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What's the biggest difference between Lemon Avenue Elementary and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
502
Elementary
DISTRICT 397 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LA MESA-SPRING VALLEY·NCES 062025002435
Lemon Avenue Elementary
8787 Lemon Ave., La Mesa, CA 91941 · (619) 668-5835 · San Diego County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL502 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 59% of California public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- BThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
27.9:1
18 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 25.0:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
44%
223 students
DISTRICT 66% · STATE 65%
Community
6
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 | 115 | 23% |
| Grade 1 | 74 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 82 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 81 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 79 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 71 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (115) is 62% larger than its 5th grade class (71).
Student demographics
66%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 65% · 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
58.0%
CA avg 49.1% . +4.0pp since 2014
Math
55.2%
CA avg 37.7% . +5.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 58 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 55 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 4 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 5 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 33.2% | 24.8% | 20.4% | 21.7% |
| Math | 33.2% | 22.0% | 19.4% | 25.4% |
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 | 58.0% | 55.2% |
| 2023-24 | 52.9% | 47.1% |
| 2022-23 | 62.5% | 57.3% |
| 2021-22 | 59.8% | 47.5% |
| 2018-19 | 57.1% | 45.3% |
| 2017-18 | 60.8% | 47.6% |
| 2016-17 | 61.1% | 49.5% |
| 2015-16 | 58.0% | 47.0% |
| 2014-15 | 54.0% | 50.0% |
% 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
52.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
53.5%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-1.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 52% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 54% 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 →
Schools most like Lemon Avenue Elementary
Lemon Avenue Elementary's state test result (52.1% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Avenue Elementary this school | 502 | 44.4% | 52.1% |
| Las Flores Elementary Ridgecrest | 526 | 47.3% | 45.7% |
| Antelope Creek Elementary Rocklin | 493 | 46.0% | 54.1% |
| Chet F. Harritt Elementary Santee | 606 | 46.4% | 50.0% |
| Marguerite Hahn Elementary Rohnert Park | 478 | 40.0% | 49.0% |
| Carlin C. Coppin Elementary Lincoln | 442 | 44.6% | 47.2% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Lemon Avenue Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 52.1% | #1,583 of 5,151 | #171 of 392 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 55.2% | #1,300 of 5,172 ▲ 387 | #145 of 393 ▲ 31 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 58.0% | #1,468 of 5,172 ▲ 231 | #164 of 393 ▲ 15 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +2.9pp | #2,315 of 5,116 | #160 of 387 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 502 | #2,403 of 5,915 | #181 of 453 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 27.9:1 | #5,227 of 5,352 | #410 of 418 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 65.5% | #1,185 of 5,354 | #110 of 418 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 44.4% | #4,164 of 5,625 | #284 of 442 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -19.8% | #1,450 of 3,837 | #99 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. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
502
-33 (-6%) vs 2020
-7% since 1990-91, when it was 537
Student : Teacher
27.9:1
was 25.5:1
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 | 502 | 18 | 27.9:1 | 44% (223) |
| 2023-24 | 513 | 19 | 27.0:1 | 46% (238) |
| 2022-23 | 527 | 19 | 27.7:1 | 45% (238) |
| 2020-21 | 535 | 21 | 25.5:1 | 40% (212) |
| 2017-18 | 626 | 22 | 28.4:1 | 40% (249) |
| 2015-16 | 682 | 23 | 29.6:1 | 38% (257) |
| 2010-11 | 550 | N/A | N/A | 27% (149) |
| 2000-01 | 548 | 27 | 20.3:1 | 27% (148) |
| 1990-91 | 537 | 21 | 25.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Lemon Avenue Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 20% (626 to 502); teachers down 18% (22 to 18).
About Lemon Avenue Elementary
Lemon Avenue Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school with its address in La Mesa, California. It is open to students in kindergarten through 5 and enrolls 502 students.
The 22 schools in La Mesa-Spring Valley enroll 10,491 students altogether, Lemon Avenue Elementary among them.
White students make up 48% of enrollment at Lemon Avenue Elementary, the largest share of any group. The next largest groups are 30% Hispanic, 14% multiracial, 4% Black, and 4% Asian. That is in line with San Diego County, where about 48% of residents are White. A diversity index of 66% means there is a 66% chance two randomly chosen students at Lemon Avenue Elementary are from different groups.
Lemon Avenue Elementary lists 18 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 27.9 students per teacher. The school's 27.9:1 compares with an average of 22.3:1 for elementary schools in California. Free or reduced-price lunch covers 44% of the student body. The gap from the 54% average for public schools in San Diego County is 10 points.
Lemon Avenue Elementary holds a B allk12 Grade, placing it above 59% of California public elementary schools.
In California, Lemon Avenue Elementary is in the middle band of BeatsExpectations: 52.1% actual against a predicted 53.5%.
San Diego County is the school's county. There, the median household earns about $106,268 a year, roughly 43% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in San Diego County number 766, with about 467,437 students.
A public school about 0.4 miles away, Sparrow Academy, is the closest to Lemon Avenue Elementary. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Lemon Avenue Elementary. On proficiency, Lemon Avenue Elementary is behind the 52.1% nearby average, ranking 4th of 6.
Federal data place Lemon Avenue Elementary in the Suburb: Large locale, which means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
The school's student count decreased 6% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years. By 2024-25, the school had 27.9 students per teacher, compared with 25.5 in 2020-21.
This community page is for conversations about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures. You can also rate the school on this page.
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 La Mesa-Spring Valley
- La Mesa Arts AcademyMiddle · 1,059 students
- Parkway Sports and Health Science AcademyMiddle · 897 students
- Sci Tech Engr Arts and Math Acad at La PresaMiddle · 800 students
- Murdock ElementaryElementary · 608 students
- Spring Valley AcademyMiddle · 597 students
- Fletcher Hills ElementaryElementary · 540 students
Other schools in La Mesa
- Helix HighHigh · 2,554 students
- Grossmont HighHigh · 2,172 students
- La Mesa Arts AcademyMiddle · 1,059 students
- Parkway Sports and Health Science AcademyMiddle · 897 students
- Murdock ElementaryElementary · 608 students
- Avocado ElementaryElementary · 573 students
Nearby schools
- Sparrow Academy0.4 mi · 156
- JCS - Manzanita0.7 mi · 224
- The Learning Choice Academy - East County0.9 mi · 466
- Murdock Elementary1.4 mi · 608
- La Mesa Arts Academy1.6 mi · 1,059
- Murray Manor Elementary1.6 mi · 530
Frequently asked questions
About Lemon Avenue ElementaryHow large is Lemon Avenue Elementary?
Lemon Avenue Elementary enrolls approximately 502 students in grades KG-05.
What age range does Lemon Avenue Elementary serve?
Lemon Avenue Elementary serves students from grade KG through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at Lemon Avenue Elementary?
Approximately 27.9:1 students per teacher at Lemon Avenue Elementary.
How diverse is Lemon Avenue Elementary?
Lemon Avenue Elementary reports a student body of 48% White, 30% Hispanic, 4% Black, 4% Asian, 14% Two or more.
What district is Lemon Avenue Elementary in?
Lemon Avenue Elementary is part of La Mesa-Spring Valley.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.