MERIT Academy

1600 North Cuyamaca St.
El Cajon, CA 92020

merit.guhsd.net

68 Students

High School 9th - 12th

School Overview

MERIT Academy, located in El Cajon, California, is a specialized charter school that operates under the Cajon Valley Union School District. The school is designed to serve students who thrive in a non-traditional educational environment, often focusing on personalized learning paths and smaller class sizes. By prioritizing a close-knit school community, the academy aims to foster stronger relationships between students and faculty, which helps in addressing individual academic needs and supporting the social-emotional growth of its diverse student body.

The school’s curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and project-based learning, encouraging students to take an active role in their educational journey. MERIT Academy is recognized for its commitment to creating a flexible and supportive atmosphere that helps students who may have struggled in larger, conventional school settings. By focusing on individualized attention and a student-centered approach, the academy strives to prepare its graduates for success in high school and beyond, fostering both academic proficiency and personal responsibility.

Total Students

7.0

Full-Time Teachers

9.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

73.5%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for MERIT Academy
Demographic	Student Count
White	28
Hispanic	28
Black	7
Asian	2
Two or More	2

White
28 (41.8%)
Hispanic
28 (41.8%)
Black
7 (10.4%)
Asian
2 (3.0%)
Two or More
2 (3.0%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Special Education School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	Supplemental Virtual
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Grossmont Union High
Phone:	(619)956-0600
Website:	http://merit.guhsd.net
Grade Range:	9th - 12th
Total Students:	68
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	7.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	9.7
NSLP Participation:¹	N/A
Qualified Free Lunch:	32
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	18

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 9 11

Grade 10 13

Grade 11 14

Grade 12 30