California Military Institute, Perris CA

Original Research by School Decision on California Military Institute

California Military Institute is a public charter school serving grades five through twelve in Perris, a working-class Riverside County city built on rail and farming heritage that continues to grow steadily through housing and logistics development. The school enrolls a mid-sized population that is predominantly Latino, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the city and surrounding communities the school draws from.

The school's academic performance in state testing shows clear softness, particularly in math and science. Across tested grades in English language arts, proficiency runs in the low to mid-range, with upper middle school grades showing slightly stronger results than younger ones. Math proficiency is notably weaker at all grade levels tested. Science proficiency is low across the board. These results place the school above the midpoint among districts in Riverside County on an overall proficiency index, though a parent may want to look into this further with the school, since the underlying numbers are modest. Historical data from an older assessment shows the school had previously demonstrated strength in social studies, though current state testing does not include that subject at high school grades.

The school operates as a charter within the Perris Union High School District, which recently completed a major multiyear bond-funded capital expansion adding academic and career-training facilities across its campuses. That infrastructure investment is now in place. The district has also refinanced its bond debt multiple times since 2021, generating tax savings that appear automatically on property bills for homeowners. These changes affect the broader context families experience, though they do not change day-to-day school operations.

The city itself is moderately walkable in the historic downtown core along Fourth Street but is otherwise auto-oriented suburban, with most residents driving and commuting. Civic anchors include a public library, park system, and commuter rail service to Los Angeles via the Perris Valley Metrolink line. Median home values in the area run solidly middle-income for the region, with modest appreciation recently. Employment is anchored by logistics, retail, healthcare, and education, with major employers including Amazon, Ross Stores, Home Depot, and Kaiser Permanente.

No data on graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, or English learner enrollment were available for the school. The school's website information was not accessed. A parent considering this school would benefit from asking directly about its specific academic programs, discipline and safety practices, and how it uses its charter status and any distinct mission or approach it may have developed. The test results suggest an institution serving a high-need population where academic outcomes are an area the school would be working to improve.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 120 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 10%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 13% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 13% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 26% · ▲ 20 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 29% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 11% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 891%

School 91% · District 34% · ▲ 57 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

This schoolPerris Union High, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income67%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income55%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income47%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income25%5 pp gap