cajon Valley High	Public	9-12	1035 East Madison Ave.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 579-5855	1,672	15	110.9	93.1%	591 (35.3%)	152 (9.1%)	729 (43.6%)	120 (7.2%)	3 (0.2%)	7 (0.4%)	70 (4.2%)	22.5	1620^th of 2323 public high schools	30.3%		30.5	1400^th of 2348 public high schools	40.4%	220			11.0	7.3	10.6			30.0	30.0			11.7	11.7	$13,545
Grossmont High	Public	9-12	1100 Murray Dr.	La Mesa	91944	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-6000	2,079	6	339.7	63.5%	701 (33.7%)	150 (7.2%)	926 (44.5%)	106 (5.1%)	6 (0.3%)	9 (0.4%)	180 (8.7%)	64.3	558^th of 2323 public high schools	76.0%		62	616^th of 2348 public high schools	73.8%	58			39.2	15.0	38.3			61.2	61.2			23.7	23.7	$10,796
Santana High	Public	9-12	9915 North Magnolia Ave.	Santee	92071	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0211	1,712	18	96.9	50.0%	925 (54.0%)	28 (1.6%)	543 (31.7%)	63 (3.7%)	7 (0.4%)	4 (0.2%)	141 (8.2%)	70.2	473^rd of 2323 public high schools	79.6%		78.5	356^th of 2348 public high schools	84.8%	117			31.8	14.3	31.2			62.9	62.9			40.9	40.9	$10,820
West Hills High	Public	9-12	8756 Mast Blvd.	Santee	92071	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0400	1,515	7	214.8	41.8%	733 (48.4%)	16 (1.1%)	515 (34.0%)	102 (6.7%)	9 (0.6%)	7 (0.5%)	132 (8.7%)	67	524^th of 2323 public high schools	77.4%		64.6	564^th of 2348 public high schools	76.0%	40			30.8	15.4	30.3			60.6	60.6			37.8	37.8	$10,325
Elite Academy	Public	9-12	230 Jamacha Blvd.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3545	38	2	18.4	63.2%	17 (44.7%)	3 (7.9%)	13 (34.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Chaparral High

What is the racial makeup of Chaparral High?

Students at Chaparral High are 51% Hispanic, 32% White, 9% African American, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Chaparral High in?

Grossmont Union High

How many students attend Chaparral High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 76 students attended Chaparral High.

Is Chaparral High a good school?

Chaparral High ranks in the bottom 7.1% of California high schools.

Rate Chaparral High!

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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.