The city of El Centro is the largest city and county seat located in Imperial County in Southern California.  With a population of approximately 44,158, El Centro is a rural community 22 miles north of the Port of Entry into the United States from Mexicali, Baja California, 212 miles southeast of Los Angeles, 115 miles east of San Diego, 244 miles west of Phoenix.  Our city is the largest city in the Imperial Valley.  Imperial Valley is ranked fourth in the nation regarding agricultural production.  El Centro is a desert setting with average winter temperatures in the mid-seventies and the average summer temperature in the low hundreds.

 

Sources of employment in the area rely heavily on agriculture across Imperial County.  Other flourishing employment areas include renewable resources, government, health, and educational services.  The Imperial County has a community college, Imperial Valley College, located 11 miles northeast of the MUESD district office, and a Cal State University, San Diego State University with the main Imperial Valley campus located in Calexico, 12 miles south of the MUESD district office and a second campus located in Brawley, 22 miles northeast of the MUESD district office.

 

The city of El Centro was founded in 1906 and is the southernmost desert city below sea level in the continental United States with over 350 days of sunshine and under 3 inches of annual rainfall.  With two international border crossings nearby, El Centro is home to a wide range of cultural and recreational activities throughout Imperial County.  The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation area is a magnet for off-road enthusiasts; the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, a renowned birding site; a new public library, aquatic center at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sports Pavilion, the Imperial Valley Mall, and an active parks and recreation department hosting seasonal parades and street fairs with many family-oriented community events throughout the year.

The McCabe Union Elementary School District (MUESD) was established in 1908 as a one-room school located just southwest of the city of El Centro.  The campus was expanded to accommodate the impact of new housing and increased enrollment in 2008. MUESD currently serves 1,250 students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade on a single school site.  The McCabe District feeds into the Central Union High School District.  The make-up of our student population is 86% Hispanic, 10% White, .4% Black, 2% Asian, and 1% of other ethnic groups.  The District has approximately 150 certificated and classified employees.

 

The mission of MUESD is “To be the model of educational excellence, innovation, and leadership.”  We are committed to work collectively with students, families, and the community.  We are dedicated to provide a safe and conducive environment for learning.  Our vision is to prepare students with academic and social skills, habits of mind, and character traits necessary to be responsible, productive citizens.”

 

McCabe Elementary School was awarded the California Pivotal Practice Award in 2022, the California Distinguished School Award in 2006 and 2012, and the California Gold Ribbon Award in 2016.  These awards and recognitions are a testament to the District’s robust core instructional programs.  Moreover, MUESD offers various enrichment programs including Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), band, orchestra, sports, yearbook, Academic Intervention Program providing additional academic support for students, and the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) which began in 2022.  The PeaceBuilders Program was implemented in 2010 as a school community violence prevention platform.   The Leader in Me model was adopted at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year to work in conjunction with the PeaceBuilders Program.