Location: Borrego Springs, CA
Are you a student or parent at Borrego Springs High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?
We've written the best guide to Borrego Springs High available. Here we'll cover:
- Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
- How safe Borrego Springs High is to attend
- SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Borrego Springs High students
- Which AP/IB classes you can take at Borrego Springs High
- Every sports team you can join at Borrego Springs High
Let's get started!
Basic Information
Borrego Springs High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Borrego Springs, CA in San Diego County.
Based on its location, Borrego Springs High is classified as a school in a distant rural area, somewhat far from an urbanized area. Here's the location on a map:
Contact Information
Mailing address:
Borrego Springs High School1315 Palm Canyon Dr. Borrego Springs, CA 92004-0235
Phone number: 7607675357
Borrego Springs High School homepage: http://www.bsusd.net/
Principal: Steve DunnEmail the principal: [email protected]
Student Demographics
Student Enrollment
The total enrollment at Borrego Springs High School is 122 students, making it a somewhat small high school, in the bottom half of all California high schools by size.
As a smaller-sized high school, Borrego Springs High will feel like a cozy learning environment. With fewer than 100 students in your class, you'll likely get to know most other students and your teachers well. This will give you the feeling of a small liberal arts college.
But with a smaller student body, you won't have as many activities and clubs to choose from. If you find Borrego Springs High lacking for your interests, consider looking to your local community to supplement your interests.
Growth in Student Body Size
Is Borrego Springs High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.
From our calculations, the enrollment at Borrego Springs High has decreased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.
| Male Students | Female Students | All Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th grade | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| 10th grade | 21 | 12 | 33 |
| 11th grade | 16 | 13 | 29 |
| 12th grade | 20 | 12 | 32 |
As you can see in the table above, the senior class is 4 students larger than the freshman class. This suggests that Borrego Springs High is shrinking in size and taking on fewer students.
There are a few reasons this can happen. The population of Borrego Springs could be decreasing, thus sending fewer students into Borrego Springs High. Alternatively, other schools (like charter or private schools) might be appearing, drawing students away.
Gender Split
Are there more boys or girls at Borrego Springs High School?
From our statistics, Borrego Springs High has a 59:41 split between male and female students in the high school grades.
There is a large male majority at Borrego Springs High, and much more than you would expect from the general population in San Diego County. As a result, it'll feel like there are a lot more girls than boys in your classes.
Sometimes this imbalance can result from random chance and may not suggest anything about Borrego Springs High. In other cases, the school might preferentially select for males. For example, in our data we find that continuation high schools unfortunately seem to be male-dominated. In yet other cases, other neighboring schools might attract female students, drawing them away from Borrego Springs High.
If the male majority is concerning to you, we suggest contacting Borrego Springs High administration and asking if they have any thoughts about why there's a gender imbalance. Their phone number is 7607675357.
Ethnicity Breakdown
What's the racial diversity at Borrego Springs High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?
From our statistics, Borrego Springs High has a homogenous student body, with the overwhelming majority of students identifying as one ethnicity. Only a third of California schools show as little diversity as Borrego Springs High does. When attending class, most students will be of the same ethnicity, with some variation.
The majority of students at Borrego Springs High are Hispanic. In California, Hispanic students make up the majority of all students at 51.5%, and are thus the most common ethnicity. Predominantly Hispanic schools are the most common type of homogenous school, and Borrego Springs High fits within this category.
| Percentage | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0 |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0 |
| Hispanic | 75.4% | 92 |
| Black | 3.2% | 4 |
| White | 19.6% | 24 |
| Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0 |
| Two or more races | 1.6% | 2 |
High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Borrego Springs. If you'd like to see how other nearby schools look in diversity, just google "[name of school] prepscholar" to find our guide to that specific school.
Income Level of Borrego Springs High Families
What are the family incomes of students at Borrego Springs High School? To determine this, we look at the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, a classification by the US federal government.
To qualify for a reduced price meal, family income needs to be below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $45,000 or below.
To qualify for a free meal, family income needs to be below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $32,000 or below.
