Is Central Elementary a good school?

Central Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.8% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Central Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 494 students attended Central Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary?

Students at Central Elementary are 72% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 10% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Wilson Middle High : Hoover High

Central Elementary

Summary:

Central Elementary is a public elementary school in San Diego, California, serving 533 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the San Diego Unified School District, which is ranked 604 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of California elementary schools over the past decade, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 29.06% of Central Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 54.22% in the district and 47.04% statewide. The school has also experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 20.3% in 2017-2018 to 43.8% in 2022-2023, which is much higher than the district and state averages.

Compared to nearby schools like Franklin Elementary, Edison Elementary, and Normal Heights Elementary, Central Elementary generally performs worse across academic measures, with lower proficiency rates and higher chronic absenteeism. The school's high rate of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 94.18% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may be a significant factor contributing to its challenges.

Detail:

Public K-5

3878 Orange Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105

(619) 344-6100

District: San Diego Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4760^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,260

Students who attend Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Wilson Middle
High:	Hoover High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.2

Number of students: 494

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.3%

Asian:

15.0%

African American:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.2%

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Compare Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Elementary ranks worse than 81.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 98^th among 117 ranked elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.09. (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 (72.3%), Asian (15%), African American (9.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 20.2, which is the 14^th best among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Central Elementary employs 24.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary is $9,260, which is the 39^th highest among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Central Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Central Elementary 4760^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Central 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:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

San Diego Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Diego Unified 604^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Central Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	34.51	2964^th	4809	38.4%
2005	26.03	3552^nd	4822	26.3%
2006	23.93	3733^rd	4818	22.5%
2007	21.88	4142^nd	5113	19.0%
2008	22.48	4160^th	5113	18.6%
2009	20.43	4392^nd	5193	15.4%
2010	34.84	3499^th	5314	34.2%
2011	29.26	4047^th	5377	24.7%
2012	32.42	3775^th	5390	30.0%
2013	29.88	4050^th	5530	26.8%
2015	23.56	4279^th	5611	23.7%
2016	18.61	4740^th	5614	15.6%
2017	12.81	5298^th	5692	6.9%
2018	12.12	5313^th	5662	6.2%
2019	17.19	5060^th	5789	12.6%
2022	24.33	4416^th	5883	24.9%
2023	22.36	4625^th	5874	21.3%
2024	21.09	4760^th	5862	18.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.72	2669^th	3246	17.8%
2019	32.77	2288^th	3275	30.1%
2022	28.05	2750^th	3311	16.9%
2023	34.77	2184^th	3250	32.8%
2024	38.94	1899^th	3160	39.9%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	26.63	2026^th	2634	23.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	17.09	4658^th	5084	8.4%
2019	23.85	4308^th	5173	16.7%
2022	34.70	3457^th	5264	34.3%
2023	31.72	3757^th	5374	30.1%
2024	28.36	4111^th	5511	25.4%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	59.45	103^rd	356	71.1%
2023	43.03	185^th	336	44.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.77	5147^th	5413	4.9%
2019	22.11	4452^nd	5492	18.9%
2022	25.95	4130^th	5635	26.7%
2023	28.36	3924^th	5617	30.1%
2024	21.25	4578^th	5605	18.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	20.95	1921^st	2128	9.7%
2019	20.97	2295^th	2585	11.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.55	5055^th	5431	6.9%
2019	14.96	5055^th	5510	8.3%
2022	23.23	4406^th	5663	22.2%
2023	18.16	4895^th	5650	13.4%
2024	21.95	4534^th	5636	19.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	2.51	1042^nd	1071	2.7%
2019	18.92	992^nd	1149	13.7%
2022	12.90	1018^th	1154	11.8%
2023	4.30	1121^st	1190	5.8%
2024	13.77	1051^st	1203	12.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Central Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.72	4520^th	4830	6.4%
2019	20.25	4356^th	4963	12.2%
2022	26.79	3977^th	5084	21.8%
2023	25.22	4099^th	5098	19.6%
2024	19.72	4468^th	5102	12.4%

