IDEA Center

Q: Is IDEA Center a good school?

IDEA Center ranks 1389 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

IDEA Center is a public high school located in El Cajon, California, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 140 students. It is part of the Grossmont Union High School District, which is ranked 660 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

IDEA Center has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California high schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance. The school has struggled with low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and significant chronic absenteeism. Academically, IDEA Center's students perform significantly below the district and state averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as in the California Science Test (CAST). The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and students of low socioeconomic status.

Compared to nearby high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District, such as Grossmont High, Santana High, and West Hills High, which all rank in the top 50% of California high schools, IDEA Center's performance is significantly lower. The only nearby school that performs worse than IDEA Center is Chaparral High, which is also part of the Grossmont Union High School District.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1600 North Cuyamaca St.
El Cajon, CA 92020-1187

(619) 956-4332

District: Grossmont Union High

SchoolDigger Rank:
1389^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,602

Student/teacher ratio: 8.3

Number of students: 140

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.6%

Hispanic:

31.4%

Two or more races:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.7%

See top rated California high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details IDEA Center ranks worse than 59.8% of high schools in California. It also ranks 10^th among 13 ranked high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.3. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of IDEA Center freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (53.6%), Hispanic (31.4%), two or more races (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at IDEA Center is 8.3, which is the lowest among 15 high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District! (See more...)

Compare IDEA Center employs 16.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at IDEA Center is $22,602, which is the 2^nd highest among 13 high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

IDEA Center:

SchoolDigger ranks IDEA Center 1389^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See IDEA Center in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Grossmont Union High:

SchoolDigger ranks Grossmont Union High 660^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for IDEA Center.

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Rank History for IDEA Center

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Rank History for all students at IDEA Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2017	31.56	1354^th	2021	33.0%
2018	27.42	1410^th	2017	30.1%
2019	30.81	1414^th	2133	33.7%
2021	29.39	909^th	1290	29.5%
2022	34.85	1309^th	2123	38.3%
2023	23.53	1604^th	2348	31.7%
2024	31.30	1389^th	2323	40.2%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at IDEA Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.09	1360^th	1862	27.0%
2019	22.02	1468^th	1937	24.2%
2021	26.01	856^th	1126	24.0%
2022	22.85	1486^th	1943	23.5%
2023	23.48	1586^th	2247	29.4%
2024	38.81	1175^th	2235	47.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at IDEA Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.41	1386^th	1760	21.3%
2019	26.14	1346^th	1833	26.6%
2021	21.23	865^th	1054	17.9%
2022	31.78	1231^st	1858	33.7%
2023	35.22	1223^rd	2118	42.3%
2024	31.92	1302^nd	2098	37.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at IDEA Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.26	1216^th	1834	33.7%
2019	31.80	1245^th	1880	33.8%
2021	31.99	771^st	1122	31.3%
2022	33.72	1205^th	1916	37.1%
2023	11.40	1878^th	2207	14.9%
2024	29.30	1338^th	2172	38.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at IDEA Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.95	1170^th	1742	32.8%
2019	29.21	1278^th	1814	29.5%
2022	29.82	1316^th	1861	29.3%
2023	10.66	1863^rd	2142	13.0%
2024	26.33	1443^rd	2125	32.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at IDEA Center

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.12	1021^st	1173	13.0%
2019	22.75	966^th	1222	20.9%
2022	28.39	868^th	1204	27.9%
2023	12.91	1200^th	1434	16.3%
2024	19.48	1074^th	1406	23.6%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Thursday, February 15, 2018

This school is horrible. It's filled with people who don't care about their education and their grading system is horrible. They grade with 1,2,3 and 4s and they mostly give you a 2 even though you try as hard as you can on presentations. If you want an easy year at this school, go here. If you want to have drugs and be disrespected, go here. If you want a bright future ahead of you and you want to be academically challenged, don't waste your time looking at their site. Find a school with real kids. Close Quote

Enrollment information for IDEA Center

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	73	17	0	63	2	0	8	163
2017	76	11	3	53	1	0	12	156
2018	84	9	3	54	0	0	10	160
2019	69	8	3	76	0	2	19	177
2020	96	11	5	89	0	0	15	216
2021	94	19	3	70	0	2	9	197
2022	73	11	0	51	0	0	11	146
2023	75	8	1	44	1	0	11	140

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at IDEA Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	163	18.0	9.0	72.4
2017	156	15.8	9.8	55.1
2018	160	13.8	11.5	55
2019	177	14.5	12.1	68.9
2020	216	n/a	n/a	55.1
2021	197	15.6	12.5	54.8
2022	146	14.9	9.7	60.3
2023	140	16.8	8.3	50.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio IDEA Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	163	18.0	9.0	72.4
2017	156	15.8	9.8	55.1
2018	160	13.8	11.5	55
2019	177	14.5	12.1	68.9
2020	216	n/a	n/a	55.1
2021	197	15.6	12.5	54.8
2022	146	14.9	9.7	60.3
2023	140	16.8	8.3	50.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for IDEA Center

