Is John A. Otis Elementary a good school?

John A. Otis Elementary ranks 4139 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend John A. Otis Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 400 students attended John A. Otis Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of John A. Otis Elementary?

Students at John A. Otis Elementary are 88% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of John A. Otis Elementary attend?

Students who attend John A. Otis Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : National City Middle High : Sweetwater High

John A. Otis Elementary

Summary:

John A. Otis Elementary is a public elementary school in National City, California, serving 406 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the National Elementary District, which is ranked 1139 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John A. Otis Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state in academic assessments, with only 26.69% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 26.14% in Mathematics in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's performance in Science is also below the district and state averages. Additionally, John A. Otis has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.5% in 2018-2019 to 36.5% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the nearby schools. The school serves a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 74.38% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

While John A. Otis Elementary shares similar demographic characteristics with the nearby schools, its academic performance is generally lower across most grade levels and subject areas. For instance, in the 2023-2024 school year, Palmer Way Elementary had significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts (40.45%) and Mathematics (32.58%) compared to John A. Otis Elementary. The high rates of chronic absenteeism and the school's socioeconomic status may be contributing factors to the academic challenges faced by John A. Otis Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-6

621 East 18th St.
National City, CA 91950-4630

(619) 336-8800

District: National Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
4139^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,347

Students who attend John A. Otis Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	National City Middle
High:	Sweetwater High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.2

Number of students: 400

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.0%

Asian:

8.5%

Two or more races:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare John A. Otis Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John A. Otis Elementary ranks worse than 70.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the National Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.66. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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: Hispanic (88%), Asian (8.5%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John A. Otis Elementary is 22.2, which is the 3^rd best among 10 elementary schools in the National Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare John A. Otis Elementary employs 18 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John A. Otis Elementary is $5,347, which is the 4^th highest among 10 elementary schools in the National Elementary School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John A. Otis Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks John A. Otis Elementary 4139^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See John A. Otis Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

National Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks National Elementary 1139^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for John A. Otis Elementary

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Rank History for all students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	41.28	2581^st	4809	46.3%
2005	32.56	3131^st	4822	35.1%
2006	33.24	3089^th	4818	35.9%
2007	45.74	2580^th	5113	49.5%
2008	45.45	2639^th	5113	48.4%
2009	50.84	2436^th	5193	53.1%
2010	43.92	2927^th	5314	44.9%
2011	53.94	2364^th	5377	56.0%
2012	38.17	3379^th	5390	37.3%
2013	55.57	2378^th	5530	57.0%
2015	35.45	3293^rd	5611	41.3%
2016	39.13	3132^nd	5614	44.2%
2017	43.84	2872^nd	5692	49.5%
2018	43.55	2929^th	5662	48.3%
2019	46.56	2790^th	5789	51.8%
2022	36.10	3365^th	5883	42.8%
2023	41.79	3018^th	5874	48.6%
2024	27.66	4139^th	5862	29.4%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	54.88	1043^rd	3246	67.9%
2019	54.65	1012^th	3275	69.1%
2022	50.98	1144^th	3311	65.4%
2023	59.42	804^th	3250	75.3%
2024	49.49	1205^th	3160	61.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	20.87	2350^th	2634	10.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.07	2227^th	5084	56.2%
2019	59.79	1792^nd	5173	65.4%
2022	52.67	2111^th	5264	59.9%
2023	56.69	1950^th	5374	63.7%
2024	33.96	3621^st	5511	34.3%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	85.68	30^th	336	91.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.09	2882^nd	5413	46.8%
2019	46.25	2713^th	5492	50.6%
2022	40.66	2963^rd	5635	47.4%
2023	44.00	2753^rd	5617	51.0%
2024	30.28	3770^th	5605	32.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.95	2789^th	5431	48.6%
2019	46.08	2670^th	5510	51.5%
2022	31.27	3680^th	5663	35.0%
2023	39.73	3081^st	5650	45.5%
2024	26.63	4118^th	5636	26.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at John A. Otis Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.56	2254^th	4830	53.3%
2019	56.31	1888^th	4963	62.0%
2022	45.78	2472^nd	5084	51.4%
2023	50.99	2177^th	5098	57.3%
2024	32.28	3549^th	5102	30.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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

