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What advice would you give to incoming students at Vista La Mesa Academy?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
518
Elementary
DISTRICT 362 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LEMON GROVE·NCES 062133002556
Vista La Mesa Academy
3900 Violet St., La Mesa, CA 91941 · (619) 825-5645 · San Diego County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL518 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 33% of California public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- B+Three-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
24.3:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.8:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
72%
372 students
DISTRICT 72% · 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 | 57 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 69 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 57 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 56 | 11% |
| Grade 4 | 57 | 11% |
| Grade 5 | 59 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 51 | 10% |
| Grade 7 | 55 | 11% |
| Grade 8 | 57 | 11% |
This year's kindergarten class (57) is about the same size as its 8th grade class (57).
Student demographics
57%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 51% · 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
35.6%
CA avg 49.1% . +9.6pp since 2014
Math
25.9%
CA avg 37.7% . +6.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 36 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 26 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 10 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 7 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 10.6% | 25.1% | 22.1% | 42.3% |
| Math | 9.2% | 16.7% | 31.6% | 42.6% |
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 | 35.6% | 25.9% |
| 2023-24 | 34.4% | 32.9% |
| 2022-23 | 35.0% | 28.7% |
| 2021-22 | 30.4% | 21.6% |
| 2018-19 | 45.4% | 31.6% |
| 2017-18 | 40.5% | 31.6% |
| 2016-17 | 39.4% | 34.0% |
| 2015-16 | 41.0% | 27.0% |
| 2014-15 | 26.0% | 19.0% |
% 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
32.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
37.5%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 32% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 37% 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 Vista La Mesa Academy
Vista La Mesa Academy's state test result (32.2% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista La Mesa Academy this school | 518 | 71.8% | 32.2% |
| Highlands Elementary Pittsburg | 480 | 76.0% | 19.7% |
| Eagle Ranch Elementary Adelanto | 535 | 73.6% | 17.7% |
| Sutter Elementary Antioch | 450 | 75.8% | 23.9% |
| Theodore Vick Elementary Adelanto | 494 | 71.7% | 18.3% |
| Foothill Elementary Pittsburg | 551 | 72.6% | 32.0% |
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 Vista La Mesa Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 32.2% | #3,251 of 5,151 | #281 of 392 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 25.9% | #3,677 of 5,172 ▼ 894 | #310 of 393 ▼ 67 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 35.6% | #3,364 of 5,172 ▼ 74 | #285 of 393 ▲ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.8pp | #1,721 of 5,116 | #108 of 387 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 518 | #2,216 of 5,915 | #167 of 453 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 24.3:1 | #3,930 of 5,352 | #291 of 418 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 56.9% | #2,141 of 5,354 | #223 of 418 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 71.8% | #2,849 of 5,625 | #159 of 442 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -17.4% | #1,714 of 3,837 | #123 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
518
-159 (-23%) vs 2020
+19% since 1990-91, when it was 434
Student : Teacher
24.3:1
was 23.3:1
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 | 518 | 21.4 | 24.3:1 | 72% (372) |
| 2023-24 | 531 | 22.1 | 24.0:1 | 71% (379) |
| 2022-23 | 591 | 24.1 | 24.5:1 | 59% (347) |
| 2020-21 | 677 | 29 | 23.3:1 | 66% (450) |
| 2017-18 | 627 | 27 | 23.3:1 | 71% (447) |
| 2015-16 | 630 | 25 | 25.2:1 | 80% (503) |
| 2010-11 | 677 | N/A | N/A | 100% (674) |
| 2000-01 | 602 | 32 | 18.8:1 | 70% (420) |
| 1990-91 | 434 | 19 | 22.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Vista La Mesa Academy.
Since 2017-18: students down 17% (627 to 518); teachers down 21% (27 to 21.4).
About Vista La Mesa Academy
Vista La Mesa Academy is an elementary school in La Mesa, California, and it is part of Lemon Grove. The school has 518 students in 2024-25 across kindergarten through 8.
Lemon Grove counts 8 schools and 3,048 students, including Vista La Mesa Academy.
More than half of the students at Vista La Mesa Academy are Hispanic (63%). The rest of enrollment is 14% Black, 10% White, 8% Asian, and 4% multiracial. Census estimates put the Hispanic share of San Diego County's population at about 35%. The diversity index for Vista La Mesa Academy is 57%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
There are 21.4 full-time-equivalent teachers at the school, a ratio of 24.3:1. Compared with the 22.3:1 average for elementary schools in California, this school's ratio is higher. On the income side, 72% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Among public schools in San Diego County, the average eligibility rate is 54%.
Vista La Mesa Academy holds a C allk12 Grade, placing it above 33% of California public elementary schools.
Vista La Mesa Academy sits between the top and bottom 10% of California schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate across its state test results of 32.2% and a predicted 37.5%.
American Community Survey estimates for San Diego County show that median household income comes to about $106,268, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 43% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 7%. The county's public schools total 766, with about 467,437 students.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, Rolando Park Elementary, is about 0.5 miles. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. On state test proficiency, Vista La Mesa Academy ranks 6th in a group of 7 nearby schools.
Locale data from NCES put Vista La Mesa Academy in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more (Suburb: Large).
The school's student count decreased 23% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years.
People can post here about special education services, counseling, and support programs and other school topics. Members of the school community can share what they know.
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 Lemon Grove
- Lemon Grove Academy for the Sciences and HumanitiesMiddle · 516 students
- San Miguel ElementaryElementary · 435 students
- Lemon Grove Academy ElementaryElementary · 399 students
- Mt. Vernon ElementaryElementary · 359 students
- Monterey Heights ElementaryElementary · 341 students
- San Altos ElementaryElementary · 338 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
- Rolando Park Elementary0.5 mi · 270
- Helix High0.7 mi · 2,554
- San Miguel Elementary0.9 mi · 435
- Rolando Elementary1.0 mi · 371
- La Mesa Dale Elementary1.0 mi · 460
- La Mesa Arts Academy1.1 mi · 1,059
Frequently asked questions
About Vista La Mesa AcademyHow large is Vista La Mesa Academy?
Vista La Mesa Academy enrolls approximately 518 students in grades KG-08.
What age range does Vista La Mesa Academy serve?
Vista La Mesa Academy serves students from grade KG through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Vista La Mesa Academy?
Approximately 24.3:1 students per teacher at Vista La Mesa Academy.
What is the student diversity at Vista La Mesa Academy?
Student demographics at Vista La Mesa Academy are roughly 10% White, 63% Hispanic, 14% Black, 8% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is Vista La Mesa Academy public or private?
Vista La Mesa Academy is a public K-12 school, overseen by Lemon Grove.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.