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$22,602

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on IDEA Center

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1414^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1604^th of 2348 High schools	2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (IDEA Center)	43.3	34.2	9.2%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Grossmont Union High)	56.1	52.2	3.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (IDEA Center)	8.1	9.5	1.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Grossmont Union High)	32.7	25.9	6.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (IDEA Center)	18	9.8	8.3%
11th Grade Science (Grossmont Union High)	27.6	26.6	1%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%
12th Grade Science (IDEA Center)	6.1	17.9	11.8%
12th Grade Science (Grossmont Union High)	22.3	21.5	0.7%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.8	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	177	140	20.9%
African American	8	8
American Indian	0	1
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	76	44	42.1%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	69	75	8.7%
Two or More Races	19	11	42.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	68.9%	50.7%	18.2%

Schools Near IDEA Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Chaparral High	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-4600	62	7	8.8	83.9%	19 (30.6%)	4 (6.5%)	35 (56.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (6.5%)	8.2	2159^th of 2323 public high schools	7.1%		8.1	2192^nd of 2348 public high schools	6.6%	33			0.0		0.0			0.0	0.0			5.0	5.0	$32,683
MERIT Academy	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0600	79	6	12.9	78.5%	39 (49.4%)	3 (3.8%)	32 (40.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.8%)	8.7	2119^th of 2323 public high schools	8.8%					(n/a)			0.0		0.0							0.0	0.0
IDEA Center	Public	9-12	1600 North Cuyamaca St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-4332	140	17	8.3	50.7%	75 (53.6%)	8 (5.7%)	44 (31.4%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.9%)	31.3	1389^th of 2323 public high schools	40.2%		23.5	1604^th of 2348 public high schools	31.7%	215			22.7		22.2			34.1	34.1			11.4	11.4	$22,602
Altus Schools East County	Public, Charter	7-12	111 Fletcher Pkwy.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Altus Schools East County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 678-2020	257	8	34.1	69.3%	52 (20.2%)	19 (7.4%)	155 (60.3%)	5 (1.9%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	21 (8.2%)	38.6	1171^st of 2323 public high schools	49.6%		49	890^th of 2348 public high schools	62.1%	281	14.3	17.7	23.1	20.7	18.3	18.8	42.9	63.9	47.5	12.5	17.9	8.3	12.5
Grossmont Middle College High	Public	11-12	8800 Grossmont College Dr.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 644-7524	49	2	23.4	46.9%	29 (59.2%)	1 (2.0%)	10 (20.4%)	3 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (12.2%)	97.1	47^th of 2323 public high schools	98.0%		88.3	205^th of 2348 public high schools	91.3%	158			69.6		69.6			81.8	81.8			71.4	71.4	$8,758
El Cajon Valley High	Public	9-12	1035 East Madison Ave.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 579-5855	1,652	77	21.4	91.0%	601 (36.4%)	159 (9.6%)	730 (44.2%)	100 (6.1%)	5 (0.3%)	7 (0.4%)	50 (3.0%)	22.5	1620^th of 2323 public high schools	30.3%		30.5	1400^th of 2348 public high schools	40.4%	220			11.0	7.3	10.6			30.0	30.0			11.7	11.7	$13,545
Grossmont High	Public	9-12	1100 Murray Dr.	La Mesa	91944	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-6000	2,175	89	24.3	59.5%	764 (35.1%)	167 (7.7%)	924 (42.5%)	109 (5.0%)	4 (0.2%)	13 (0.6%)	191 (8.8%)	64.3	558^th of 2323 public high schools	76.0%		62	616^th of 2348 public high schools	73.8%	58			39.2	15.0	38.3			61.2	61.2			23.7	23.7	$10,796
Santana High	Public	9-12	9915 North Magnolia Ave.	Santee	92071	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0211	1,736	65	26.8	46.0%	1,015 (58.5%)	27 (1.6%)	498 (28.7%)	64 (3.7%)	13 (0.7%)	4 (0.2%)	112 (6.5%)	70.2	473^rd of 2323 public high schools	79.6%		78.5	356^th of 2348 public high schools	84.8%	117			31.8	14.3	31.2			62.9	62.9			40.9	40.9	$10,820
West Hills High	Public	9-12	8756 Mast Blvd.	Santee	92071	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-0400	1,532	65	23.7	37.6%	821 (53.6%)	29 (1.9%)	456 (29.8%)	95 (6.2%)	18 (1.2%)	5 (0.3%)	108 (7.0%)	67	524^th of 2323 public high schools	77.4%		64.6	564^th of 2348 public high schools	76.0%	40			30.8	15.4	30.3			60.6	60.6			37.8	37.8	$10,325
Elite Academy	Public	9-12	230 Jamacha Blvd.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Grossmont Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3545	44	4	10.4	59.1%	16 (36.4%)	3 (6.8%)	18 (40.9%)	1 (2.3%)	2 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (9.1%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about IDEA Center

What district is IDEA Center in?

Grossmont Union High

Is IDEA Center a good school?

IDEA Center ranks 1389^th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of IDEA Center?

Students at IDEA Center are 54% White, 31% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% African American.

How many students attend IDEA Center?

In the 2022-23 school year, 140 students attended IDEA Center.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.