Enrollment
68
High
DISTRICT 1,093 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·GROSSMONT UNION HIGH·NCES 061623013711
MERIT Academy
1600 North Cuyamaca St., El Cajon, CA 92020 · (619) 956-0600 · San Diego County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE ISPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL68 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
9.7:1
7 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.3:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
74%
50 students
DISTRICT 63% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 11 | 16% |
| Grade 10 | 13 | 19% |
| Grade 11 | 14 | 21% |
| Grade 12 | 30 | 44% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
16.7%
own-school result
Math
9.1%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 8.3% | 8.3% | 25.0% | 58.3% |
| Math | 0.0% | 9.1% | 18.2% | 72.7% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 16.7% | 9.1% |
| 2023-24 | N/A | 0.0% |
| 2018-19 | 27.3% | 0.0% |
| 2015-16 | 27.0% | 0.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where MERIT Academy ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 68 | #1,701 of 2,093 | #124 of 135 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
68
-4 (-6%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
9.7:1
was 12.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 68 | 7 | 9.7:1 | 74% (50) |
| 2023-24 | 64 | 1 | 64.0:1 | 88% (56) |
| 2022-23 | 79 | 6.1 | 12.9:1 | 78% (62) |
| 2020-21 | 72 | 6 | 12.0:1 | 71% (51) |
| 2017-18 | 67 | 6 | 11.2:1 | 55% (37) |
| 2015-16 | 65 | 6 | 10.8:1 | 74% (48) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for MERIT Academy.
Since 2017-18: students up 1% (67 to 68); teachers up 17% (6 to 7).
About MERIT Academy
MERIT Academy is a very small high school in El Cajon, California, one of the schools in Grossmont Union High. The school serves grades 9 through 12. Enrollment is 68 students. High schools in California have about 838 students on average; enrollment here is 92% lower.
District-wide, Grossmont Union High has 15 schools and 16,401 students.
Of every 100 students at MERIT Academy, about 41 are White, the largest group. The school is also 41% Hispanic, 10% Black, 3% Asian, and 3% multiracial. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 64%.
Staffing at MERIT Academy comes to 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 9.7:1. High schools in California have an average ratio of 18.2:1. On the income side, 74% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That is higher than the 54% average for public schools in San Diego County.
American Community Survey estimates for San Diego County show that median household income comes to about $106,268, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 43% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 7%. The county's public schools total 766, with about 467,437 students.
MERIT Academy is less than a tenth of a mile from Chaparral High, its nearest public school. MERIT Academy has at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
Federal data place MERIT Academy in the Suburb: Large locale, which means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
The school's student count decreased 6% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years. The school's ratio dropped from 12.0:1 to 9.7:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on special education services, counseling, and support programs here. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
San Diego County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,288,774
Census ACS
Median income
$106,268
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
766
467,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Grossmont Union High
- Granite Hills HighHigh · 2,331 students
- Grossmont HighHigh · 2,172 students
- El Capitan HighHigh · 1,810 students
- Valhalla HighHigh · 1,728 students
- El Cajon Valley HighHigh · 1,701 students
- West Hills HighHigh · 1,624 students
Other schools in El Cajon
- Granite Hills HighHigh · 2,331 students
- Literacy First CharterCombined · 2,160 students
- Valhalla HighHigh · 1,728 students
- El Cajon Valley HighHigh · 1,701 students
- Hillsdale MiddleMiddle · 1,481 students
- Bostonia GlobalCombined · 1,266 students
Other MERIT Academy schools
One other US public school is named MERIT Academy. MERIT Academy is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Merit AcademyWOODLAND PARK, CO · 452 students
Nearby schools
- Chaparral High0.0 mi · 45
- IDEA Center0.0 mi · 127
- Flying Hills School of Arts0.4 mi · 742
- Altus Schools East County1.3 mi · 287
- Johnson Elementary1.3 mi · 766
- PRIDE Academy at Prospect Avenue1.4 mi · 548
Frequently asked questions
About MERIT AcademyWhat is the total enrollment at MERIT Academy?
MERIT Academy enrolls approximately 68 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does MERIT Academy serve?
MERIT Academy serves grades 09-12.
How many teachers does MERIT Academy have?
MERIT Academy employs 7 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.7:1.
How diverse is MERIT Academy?
MERIT Academy reports a student body of 41% White, 41% Hispanic, 10% Black, 3% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees MERIT Academy?
MERIT Academy is overseen by Grossmont Union High in San Diego County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.