Sparrow Academy

Sparrow Academy is an elementary-level community of rural-scale scale in La Mesa, California, part of Sparrow Academy District, works with 156 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 465 students per school, that is 66% smaller than typical.

Sparrow Academy is a school of Sparrow Academy District, the district that handles curriculum, staffing, and budget for the campus.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Sparrow Academy reports that 48% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school logs 39% White, 11% multiracial. By comparison, San Diego County as a whole is about 35% Hispanic, so the school skews meaningfully more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 22.3:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 34% of students at Sparrow Academy qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, San Diego County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

Across the wider county, 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 census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Sparrow Academy is one of 766 public schools in San Diego County (combined enrollment of about 467,437 students).

The closest other public school is Lemon Avenue Elementary, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area. Sparrow Academy operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

On this page, 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.