Ira Harbison

Ira Harbison is one of the small elementary schools in National City, California, part of National Elementary, with 393 students on its rolls from grades K through 6.

Within National Elementary, which oversees 10 schools and 3,964 students, Ira Harbison is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Ira Harbison reports that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 62% of enrollment; the rest consists of 27% Asian, 5% multiracial, 3% Black, 2% White. By comparison, San Diego County as a whole is about 35% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 23.1:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 22.3:1, putting Ira Harbison higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 77% of students at Ira Harbison qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, San Diego County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Ira Harbison tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 33.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 35.9%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for San Diego County put median household earnings sit near $106,268, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across San Diego County's 766 public schools (combined enrollment of about 467,437 students), Ira Harbison is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Palmer Way, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Ira Harbison at 4th of 8; the average score across the group is 37.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Ira Harbison's enrollment has fell 29% since 2018, when it stood at 550 (now 393). Class-load math has pulled in: from 26.2:1 in 2018 to 23.1:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.