Saul Martinez Elementary

Mecca is a small, tight-knit agricultural community in the eastern Coachella Valley, and Saul Martinez Elementary reflects the working-class, family-centered character of the town it serves. The school faces real academic challenges — scoring in the 17th percentile statewide in both English and Math — but families here are deeply rooted in the community, and the school serves as an important anchor for neighborhood kids. For families in the area, it's the local school that knows its students and their circumstances, even as the district continues to work on closing the gap with higher-performing schools across the region.