Is El Puente a good school?

El Puente ranks 1565 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend El Puente?

In the 2023-24 school year, 349 students attended El Puente.

What is the racial makeup of El Puente?

Students at El Puente are 93% Hispanic, 4% White.

El Puente

Summary:

El Puente is a public high school in Salinas, California, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 279 students. Unfortunately, this school has consistently struggled with poor academic performance, low graduation rates, and high dropout and absenteeism rates compared to other schools in the Salinas Union High School District and the state of California.

El Puente ranks in the bottom 25% of California high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its four-year graduation rates have ranged from just 18.3% to 42.7% over the past five years, which is significantly lower than the state and district averages. Correspondingly, El Puente has had very high dropout rates, ranging from 11.3% to 53.8% during the same period. The school has also grappled with high chronic absenteeism, ranging from 43.6% to 88.5% over the past five years. El Puente students perform significantly worse than their peers in the district and state on standardized tests, with proficiency rates often less than half the averages.

Compared to other high schools in the Salinas Union High School District, such as Rancho San Juan High, Salinas High, Alisal High, and Everett Alvarez High, El Puente's performance is significantly worse, with lower rankings, graduation rates, and test scores. The school's struggles are particularly pronounced for certain student subgroups, such as English Language Learners and Special Education students. While factors like poverty and the school's large Hispanic student population may contribute to these challenges, they do not fully explain El Puente's extremely poor performance compared to other high-poverty, high-Hispanic schools in the district.

Detail:

Public 7-12

20 Sherwood Pl.
Salinas, CA 93906-4010

(831) 796-7700

District: Salinas Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1565^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,257

Student/teacher ratio: 18.0

Number of students: 349

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

93.4%

White:

4.3%

Asian:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.6%

See top rated California high schools

Compare El Puente to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details El Puente ranks worse than 75.4% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.78. (See more...)

Compare Details El Puente ranks worse than 67.4% of high schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked high schools in the Salinas Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.49. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at El Puente 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 (93.4%), White (4.3%), Asian (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at El Puente is 18, which is the 3^rd best among 6 high schools in the Salinas Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare El Puente employs 19.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at El Puente is $19,257, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 high schools in the Salinas Union High School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

El Puente:

SchoolDigger ranks El Puente 2094^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See El Puente in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks El Puente 1565^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See El Puente in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Salinas Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Salinas Union High 957^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for El Puente?

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Rank History for El Puente

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Rank History for all middle school students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2016	3.18	2479^th	2497	0.7%
2022	23.04	2084^th	2740	23.9%
2023	47.10	1252^nd	2802	55.3%
2024	23.78	2094^th	2777	24.6%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	27.19	1373^rd	1540	10.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	23.42	1973^rd	2458	19.7%
2023	69.39	531^st	2549	79.2%
2024	31.67	1701^st	2575	33.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	33.77	1531^st	2509	39.0%
2024	22.83	1978^th	2546	22.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	17.27	2194^th	2527	13.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	26.23	1774^th	2359	24.8%
2023	61.48	696^th	2391	70.9%
2024	29.42	1667^th	2383	30.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

