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Schools›California›El Cajon
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·GROSSMONT UNION HIGH·NCES 061623013915

IDEA Center

1600 North Cuyamaca St., El Cajon, CA 92020 · (619) 956-4332 · San Diego County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL127 STUDENTS
Enrollment
127
High
DISTRICT 1,093 · STATE 838
Student : Teacher
7.8:1
16 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.3:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
65%
83 students
DISTRICT 63% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Grade 9
17
Grade 10
21
Grade 11
41
Grade 12
48
Student demographics
White
6047%
DISTRICT 40% · STATE 20%
Hispanic
5140%
DISTRICT 42% · STATE 56%
Black
32%
DISTRICT 5% · STATE 5%
Asian
22%
DISTRICT 5% · STATE 12%
Two+
86%
DISTRICT 6% · STATE 6%
Native American
11%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 0%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
6954%
Female
5644%

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Test scores

CAASPP 2023-24 . % met or exceeded standard
English Language Arts
34.1%
own-school result
Math
11.4%
own-school result
State assessment results for this school reflect a specialized student population. The figures above are the school's own reported scores; they are not directly comparable to state averages or to general-enrollment schools, so the usual state-average comparison line is suppressed here.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Not computed for this school
BeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
127
-33 (-21%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
7.8:1
was 11.6:1
% White
47%
was 53%
% Hispanic
40%
was 34%
% Black
2%
was 6%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About IDEA Center

IDEA Center is a rural-scale high school in El Cajon, California, one of the schools within Grossmont Union High. The school works with 127 students in grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 85% below the state mean of about 838.

Grossmont Union High comprises 15 schools with combined enrollment of 16,401 students; IDEA Center is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, IDEA Center lists that 47% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 40% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 2% Black. That composition is broadly in line with San Diego County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 7.8:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 18.2:1 average. Roughly 65% of students at IDEA Center qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of San Diego County's rate of about 54%.

Around the school, the surrounding county (San Diego County) records that the typical household earns roughly $106,268 per year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. In all, San Diego County runs 766 public schools (combined enrollment of about 467,437 students), of which IDEA Center is one.

Nearest neighbor: MERIT Academy, around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around IDEA Center.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at IDEA Center has edged down 21%, going from 160 students in 2018 to 127 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 34% to 40% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 11.6:1 in 2018 to 7.8:1 today.

On allk12, members of the IDEA Center community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.

San Diego County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
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

School name
IDEA Center
District
Grossmont Union High
Address
1600 North Cuyamaca St., El Cajon, CA 92020
Phone
(619) 956-4332
County
San Diego County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
127
Teachers (FTE)
16
Student–teacher ratio
7.8:1
Free/Reduced lunch
83 (65%)
Locale
21-Suburb: Large
NCES ID
061623013915
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Grossmont Union High
Other schools in El Cajon
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About IDEA Center
How large is IDEA Center?
IDEA Center enrolls approximately 127 students in grades 09-12.
Is IDEA Center an elementary, middle, or high school?
IDEA Center is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does IDEA Center have?
IDEA Center employs 16 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 7.8:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at IDEA Center?
At IDEA Center, the student body is approximately 47% White, 40% Hispanic, 2% Black, 2% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Is IDEA Center public or private?
IDEA Center is a public K-12 school, overseen by Grossmont Union High.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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