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Enrollment information for John A. Otis Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	48	14	64	299	0	n/a	n/a	0	425
1989	49	11	61	305	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
1990	50	8	51	303	0	n/a	n/a	0	412
1991	41	11	60	322	0	n/a	n/a	0	434
1992	35	7	54	332	0	n/a	n/a	0	428
1993	25	8	54	343	0	n/a	n/a	0	430
1994	24	9	87	366	0	n/a	n/a	0	486
1995	17	6	62	413	1	n/a	n/a	0	499
1996	17	6	62	413	1	n/a	n/a	0	499
1997	24	7	48	445	1	n/a	n/a	0	525
1998	19	17	37	425	1	n/a	n/a	0	499
1999	19	15	36	433	1	n/a	n/a	0	504
2000	16	19	44	465	1	n/a	n/a	0	545
2001	15	11	48	459	1	n/a	n/a	0	534
2002	16	4	45	445	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2003	16	4	45	445	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2004	10	6	49	454	0	n/a	n/a	0	519
2005	11	7	39	440	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
2006	9	7	40	392	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
2007	9	9	38	358	0	n/a	n/a	0	414
2008	10	11	25	377	1	n/a	n/a	0	424
2009	7	6	47	370	0	0	1	0	431
2010	1	1	3	373	0	0	34	0	412
2011	4	11	29	408	0	0	2	0	454
2012	6	8	36	398	0	1	5	0	454
2013	6	8	30	397	0	1	3	0	445
2014	14	9	30	409	0	0	5	0	467
2015	17	12	35	387	0	2	3	0	456
2016	18	13	31	380	0	2	4	0	448
2017	14	9	32	396	1	1	3	0	456
2018	14	10	40	397	1	4	3	0	469
2019	11	5	35	411	0	3	1	0	466
2020	6	3	31	386	0	1	3	1	431
2021	5	1	31	388	0	1	4	1	431
2022	8	1	35	349	0	0	4	1	398
2023	5	0	31	366	0	0	3	1	406
2024	4	2	34	352	0	0	7	1	400

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 John A. Otis Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	425	16.7	25.4	n/a
1989	426	18.0	23.6	n/a
1990	412	16.0	25.7	n/a
1991	434	16.9	25.6	n/a
1992	428	17.2	24.8	n/a
1993	430	16.0	26.9	95.1
1994	486	19.0	25.6	94.9
1995	499	19.0	26.3	95
1996	499	19.0	26.3	95
1997	525	25.0	21.0	94.9
1998	499	24.0	20.8	95
1999	504	24.0	21.0	94.8
2000	545	25.5	21.4	99.4
2001	534	27.0	19.8	99.4
2002	510	23.0	22.2	99.4
2003	510	23.0	22.2	99.4
2004	519	22.0	23.6	99.4
2005	497	22.0	22.6	99.4
2006	448	21.0	21.3	87.7
2007	414	20.0	20.7	86.2
2008	424	24.0	17.7	84.9
2009	431	19.0	18.7	99.3
2010	412	20.0	20.6	86.2
2011	454	n/a	n/a	85.7
2012	454	22.0	20.6	n/a
2013	445	21.0	21.1	n/a
2014	467	20.0	23.3	77.7
2015	456	20.0	22.8	77.9
2016	448	19.0	23.5	77.2
2017	456	19.0	24.0	82
2018	469	19.0	24.6	84
2019	466	18.5	25.1	81.8
2020	431	n/a	n/a	81.4
2021	431	18.0	23.9	71.5
2022	398	16.0	24.8	70.9
2023	406	17.0	23.8	74.4
2024	400	18.0	22.2	78

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 John A. Otis Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	425	16.7	25.4	n/a
1989	426	18.0	23.6	n/a
1990	412	16.0	25.7	n/a
1991	434	16.9	25.6	n/a
1992	428	17.2	24.8	n/a
1993	430	16.0	26.9	95.1
1994	486	19.0	25.6	94.9
1995	499	19.0	26.3	95
1996	499	19.0	26.3	95
1997	525	25.0	21.0	94.9
1998	499	24.0	20.8	95
1999	504	24.0	21.0	94.8
2000	545	25.5	21.4	99.4
2001	534	27.0	19.8	99.4
2002	510	23.0	22.2	99.4
2003	510	23.0	22.2	99.4
2004	519	22.0	23.6	99.4
2005	497	22.0	22.6	99.4
2006	448	21.0	21.3	87.7
2007	414	20.0	20.7	86.2
2008	424	24.0	17.7	84.9
2009	431	19.0	18.7	99.3
2010	412	20.0	20.6	86.2
2011	454	n/a	n/a	85.7
2012	454	22.0	20.6	n/a
2013	445	21.0	21.1	n/a
2014	467	20.0	23.3	77.7
2015	456	20.0	22.8	77.9
2016	448	19.0	23.5	77.2
2017	456	19.0	24.0	82
2018	469	19.0	24.6	84
2019	466	18.5	25.1	81.8
2020	431	n/a	n/a	81.4
2021	431	18.0	23.9	71.5
2022	398	16.0	24.8	70.9
2023	406	17.0	23.8	74.4
2024	400	18.0	22.2	78

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.

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