The lower the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals, the higher the income levels are likely to be.
At Borrego Springs High, 18.0% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 63.9% qualify for free lunches.
This means Borrego Springs High has a high percentage of students at or near poverty. Almost a third of all schools in California show this level of poverty, and by National Center for Education Statistics standards, Borrego Springs High can be classified as a high poverty school. The income level of families in Borrego Springs is thus likely to be low.
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced-price lunches | 22 | 18.0% |
| Free lunches | 78 | 63.9% |
| Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches | 22 | 18.0% |
As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Borrego Springs and doesn't speak much about the school itself.
Unfortunately, schools in areas of lower income levels are likely to be more poorly funded. As a result, they might feature less advanced coursework like AP/IB classes, and you may not have a full range of sports and extracurriculars to draw from. Because Borrego Springs High is an especially high poverty-level school, it might not have the resources you need to meet your full potential.
You definitely don't have control over the city, the school, or other families, but you can structure your own learning to be more productive. If you'd like to open yourself to more opportunities, you can look into whether it's possible to transfer to a nearby school with higher income levels.
If not, don't be alarmed - it's possible that Borrego Springs High has all that you need for your ambition. And you can definitely be proactive about learning outside of your school, looking to your community or to the Internet to find more resources.
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
School Safety
How safe is Borrego Springs High School to attend? Can you expect a lot of conflict as a student here?
To study this, we look at disciplinary data for two types of incidents at Borrego Springs High: referrals to law enforcement (when incidents are reported to police), and arrests.
These are the most serious disciplinary actions available to school administration and are more severe than suspensions or expulsions. Suspensions are often discretionary and can be given just for being disruptive in class. In contrast, law enforcement referrals and arrests often indicate incidents that put the safety of other Borrego Springs High students at risk.
Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:
Borrego Springs Unified School District Safety
| School Name | Total Referred | Total Arrests | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Canyon Continuation High | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Santa Rosa Community Day | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Bautista De Anza | 0 | 0 | 71 |
| Oxford Preparatory Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Academic Performance
Now we get to a major aspect of assessing a high school: academic performance. How good of an education will you get at Borrego Springs High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?
We've compiled everything we could find about Borrego Springs High's academics here.
Standardized Testing
Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Borrego Springs High School students. These are tests that are administered to large populations of students for comparison purposes.
Let’s start by taking a look at the data for nationally administered standardized tests.
SAT Scores
As you probably know, the SAT is a critical test used for college admissions. The higher the score you get, the better your academic performance compared to students nationwide, and the easier it is to get into top colleges.
We did in-depth research and found the average Borrego Springs High School SAT scores.
The average composite SAT score is a 1350 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 23 at Borrego Springs High take the SAT.
This is a below-average SAT score, putting Borrego Springs High School in the bottom 50% of all California schools. Only 30% of students here score the national average or higher. Because the SAT measures academic achievement, this suggests that Borrego Springs High may offer a somewhat lacking high school education, compared to schools with higher SAT averages.
Note, however, that an average is just an average - top performers will still be able to impress. If you work hard and get an SAT score well above Borrego Springs High's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.
Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:
Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)
| Source | Critical Reading | Math | Writing | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borrego Springs High | 459 | 435 | 458 | 1350 |
| California | 498 | 510 | 496 | 1504 |
| United States | 495 | 511 | 484 | 1490 |
Note that the SAT has since changed to a 1600 scale, but the trends above for your high school are likely to continue. Just use this guide to convert between the old 2400 scale and the new 1600 scale.
To learn more about SAT percentile rankings, read our guide on what SAT percentiles really mean.
How good is 1350 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1350 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1350 or any other SAT score!
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Borrego Springs High School students credit for college.
Here's what we're looking for: high average AP test scores as well as high AP passing rates.
AP Scores
Every year, roughly 22 students in grades 9-12 at Borrego Springs High take 32 AP exams. It's important to understand how students score on the AP - earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP test means passing the test and often earning college credit.
The average score of all AP exams taken at Borrego Springs High is 2.1 out of 5.
