Original Research by School Decision on Mountain Heights Academy
Mountain Heights Academy is a public high school in San Jacinto serving grades 9 through 12 with a small enrollment. The school's peer group consists largely of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds: a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of White, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students.
The most recent state testing data available shows proficiency rates across tested subjects that are low. In English language arts, fewer than half of students scored at proficient or above levels. In mathematics, proficiency was markedly lower, with only a single-digit percentage of students meeting state standards. In science, the proficiency rate was also in the low double digits. These results reflect a school where the majority of students are not yet meeting grade-level academic benchmarks in core subjects. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about its specific instructional strategies, available support programs, and plans for improving student proficiency across these areas.
The data does not include a graduation rate for Mountain Heights Academy, a metric that would help parents understand the school's success in moving students toward completion. State assessment data for prior years was largely suppressed due to small tested cohorts, so it is not possible to assess whether proficiency has been rising, stable, or falling over time. This thin historical record is common at smaller high schools and reflects the limits of state reporting when cohort sizes are small.
San Jacinto itself is a mid-sized Riverside County city at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, known for relative affordability and a mix of residential neighborhoods alongside open farmland. The local housing market ranges widely, from single-family subdivisions to more rural large-lot properties, and the city draws on a heritage anchored in agriculture and the Estudillo Mansion. The area is car-oriented and minimally walkable outside a revitalized downtown core with historic shops and civic events. Retail, health care, education, and hospitality are the major employment sectors. The city has grown materially over recent years, with new single-family developments and a property tax environment that voters recently weighed through a school-finance bond measure.
San Jacinto Unified itself has undergone significant investment and change. In November 2024, voters approved a general obligation school bond to modernize aging facilities, alleviate overcrowding, and upgrade safety and STEAM spaces, with lasting implications for property taxes and campus conditions. The district opened a large, newly constructed elementary school in August 2025 and completed development of a 6-12 International Baccalaureate World School as a school-choice magnet option, expanding the curriculum pathways available to district families.
Mountain Heights Academy sits within this broader district context of growth and modernization. For families considering this school, the low proficiency rates in core subjects are the primary academic data point available, and clarifying the school's approach to improving outcomes and its support structures would be an important step in the decision-making process.
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