Central Union High

Located at 1001 Brighton Ave., in El Centro, California, Central Union High is a large senior high that works with 2,006 students (grades 9 through 12), part of Central Union High. Compared to the state average of about 838 students per school, that is 139% above typical.

Central Union High runs 5 schools in total, collectively educating 4,070 students. Central Union High is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Central Union High records that nearly all students (96%) are Hispanic. Other groups include 2% White. The wider county runs roughly 86% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Central Union High has 96 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 18.2:1, putting Central Union High higher than the state norm the norm. Around 73% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Central Union High tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 36.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 42.6%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Imperial County shows median household earnings sit near $57,681, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 17%. Across Imperial County's 76 public schools (combined enrollment of about 36,513 students), Central Union High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Mt. Signal Virtual Academy, roughly 0.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Central Union High at 1st of 7; the average score across the group is 31.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 7%: 1,869 students in 2018 compared to 2,006 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.