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What's the most underrated thing about Central Elementary that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
497
Elementary
DISTRICT 416 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SAN DIEGO UNIFIED·NCES 063432005431
Central Elementary
3878 Orange Ave., San Diego, CA 92105 · (619) 344-6100 · San Diego County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL497 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
21.3:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.6:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
95%
473 students
DISTRICT 63% · STATE 65%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 105 | 21% |
| Grade 1 | 59 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 82 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 97 | 20% |
| Grade 4 | 78 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 76 | 15% |
Student demographics
48%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 71% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
24.6%
CA avg 49.1% . -0.4pp since 2014
Math
16.9%
CA avg 37.7% . +2.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 25 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 17 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2014, while math scores are up about 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 9.1% | 15.5% | 21.6% | 53.9% |
| Math | 5.9% | 11.0% | 25.3% | 57.8% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 24.6% | 16.9% |
| 2023-24 | 29.1% | 19.0% |
| 2022-23 | 26.5% | 19.8% |
| 2021-22 | 28.2% | 22.1% |
| 2018-19 | 27.1% | 23.7% |
| 2017-18 | 23.8% | 15.6% |
| 2016-17 | 22.2% | 12.8% |
| 2015-16 | 25.0% | 17.0% |
| 2014-15 | 25.0% | 14.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
22.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
23.8%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-1.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 22% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 24% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Where Central Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 22.5% | #4,337 of 5,151 | #348 of 392 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 16.9% | #4,578 of 5,172 | #363 of 393 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 24.6% | #4,525 of 5,172 | #362 of 393 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -4.4pp | #664 of 5,116 | #49 of 387 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 497 | #2,471 of 5,915 | #188 of 453 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.3:1 | #1,717 of 5,352 | #87 of 418 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 48.4% | #2,882 of 5,354 | #284 of 418 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 95.2% | #426 of 5,625 | #15 of 442 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -28.9% | #616 of 3,837 | #36 of 279 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
497
-89 (-15%) vs 2020
-53% since 1990-91, when it was 1,049
Student : Teacher
21.3:1
was 21.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 497 | 23.3 | 21.3:1 | 95% (473) |
| 2023-24 | 494 | 24.4 | 20.3:1 | 96% (475) |
| 2022-23 | 533 | 25.4 | 21.0:1 | 94% (502) |
| 2020-21 | 586 | 27 | 21.7:1 | 97% (566) |
| 2017-18 | 699 | 28.5 | 24.5:1 | 96% (673) |
| 2015-16 | 737 | 31 | 23.8:1 | 98% (723) |
| 2010-11 | 722 | N/A | N/A | 99% (715) |
| 2000-01 | 1,161 | 66 | 17.6:1 | 28% (322) |
| 1990-91 | 1,049 | 34 | 30.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Central Elementary.
About Central Elementary
Central Elementary is an elementary school in San Diego, California, and it is part of San Diego Unified. Grades offered run from kindergarten through 5, with 497 students enrolled.
Federal data list 174 schools in San Diego Unified, with 94,828 students enrolled.
At Central Elementary, Hispanic students make up 69% of the student body. Next come 14% Asian and 13% Black. The county population is about 35% Hispanic. Central Elementary's diversity index is 48%, against a US figure of 70%.
Federal data list 23.3 full-time-equivalent teachers at Central Elementary in 2024-25, for a ratio of 21.3:1. That is lower than the 22.3:1 average for elementary schools in California. The lunch program counts 95% of students at Central Elementary as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. By comparison, the figure for public schools in San Diego County is 54%.
Test results at Central Elementary are 1.3 points below what its free or reduced-price lunch share predicts (22.5% actual, 23.8% predicted).
Among San Diego County residents, the median household income is $106,268, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Central Elementary is one of 766 public schools in the county.
Wilson Middle is located less than a tenth of a mile from Central Elementary. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Among its closest neighbors with test data, Central Elementary is 7th of 7 on proficiency.
The school's locale code, City: Large, means it is inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment at Central Elementary declined 15% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 586 to 497 students.
The discussion area below is open to posts about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
San Diego County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,288,774
Census ACS
Median income
$106,268
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
766
467,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in San Diego Unified
- Henry HighHigh · 2,485 students
- Mira Mesa HighHigh · 2,187 students
- Hoover HighHigh · 2,011 students
- Scripps Ranch HighHigh · 1,890 students
- Point Loma HighHigh · 1,724 students
- San Diego HighHigh · 1,602 students
Other schools in San Diego
- Del Norte HighHigh · 2,557 students
- Torrey Pines HighHigh · 2,536 students
- Henry HighHigh · 2,485 students
- Rancho Bernardo HighHigh · 2,210 students
- Mira Mesa HighHigh · 2,187 students
- Canyon Crest AcademyHigh · 2,147 students
Nearby schools
- Wilson Middle0.0 mi · 712
- Health Sciences High and Middle College0.2 mi · 535
- TRACE0.3 mi · 437
- Cherokee Point Elementary0.4 mi · 298
- Edison Elementary0.4 mi · 375
- Normal Heights Elementary0.5 mi · 275
Frequently asked questions
About Central ElementaryHow large is Central Elementary?
Central Elementary enrolls approximately 497 students in grades KG-05.
Is Central Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Central Elementary is an elementary school covering grades KG-05.
How many teachers does Central Elementary have?
Central Elementary employs 23 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 21.3:1.
How diverse is Central Elementary?
Central Elementary reports a student body of 1% White, 69% Hispanic, 13% Black, 14% Asian, 1% Two or more.
What district is Central Elementary in?
Central Elementary is part of San Diego Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.