Public schools in El Centro, CA
25 open public schools with an address in El Centro, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
25
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
11,320
23 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
21:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
3
1 magnet · 1 virtual
An overview of El Centro public schools
The federal directory lists 25 public schools in El Centro, CA: 13 elementary, 2 middle, 5 high, 5 combined or other. The 23 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 11,320 students, an average of 492 per school. The largest campus is Central Union High (2,006 students), and the largest elementary school is McCabe Elementary (1,109).
El Centro Elementary operates the most schools here (13), and 5 regular districts have at least one El Centro campus, plus 2 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 21:1, similar to the statewide school median of 21.6:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 3 charter schools, 1 magnet school, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 7 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 75% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving El Centro
El Centro Elementary
Public school district
13 schools in El Centro
Central Union High
Public school district
4 schools in El Centro
Imperial County Office of Education
Public school district
4 schools in El Centro
Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District
Independent charter agency
1 school in El Centro
Imperial Valley ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in El Centro
McCabe Union Elementary
Public school district
1 school in El Centro
Meadows Union
Public school district
1 school in El Centro
Elementary schools in El Centro
13| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District · Charter | KG–06 | 230 | 19.2:1 | |
| Booker T. Washington Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 351 | 18.5:1 | |
| De Anza Magnet El Centro Elementary · Magnet | KG–08 | 504 | 23.9:1 | |
| Desert Garden Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 358 | 22.4:1 | |
| Harding Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 601 | 24:1 | |
| Imperial Valley Home School Academy El Centro Elementary · Charter | KG–08 | 131 | 26.2:1 | |
| Lincoln Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 399 | 21:1 | |
| Margaret Hedrick Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 446 | 22.3:1 | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 445 | 23.4:1 | |
| McCabe Elementary McCabe Union Elementary | KG–08 | 1,109 | 23.7:1 | |
| McKinley Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 456 | 25.3:1 | |
| Meadows Elementary Meadows Union | KG–08 | 352 | 18.5:1 | |
| Sunflower Elementary El Centro Elementary | KG–06 | 427 | 21.4:1 |
Middle schools in El Centro
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Middle El Centro Elementary | 07–08 | 434 | 17.1:1 | |
| Wilson Jr. High El Centro Elementary | 07–08 | 605 | 18.6:1 |
High schools in El Centro
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Union High Central Union High | 09–12 | 2,006 | 20.9:1 | |
| Desert Oasis High (Continuation) Central Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 138 | 14:1 | |
| Imperial Pathways Charter Imperial County Office of Education · Charter · Virtual | 09–12 | 246 | 23:1 | |
| Imperial Valley ROP Imperial Valley ROP · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Southwest High Central Union High | 09–12 | 1,846 | 19.5:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in El Centro
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro District Wide Preschool El Centro Elementary | Not reported | — | — | |
| Imperial County Juvenile Hall/Community Imperial County Office of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 11 | 8.3:1 | |
| Imperial County Special Education Imperial County Office of Education · Special Education School | KG–12 | — | — | |
| Phoenix Rising High Central Union High · Alternative School | 09–10 | 20 | 7.5:1 | |
| Valley Academy Imperial County Office of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 205 | 19.3:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White2.8%
- Hispanic94.9%
- Black0.7%
- Asian0.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial0.8%
Enrollment-weighted across 22 El Centro schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (11,320 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in El Centro
How many public schools are in El Centro, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 25 open public schools with a location address in El Centro: 13 elementary, 2 middle, 5 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 11,320 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve El Centro?
Schools with an address in El Centro belong to 7 education agencies, led by El Centro Elementary (13 schools), Central Union High (4 schools), Imperial County Office of Education (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in El Centro?
Central Union High reported the largest high-school enrollment in El Centro, with 2,006 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in El Centro?
Yes. 3 of the 25 public schools in El Centro are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences, Imperial Pathways Charter, Imperial Valley Home School Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in El Centro schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across El Centro public schools is 21:1, similar to the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in El Centro guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby California cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All California cities