How to read the Dashboard numbers for Citrus Heights schools
The California School Dashboard reports English language arts (ELA) and math as distance from standard: the average gap, in scale-score points, between a school's students and the grade-level standard on state tests. Zero means students are at standard on average; minus 50 means they are 50 points below. Each indicator also gets a color from red (lowest) through orange, yellow and green to blue (highest), which combines the current level with the change from the prior year. High schools add a graduation rate, and elementary and middle schools add chronic absenteeism: the share of students who missed at least 10% of school days.
All figures on this page come from the California Department of Education's 2025 Dashboard data files for all students, which feed the Dashboard website. A school can have a low score and a rising trend, or the reverse, so read both. Test scores track family income and many factors outside a school's control. Visit, talk to the principal and look at the full Dashboard page before you judge a school.
San Juan Unified compared with California
San Juan Unified serves a large area of northeast Sacramento County, including Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale and Citrus Heights. In 2025 its ELA result was 32.0 points below standard and math 65.5 below, both under the statewide figures. Its graduation rate was slightly above the state's.
| 2025 Dashboard, all students | ELA (distance from standard) | Math (distance from standard) | Graduation rate | Chronic absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan Unified | -32.0 (orange) | -65.5 (orange) | 88.1% (green) | 22.5% (orange) |
| California | -8.1 (yellow) | -42.4 (yellow) | 87.8% (green) | 17.1% (yellow) |
Citrus Heights high schools
Mesa Verde High School, Carriage Drive
Mesa Verde, at 7501 Carriage Drive, graduated 89.3% of its class in 2025, up 3.8 points and rated green. Test results were well below standard: ELA 60.1 points below and math 138.1 below, both orange, though both rose about 7 points on the year.
San Juan High School, Greenback Lane
San Juan High, at 7551 Greenback Lane, posted the biggest gains of any Citrus Heights school in 2025: ELA improved 23.9 points to 33.5 below standard (yellow) and math 27.1 points to 125.1 below (orange). Its graduation rate was 80.5%, up 6.1 points and rated green.
High schools near Citrus Heights
Two San Juan Unified high schools sit just outside the city. Casa Roble Fundamental High in Orangevale graduated 96.9% in 2025 (blue), with ELA 16.5 below standard. Del Campo High in Fair Oaks graduated 92.7% (blue). Both have neighborhood attendance areas, and Casa Roble also takes students through open enrollment; check the district lookup for any address.
Citrus Heights middle and K-8 schools
Sylvan Middle School, at 7085 Auburn Boulevard, is the only stand-alone middle school in the city. Three K-8 schools also serve grades 6 to 8.
| School | Grades | ELA | Math | Chronic absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Middle | 6-8 | -70.4 (red) | -112.3 (orange) | 35.4% |
| Lichen K-8 | K-8 | -37.8 (yellow) | -62.9 (orange) | 27.0% |
| Woodside K-8 | K-8 | -39.5 (orange) | -64.4 (orange) | 28.1% |
| Kingswood K-8 | K-8 | -68.8 (orange) | -109.0 (red) | 28.8% |
Sylvan Middle School results
Sylvan's math result improved 12.9 points in 2025, while ELA was nearly flat. Its chronic absenteeism of 35.4% was the highest of any school in the city, about double the state rate.
Lichen K-8 and Woodside K-8
Lichen, on Lichen Drive, raised its ELA result by 15.0 points to 37.8 below standard, the best middle-grades ELA figure in the city. Woodside, on Villa Oak Drive, scored similarly but fell 5.6 points in ELA and 7.7 in math.
Citrus Heights elementary schools
| School | Address | ELA | Math | Chronic absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Heights Elementary | 5555 Fleetwood Drive | +14.2 (green) | +8.2 (green) | 11.3% |
| Carriage Drive Elementary | 7519 Carriage Drive | -49.6 (orange) | -63.3 (yellow) | 28.4% |
| Skycrest Elementary | 5641 Mariposa Avenue | -58.9 (orange) | -58.7 (orange) | 25.2% |
| Arlington Heights Elementary | 6401 Trenton Way | -60.0 (yellow) | -76.5 (yellow) | 22.4% |
| Grand Oaks Elementary | 7901 Rosswood Drive | -66.2 (orange) | -68.0 (orange) | 21.9% |
| Mariposa Avenue Elementary | 7940 Mariposa Avenue | -80.5 (red) | -96.2 (red) | 29.8% |
Cambridge Heights Elementary: the city's top 2025 scores
Cambridge Heights was the only Citrus Heights school above standard in both subjects in 2025, at 14.2 points above in ELA and 8.2 above in math, both green. Both scores dipped from 2024, by 4.5 and 9.8 points.
Arlington Heights Elementary: the largest elementary gain
Arlington Heights improved its ELA result by 18.8 points and cut chronic absenteeism by 6.2 points in 2025, the biggest attendance improvement among city schools.
Elementary schools that declined in 2025
Skycrest fell 16.4 points in ELA and 14.3 in math, and Mariposa Avenue fell 9.0 and 15.8, rating red in both. Ask either principal what changed and what support is in place.
School choice near Citrus Heights: fundamental, charter and transfers
San Juan Unified fundamental schools
The district runs fundamental schools, which it describes as highly structured. Most take students only through open enrollment, but Louis Pasteur and Casa Roble also have neighborhood attendance areas. Near Citrus Heights they include Green Oaks Fundamental Elementary (ELA 30.6 above standard in 2025), Louis Pasteur Fundamental Middle (ELA 19.1 below) and Casa Roble Fundamental High, all in Orangevale.
Charter schools near Citrus Heights
Golden Valley Orchard, a San Juan Unified-authorized charter K-8 on Filbert Avenue in Orangevale, scored 17.2 below standard in ELA in 2025. The CDE directory lists no charter school with a Citrus Heights address. Charters admit by application and lottery, not by address.
Open enrollment and transfers in San Juan Unified
The district runs open enrollment once a year by lottery; the window opened in early December in recent years. Check the district's transfers and open enrollment page for the current dates. Adults can also take classes at Sunrise Tech Center on Sunrise Boulevard, the district's adult school site in the city.
How to check which schools serve a Citrus Heights address
Never rely on a listing, a map app or a neighbor for school assignment. San Juan Unified's Find Your School tool returns the neighborhood elementary, middle and high schools for an address and school year; the district notes that a result does not guarantee a seat. Boundaries can change, and some schools fill. Before you buy, enter the exact address, save the result with the date and call the school to ask about space in your grade. Then read each school's full page on the California School Dashboard. For prices near any school, see our Citrus Heights homes guide.