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

Rank History for El Puente

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Rank History for all high school students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	14.61	1904^th	2426	21.5%
2015	12.06	1692^nd	1994	15.1%
2016	14.02	1650^th	2039	19.1%
2017	11.97	1708^th	2021	15.5%
2018	18.01	1540^th	2017	23.6%
2019	23.59	1546^th	2133	27.5%
2022	20.50	1643^rd	2123	22.6%
2023	21.85	1647^th	2348	29.9%
2024	24.49	1565^th	2323	32.6%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.71	416^th	938	55.7%
2019	48.95	304^th	941	67.7%
2022	24.88	1002^nd	1044	4.0%
2023	40.86	447^th	1323	66.2%
2024	33.97	676^th	1350	49.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.43	1314^th	1547	15.1%
2024	26.09	1127^th	1534	26.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.30	1431^st	1862	23.1%
2019	16.34	1588^th	1937	18.0%
2022	21.68	1512^th	1943	22.2%
2023	27.64	1477^th	2247	34.3%
2024	26.27	1506^th	2235	32.6%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.23	1409^th	1760	19.9%
2019	14.41	1544^th	1833	15.8%
2022	19.15	1510^th	1858	18.7%
2023	24.45	1486^th	2118	29.8%
2024	20.83	1572^nd	2098	25.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.84	1499^th	1834	18.3%
2019	18.17	1477^th	1880	21.4%
2022	19.70	1511^th	1916	21.1%
2023	16.09	1703^rd	2207	22.8%
2024	26.77	1415^th	2172	34.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.42	1378^th	1742	20.9%
2019	18.16	1439^th	1814	20.7%
2022	23.78	1419^th	1861	23.8%
2023	26.48	1456^th	2142	32.0%
2024	25.25	1472^nd	2125	30.7%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at El Puente

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.92	894^th	1173	23.8%

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.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for El Puente

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2012	19	5	5	251	1	2	3	0	286
2013	33	6	7	306	3	1	1	0	357
2014	41	3	3	335	0	0	0	0	382
2015	48	5	10	365	0	1	1	0	430
2016	26	7	4	324	0	0	3	0	364
2017	21	5	6	329	1	1	0	0	363
2018	25	4	4	303	1	1	1	0	339
2019	25	5	4	207	0	0	4	0	245
2020	23	10	2	237	0	0	5	0	277
2021	22	5	4	201	0	0	5	1	238
2022	21	3	7	336	0	0	5	0	372
2023	7	1	3	266	0	0	2	0	279
2024	15	1	3	326	1	0	3	0	349

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 El Puente

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	286	10.0	28.6	99
2013	357	13.6	26.1	71.4
2014	382	6.2	61.4	53.9
2015	430	6.0	71.6	54.7
2016	364	4.0	91.0	52.5
2017	363	13.2	27.3	52.3
2018	339	14.6	23.1	65.8
2019	245	15.1	16.2	73.5
2020	277	n/a	n/a	79.8
2021	238	14.6	16.2	89.1
2022	372	20.1	18.4	84.7
2023	279	18.4	15.1	87.1
2024	349	19.3	18.0	94.6

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 El Puente

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	286	10.0	28.6	99
2013	357	13.6	26.1	71.4
2014	382	6.2	61.4	53.9
2015	430	6.0	71.6	54.7
2016	364	4.0	91.0	52.5
2017	363	13.2	27.3	52.3
2018	339	14.6	23.1	65.8
2019	245	15.1	16.2	73.5
2020	277	n/a	n/a	79.8
2021	238	14.6	16.2	89.1
2022	372	20.1	18.4	84.7
2023	279	18.4	15.1	87.1
2024	349	19.3	18.0	94.6

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 El Puente

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$19,257

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on El Puente

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 1546^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1647^th of 2348 High schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (El Puente)	16.9	28.6	11.7%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Salinas Union High)	44.4	50.7	6.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (El Puente)	1.1	3.3	2.2%
11th Grade Mathematics (Salinas Union High)	20.6	16.6	4%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (El Puente)	18.2	0	18.2%
11th Grade Science (Salinas Union High)	27.8	28.5	0.7%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	30.8	0.4%
12th Grade Science (El Puente)	8.2	9.1	0.9%
12th Grade Science (Salinas Union High)	6.4	9.9	3.5%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	245	279	13.9%
African American	5	1	80%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	3	25%
Hispanic	207	266	28.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	25	7	72%
Two or More Races	4	2	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.5%	87.1%	13.6%

