Public schools in Lake Elsinore, CA
21 open public schools with an address in Lake Elsinore, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
21
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
15,632
19 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
23.1:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
2
1 virtual
An overview of Lake Elsinore public schools
The federal directory lists 21 public schools in Lake Elsinore, CA: 12 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high, 3 combined or other. The 19 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 15,632 students, an average of 823 per school. The largest campus is Temescal Canyon High (2,373 students), and the largest elementary school is Lakeland Village (909).
Lake Elsinore Unified operates the most schools here (18), and 2 regular districts have at least one Lake Elsinore 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 23.1:1, higher than 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 2 charter schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 4 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 4 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 76% 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 Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore Unified
Public school district
18 schools in Lake Elsinore · 26 total
Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lake Elsinore
Menifee Union
Public school district
1 school in Lake Elsinore · 18 total
Vista Lago Global Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Lake Elsinore
Elementary schools in Lake Elsinore
12| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberhill Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 485 | 21.4:1 | |
| Cottonwood Canyon Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 813 | 23.1:1 | |
| Earl Warren Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 821 | 23.9:1 | |
| Elsinore Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 462 | 23.6:1 | |
| Herk Bouris Elementary Menifee Union | KG–05 | 734 | 23.3:1 | |
| Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy District · Charter | KG–08 | 440 | 39.9:1 | |
| Lakeland Village Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–08 | 909 | 19.9:1 | |
| Machado Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 531 | 22.4:1 | |
| Railroad Canyon Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 873 | 23:1 | |
| Rice Canyon Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 596 | 21.9:1 | |
| Tuscany Hills Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 606 | 22.3:1 | |
| Withrow Elementary Lake Elsinore Unified | KG–05 | 583 | 22.3:1 |
Middle schools in Lake Elsinore
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon Lake Middle Lake Elsinore Unified | 06–08 | 951 | 23.9:1 | |
| Elsinore Middle Lake Elsinore Unified | 06–08 | 947 | 26.8:1 | |
| Terra Cotta Middle Lake Elsinore Unified | 06–08 | 1,026 | 24.5:1 |
High schools in Lake Elsinore
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside High Lake Elsinore Unified | 09–12 | 1,687 | 23.4:1 | |
| Ortega High Lake Elsinore Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 463 | 18:1 | |
| Temescal Canyon High Lake Elsinore Unified | 09–12 | 2,373 | 25.5:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Lake Elsinore
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith McCarthy Academy Lake Elsinore Unified · Virtual · Alternative School | KG–12 | 332 | 18.4:1 | |
| Preschool Lake Elsinore Unified | Not reported | — | — | |
| Vista Lago Global Academy Vista Lago Global Academy District · Charter | KG–12 | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White18.7%
- Hispanic68.4%
- Black4.7%
- Asian3.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
- Multiracial4.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 19 Lake Elsinore schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (15,632 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Lake Elsinore
How many public schools are in Lake Elsinore, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 21 open public schools with a location address in Lake Elsinore: 12 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 15,632 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Lake Elsinore?
Schools with an address in Lake Elsinore belong to 4 education agencies, led by Lake Elsinore Unified (18 schools), Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy District (1 school), Menifee Union (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Lake Elsinore?
Temescal Canyon High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Lake Elsinore, with 2,373 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Lake Elsinore?
Yes. 2 of the 21 public schools in Lake Elsinore are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy, Vista Lago Global Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Lake Elsinore schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Lake Elsinore public schools is 23.1:1, higher than 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 Lake Elsinore 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