Unfortunately, this score puts Borrego Springs High at below average performance. For AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and the majority of students who take AP tests at Borrego Springs High don't pass. This performance places Borrego Springs High School in the bottom 50% of schools for AP tests in California.
This isn't all bad news. It's already good that Borrego Springs High offers an AP program, so you can start dipping your toes into college-level courses. Some schools are new to offering AP courses, and teachers often get better at preparing students for AP tests. Furthermore, a good number of students still earn a passing grade of 3 or above. With hard work throughout the year, you'll still be able to beat your school's average.
We have specific data on how many students got a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) on AP exams in the chart below:
To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Borrego Springs High School, you'll have to talk to your guidance counselor (who can then help you find that information). For instance, one AP Calculus teacher may have an above-90% passing rate, while another might only have a 50% passing rate. If you can, you'll want to take the class with the teacher who has more students get a 3 or above on the AP exam.
Find out more about the average score for each AP subject here.
State Tests
As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Borrego Springs High School must take standardized tests in English/Language Arts and Math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These align with the new Common Core standards and are called the "Smarter Balanced" tests.
If Borrego Springs High students meet or exceed state standards, they're academically prepared to graduate high school and go to college. Specifically, we care about the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards. The larger this number, the higher the preparation of students at Borrego Springs High.
English/Language Arts
At Borrego Springs High School, 66% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.
This is considered good and puts Borrego Springs High in the top 25% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Most Borrego Springs High students pass or exceed state standards, though there is also a sizable portion of students who fail to meet state standards.
English/Language Arts Test Results (2015)
Read more about what’s measured in each ELA area score here.
Math
The other major test taken for state assessments is Math. Across the state, Math performance is generally lower than English/Language Arts performance, so it's natural for this number to be lower.
At Borrego Springs High School, 7% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Borrego Springs High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Borrego Springs High students don't meet state standards, and only a small percentage pass.
Math Test Results (2015)
Read more about what’s measured in each Math area score, go here.
Sports Teams
Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Borrego Springs High School. Sports are an integral part of many students' high school experiences. The more sports that are available, and the more levels supported (Frosh, JV, Varsity), the more likely you'll be able to participate in a sport at Borrego Springs High.
By the way, the Borrego Springs High mascot is the Rams. Go Rams!
Borrego Springs High School fields 9 teams for girls' sports. This is a relatively number that puts Borrego Springs High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer girls' sports. This is understandable - sports teams are expensive to support, and many schools would rather put those resources elsewhere. If you participate in a sport that Borrego Springs High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
And now for the boys: Borrego Springs High School fields 10 teams for boys' sports. This relatively number puts Borrego Springs High in the bottom 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Sports teams are expensive to support, and Borrego Springs High may not be able to offer the full range of options. If you participate in a sport that Borrego Springs High doesn't offer, consider joining a local non-school team to get practice and compete.
| Boys Teams | Girls Teams |
|---|---|
| Lacrosse
Var
|
|
| Basketball
Var
JV
|
Basketball
Var
JV
Fr
|
| Golf
Var
|
|
| Football
Var
JV
|
|
| Wrestling
Var
|
|
| Volleyball
Var
|
Volleyball
Var
JV
|
| Baseball
Var
|
|
| Softball
Var
JV
|
|
| Soccer
Var
|
Soccer
Var
|
What’s Next?
Want to get more useful information about high school classes and preparing for colleges? Our blog has a ton of articles and advice on topics ranging from coursework and GPA to letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and much more!
Ready to bulk up your schedule and maximize your college preparedness? Read all about the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
Not quite in high school yet, but eager to get started? We've also got information for younger students interested in advanced learning opportunities, both in and out of school.
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Sources
The data on this page is drawn from a variety of sources, including (but not limited to):
- National Center for Educational Statistics CCD 2013-2014
- "Free or reduced price lunch: A proxy for poverty?", NCES Blog
- CRDC 2011-2012 school year data
- California Department of Education SAT, ACT, and AP Test Results
- California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System Results
- AP Course Ledger
- IBO.org