Poinsettia Elementary

Located at 2445 Mica Rd., in Carlsbad, California, Poinsettia Elementary is a medium-sized K-5 school that instructs 481 students (grades K through 5), operated by Carlsbad Unified.

Carlsbad Unified runs 16 schools in total, collectively educating 10,678 students. Poinsettia Elementary is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, Poinsettia Elementary lists that the largest single group is White at 49%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school shows 28% Hispanic, 13% multiracial, 9% Asian. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 22.4:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 29% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against San Diego County (around 54%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Poinsettia Elementary is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 62.3%; this one delivers 86.3%, a residual of +24.0 points.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for San Diego County put 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%. Poinsettia Elementary is one of 766 public schools in San Diego County (combined enrollment of about 467,437 students).

Nearest neighbor: Carrillo Elementary, around 1.0 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Poinsettia Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 70.3%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Poinsettia Elementary has decreased 9%, going from 529 students in 2018 to 481 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 54% to 49% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 24.6:1 in 2018 to 22.4:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.