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 Central Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	151	176	280	228	3	n/a	n/a	0	838
1989	132	162	288	292	3	n/a	n/a	0	877
1990	123	216	275	369	1	n/a	n/a	0	984
1991	118	187	286	456	2	n/a	n/a	0	1049
1992	107	209	270	579	6	n/a	n/a	0	1171
1993	77	220	280	630	2	n/a	n/a	0	1209
1994	62	235	240	720	5	n/a	n/a	0	1262
1995	57	201	258	905	5	n/a	n/a	0	1426
1996	57	201	258	905	5	n/a	n/a	0	1426
1997	56	225	221	930	3	n/a	n/a	0	1435
1998	50	192	202	903	1	n/a	n/a	0	1348
1999	36	132	138	843	2	n/a	n/a	0	1151
2000	40	152	138	855	2	n/a	n/a	0	1187
2001	35	110	134	879	3	n/a	n/a	0	1161
2002	21	62	140	685	1	n/a	n/a	0	909
2003	21	62	140	685	1	n/a	n/a	0	909
2004	17	64	134	667	1	n/a	n/a	0	883
2005	15	83	131	642	0	n/a	n/a	0	871
2006	14	98	155	645	0	n/a	n/a	0	912
2007	20	79	148	602	0	n/a	n/a	1	850
2008	16	80	149	603	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	848
2009	17	76	129	577	0	7	0	0	806
2010	11	68	111	555	1	4	3	0	753
2011	8	51	120	536	0	4	3	0	722
2012	7	52	121	594	0	2	4	0	780
2013	11	67	115	608	0	4	10	0	815
2014	4	50	114	612	0	0	9	0	789
2015	2	39	114	619	0	2	8	0	784
2016	9	42	95	578	1	2	10	0	737
2017	9	47	103	538	0	2	8	0	707
2018	12	55	100	518	3	1	10	0	699
2019	16	49	88	477	2	2	10	0	644
2020	17	47	84	463	1	3	13	0	628
2021	11	51	93	418	1	3	9	0	586
2022	8	46	86	412	1	3	11	0	567
2023	8	43	80	393	1	2	6	0	533
2024	6	47	74	357	1	1	8	0	494

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 Central Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	838	29.2	28.6	n/a
1989	877	29.1	30.1	n/a
1990	984	30.7	32.0	n/a
1991	1049	34.9	30.0	n/a
1992	1171	35.5	32.9	95
1993	1209	45.2	26.7	95
1994	1262	44.0	28.7	94.9
1995	1426	51.7	27.6	95
1996	1426	51.7	27.6	95
1997	1435	59.2	24.2	95
1998	1348	66.8	20.2	67.2
1999	1151	63.8	18.0	78.2
2000	1187	66.0	18.0	99
2001	1161	66.5	17.5	27.7
2002	909	51.6	17.6	74.4
2003	909	51.6	17.6	74.4
2004	883	56.0	15.8	64.4
2005	871	55.0	15.8	74.4
2006	912	51.0	17.9	99
2007	850	49.5	17.2	98.7
2008	848	51.0	16.6	98.8
2009	806	48.0	15.0	99
2010	753	45.6	16.5	98.9
2011	722	n/a	n/a	99
2012	780	43.3	18.0	n/a
2013	815	47.3	17.2	99.6
2014	789	33.0	23.9	95.8
2015	784	31.0	25.2	98.6
2016	737	31.0	23.7	98.1
2017	707	30.3	23.3	97.5
2018	699	28.5	24.5	96.3
2019	644	26.5	24.3	97.2
2020	628	n/a	n/a	95.7
2021	586	27.4	21.3	96.6
2022	567	26.6	21.3	94.9
2023	533	25.4	20.9	94.2
2024	494	24.4	20.2	96.2

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 Central Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	838	29.2	28.6	n/a
1989	877	29.1	30.1	n/a
1990	984	30.7	32.0	n/a
1991	1049	34.9	30.0	n/a
1992	1171	35.5	32.9	95
1993	1209	45.2	26.7	95
1994	1262	44.0	28.7	94.9
1995	1426	51.7	27.6	95
1996	1426	51.7	27.6	95
1997	1435	59.2	24.2	95
1998	1348	66.8	20.2	67.2
1999	1151	63.8	18.0	78.2
2000	1187	66.0	18.0	99
2001	1161	66.5	17.5	27.7
2002	909	51.6	17.6	74.4
2003	909	51.6	17.6	74.4
2004	883	56.0	15.8	64.4
2005	871	55.0	15.8	74.4
2006	912	51.0	17.9	99
2007	850	49.5	17.2	98.7
2008	848	51.0	16.6	98.8
2009	806	48.0	15.0	99
2010	753	45.6	16.5	98.9
2011	722	n/a	n/a	99
2012	780	43.3	18.0	n/a
2013	815	47.3	17.2	99.6
2014	789	33.0	23.9	95.8
2015	784	31.0	25.2	98.6
2016	737	31.0	23.7	98.1
2017	707	30.3	23.3	97.5
2018	699	28.5	24.5	96.3
2019	644	26.5	24.3	97.2
2020	628	n/a	n/a	95.7
2021	586	27.4	21.3	96.6
2022	567	26.6	21.3	94.9
2023	533	25.4	20.9	94.2
2024	494	24.4	20.2	96.2

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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