Schools Near El Puente

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 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 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
El Puente	Public	7-12	20 Sherwood Pl.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7700	349	19	18.0	94.6%	15 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	326 (93.4%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	24.5	1565^th of 2323 public high schools	32.6%		21.8	1647^th of 2348 public high schools	29.9%	82	5.6			9.1	8.6	44.4	37.8	40.0	0.0	4.9	3.9	$19,257
Carr Lake Community Day	Public	7-12	10 Sherwood Pl.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7700	31	2	16.4	93.5%	1 (3.2%)	1 (3.2%)	29 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$22,104
Mount Toro High	Public	9-12	10 Sherwood Pl.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7700	217	13	16.1	98.2%	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	212 (97.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.7	2047^th of 2323 public high schools	11.9%		10.4	2030^th of 2348 public high schools	13.5%	17			0.0	3.8	2.9		7.5	7.5		0.0	0.0	$27,537
Mission Trails Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	867 East Laurel Dr.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Mission Trails Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 753-4209	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Salinas High	Public	9-12	55 Kip Dr.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7500	2,125	95	22.4	95.7%	51 (2.4%)	16 (0.8%)	1,942 (91.4%)	73 (3.4%)	2 (0.1%)	7 (0.3%)	34 (1.6%)	35	1279^th of 2323 public high schools	44.9%		33.7	1313^th of 2348 public high schools	44.1%	34		9.8	21.2	4.0	12.5		49.7	49.7		12.1	12.1	$9,382
Salinas High	Public	9-12	726 South Main St.	Salinas	93901	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7400	2,446	109	22.4	83.6%	398 (16.3%)	13 (0.5%)	1,867 (76.3%)	70 (2.9%)	6 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	89 (3.6%)	68.8	495^th of 2323 public high schools	78.7%		58.1	690^th of 2348 public high schools	70.6%	195		21.9	42.1	9.7	35.2		68.2	68.2		29.4	29.4	$9,289
Salinas Community	Public	7-12	615 Leslie Dr.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 755-9520	104	4	26.3	92.3%	12 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (87.5%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.2	2007^th of 2323 public high schools	13.6%		10.1	2050^th of 2348 public high schools	12.7%	43				4.6	3.9		6.5	8.6		3.3	2.9	$27,139
Open Door Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	901 Blanco Cir.	Salinas	93901	Monterey County	Monterey County Office of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 840-8199	46	2	23.4	93.5%	3 (6.5%)	2 (4.3%)	41 (89.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36.2	1238^th of 2323 public high schools	46.7%					(n/a)				16.7	16.7
Alisal High	Public	9-12	777 Williams Rd.	Salinas	93905	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7600	2,791	123	22.6	97.1%	12 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	2,734 (98.0%)	30 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (0.3%)	49.4	877^th of 2323 public high schools	62.2%		44.8	997^th of 2348 public high schools	57.5%	120		14.7	37.1	3.5	25.9		53.1	53.1		19.3	19.3	$9,059
Everett Alvarez High	Public	9-12	1900 Independence Blvd.	Salinas	93906	Monterey County	Salinas Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 796-7800	2,072	93	22.1	95.6%	20 (1.0%)	15 (0.7%)	1,949 (94.1%)	62 (3.0%)	1 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	24 (1.2%)	38.7	1166^th of 2323 public high schools	49.8%		39.7	1150^th of 2348 public high schools	51.0%	16		9.7	25.8	11.8	15.1		53.2	53.2		13.5	13.5	$8,635

El Puente

El Puente:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Salinas Union High:

What do you think?

Rank History for El Puente

Rank History for all middle school students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Female students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Male students at El Puente

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at El Puente

Rank History for El Puente

Rank History for all high school students at El Puente

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Special Education students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Female students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Male students at El Puente

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at El Puente

Rank History for high school White students at El Puente

Enrollment information for El Puente

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at El Puente

Student/Teacher Ratio El Puente

Per Pupil Expenditures for El Puente

Impact of COVID-19 on El Puente

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near El Puente

Frequently Asked Questions about El Puente

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