MERIT Academy

Summary:

MERIT Academy is a public high school located in El Cajon, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 79 students. It is part of the Grossmont Union High School District, which is ranked 660 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

MERIT Academy consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of California high schools, with a statewide ranking between 1,630 and 2,119 out of over 2,300 schools. Its performance on standardized tests is significantly below the district and state averages, with 0% of students proficient or better in mathematics and science. The school has had extremely low four-year graduation rates, ranging from 5.6% to 45.5% over the past five years, and correspondingly high dropout rates, reaching as high as 94.4% in the most recent year. MERIT Academy has also struggled with high chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 43.2% to 97.6% over the past five years, significantly higher than the nearby schools and the state average.

In comparison, nearby high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District, such as Grossmont High, Santana High, and West Hills High, have higher academic achievement, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism. The data suggests that MERIT Academy may be facing significant challenges in supporting its students' educational and personal needs, particularly given the high proportion of low-income and vulnerable student populations it serves. Addressing these issues should be a priority to ensure that all students have access to the resources and support they need to succeed.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1600 North Cuyamaca St.
El Cajon, CA 92020-1109

(619) 956-0600

District: Grossmont Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
2119^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 64.0

Number of students: 64

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.4%

Hispanic:

39.1%

African American:

7.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details MERIT Academy ranks worse than 91.2% of high schools in California. It also ranks 12^th among 13 ranked high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.7. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at MERIT Academy 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: White (48.4%), Hispanic (39.1%), African American (7.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at MERIT Academy is 64, which is the 3^rd best among 13 high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare MERIT Academy employs 1 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

MERIT Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks MERIT Academy 2119^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See MERIT Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education 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 MERIT Academy

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Rank History for all students at MERIT Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2016	14.56	1630^th	2039	20.1%
2019	16.62	1710^th	2133	19.8%
2024	8.70	2119^th	2323	8.8%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at MERIT Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	18.90	1388^th	1534	9.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at MERIT Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	45.82	468^th	1117	58.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled 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 MERIT Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2014	29	2	2	12	1	0	1	0	47
2015	36	5	1	15	2	1	5	0	65
2016	40	2	0	17	1	2	3	0	65
2017	51	4	0	13	0	1	4	0	73
2018	43	3	0	15	0	1	5	0	67
2019	32	6	0	21	0	0	5	0	64
2020	34	8	0	23	0	0	8	0	73
2021	30	4	1	34	1	0	2	0	72
2022	30	2	1	32	1	0	1	0	67
2023	39	3	0	32	1	0	3	1	79
2024	31	5	1	25	0	0	2	0	64

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 MERIT Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	47	5.2	9.0	66
2015	65	6.0	10.8	66.2
2016	65	6.0	10.8	73.8
2017	73	6.2	11.7	61.6
2018	67	6.0	11.1	55.2
2019	64	6.1	10.4	70.3
2020	73	n/a	n/a	72.6
2021	72	6.1	11.8	70.8
2022	67	6.1	10.8	80.6
2023	79	6.1	12.9	78.5
2024	64	1.0	64.0	87.5

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 MERIT Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	47	5.2	9.0	66
2015	65	6.0	10.8	66.2
2016	65	6.0	10.8	73.8
2017	73	6.2	11.7	61.6
2018	67	6.0	11.1	55.2
2019	64	6.1	10.4	70.3
2020	73	n/a	n/a	72.6
2021	72	6.1	11.8	70.8
2022	67	6.1	10.8	80.6
2023	79	6.1	12.9	78.5
2024	64	1.0	64.0	87.5

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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on MERIT Academy

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	64	79	23.4%
African American	6	3	50%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	21	32	52.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	32	39	21.9%
Two or More Races	5	3	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	70.3%	78.5%	8.2%

Schools Near MERIT Academy

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 MERIT Academy

Is MERIT Academy a good school?

MERIT Academy ranks in the bottom 8.8% of California high schools.

What is the racial makeup of MERIT Academy?

Students at MERIT Academy are 48% White, 39% Hispanic, 8% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend MERIT Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 64 students attended MERIT Academy.

What district is MERIT Academy in?

Grossmont Union 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.