Is Curie Elementary a good school?

Yes! Curie Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 139 th of 5862 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Curie Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 533 students attended Curie Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Curie Elementary?

Students at Curie Elementary are 56% White, 17% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 11% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Curie Elementary attend?

Students who attend Curie Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Standley Middle High : University City High

Curie Elementary

Summary:

Curie Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school in San Diego, California, serving 533 students in grades K-5 and part of the San Diego Unified School District. This exceptional school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with a statewide ranking of 139 out of 5,862 schools for the 2023-2024 school year and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Curie Elementary significantly outperforms the district and state in academic achievement, with 82.45% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 54.22% for the district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, 84.84% of Curie students are proficient or better, compared to 43.89% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance in Science is also impressive, with 68.82% of students proficient or better, far exceeding the district and state averages. Curie Elementary's success extends to various student subgroups, including Hispanic, White, and Multi-racial students, as well as Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status students, all of whom rank among the top in the state.

While Curie Elementary's academic excellence is undisputed, the school's relatively high student-teacher ratio and a recent increase in chronic absenteeism rates may be areas for further exploration. Nonetheless, Curie Elementary's outstanding performance, particularly when compared to nearby Lafayette Elementary, Field Elementary, and Alcott Elementary, which all have lower test scores and rankings, makes it a standout in the San Diego educational landscape.

Detail:

Public K-5

4080 Governor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122-2523

(858) 221-5500

District: San Diego Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,362

Students who attend Curie Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Standley Middle
High:	University City High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.3

Number of students: 533

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.5%

Hispanic:

16.9%

Asian:

15.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 10.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Curie Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Curie Elementary ranks better than 97.6% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 6^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 97.27. (See more...)

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 Student population at Curie Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (55.5%), Hispanic (16.9%), Asian (15%). (See more...)

Compare Details 10.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Curie Elementary is 25.3. 110 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Curie Elementary employs 21 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Curie Elementary is $7,362. 100 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Curie Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Curie Elementary 139^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Curie Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

San Diego Unified:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Curie Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Curie Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Curie Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	95.54	207^th	4809	95.7%
2005	92.87	333^rd	4822	93.1%
2006	93.70	289^th	4818	94.0%
2007	93.20	335^th	5113	93.4%
2008	92.46	346^th	5113	93.2%
2009	94.11	223^rd	5193	95.7%
2010	94.45	168^th	5314	96.8%
2011	92.65	273^rd	5377	94.9%
2012	90.62	392^nd	5390	92.7%
2013	91.16	388^th	5530	93.0%
2015	96.48	230^th	5611	95.9%
2016	96.72	188^th	5614	96.7%
2017	96.67	201^st	5692	96.5%
2018	96.14	209^th	5662	96.3%
2019	92.94	447^th	5789	92.3%
2022	93.84	455^th	5883	92.3%
2023	97.03	185^th	5874	96.9%
2024	97.27	139^th	5862	97.6%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.51	80^th	339	76.4%
2019	65.48	171^st	445	61.6%
2024	80.96	106^th	669	84.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	78.72	326^th	2420	86.5%
2024	62.21	671^st	2634	74.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	96.81	80^th	5084	98.4%
2019	63.97	1516^th	5173	70.7%
2022	76.61	888^th	5264	83.1%
2023	91.46	330^th	5374	93.9%
2024	78.70	893^rd	5511	83.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	94.10	275^th	5413	94.9%
2019	91.36	477^th	5492	91.3%
2022	93.74	393^rd	5635	93.0%
2023	96.34	178^th	5617	96.8%
2024	95.54	246^th	5605	95.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	67.00	558^th	2585	78.4%
2022	97.23	69^th	2227	96.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	96.41	158^th	5431	97.1%
2019	92.75	392^nd	5510	92.9%
2022	92.14	494^th	5663	91.3%
2023	95.83	234^th	5650	95.9%
2024	97.49	95^th	5636	98.3%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.95	402^nd	1071	62.5%
2019	75.07	253^rd	1149	78.0%
2022	50.50	720^th	1154	37.6%
2023	67.41	466^th	1190	60.8%
2024	59.49	619^th	1203	48.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	97.09	80^th	4830	98.3%
2019	70.34	1157^th	4963	76.7%
2022	99.65	16^th	5084	99.7%
2023	98.47	47^th	5098	99.1%
2024	98.34	53^rd	5102	99.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Curie Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	85.84	226^th	2737	91.7%
2019	83.28	331^st	2834	88.3%
2022	85.25	258^th	2726	90.5%
2023	87.23	187^th	2662	93.0%
2024	88.71	121^st	2647	95.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary 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 parent
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

My son had a horrible kindergarten experience! Never would recommend this school for kindergartners especially. My son who is normally a very happy kid cried everyday going to class and night dreading the morning. Teacher won't do anything other then what is "required of her" that means she only does whats on paper and not a hug more and my sons progress dropped drastically. Changed schools and HUGE difference for the better all around. Not a good place for kindergartners in my opinion! We almost moved to another state to get away from this district all together because of our experience and the Principal was not helpful only in the end when I took things further but at that point we were done. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Curie Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	424	38	71	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	564
1989	380	66	72	35	3	n/a	n/a	0	556
1990	391	57	80	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	569
1991	380	46	85	40	4	n/a	n/a	0	555
1992	370	53	91	51	4	n/a	n/a	0	569
1993	366	52	83	45	4	n/a	n/a	0	550
1994	401	44	73	58	2	n/a	n/a	0	578
1995	350	42	67	51	1	n/a	n/a	0	511
1996	350	42	67	51	1	n/a	n/a	0	511
1997	362	33	71	51	1	n/a	n/a	0	518
1998	378	27	74	64	2	n/a	n/a	0	545
1999	373	22	79	79	3	n/a	n/a	0	556
2000	383	10	89	87	4	n/a	n/a	0	573
2001	390	6	83	89	3	n/a	n/a	0	571
2002	402	12	85	89	3	n/a	n/a	0	591
2003	402	12	85	89	3	n/a	n/a	0	591
2004	392	8	93	95	6	n/a	n/a	0	594
2005	395	16	73	105	8	n/a	n/a	0	597
2006	375	19	91	102	7	n/a	n/a	0	594
2007	371	14	91	90	4	n/a	n/a	21	591
2008	361	23	107	96	5	n/a	n/a	0	592
2009	379	21	108	89	6	3	0	0	606
2010	369	4	73	90	3	2	51	0	592
2011	363	8	81	90	2	1	43	0	588
2012	386	2	65	90	3	0	49	0	595
2013	364	7	68	87	1	0	49	0	576
2014	337	4	87	82	2	0	53	0	565
2015	323	6	82	87	3	0	70	0	571
2016	323	7	96	80	2	0	79	0	587
2017	309	8	111	80	4	0	90	0	602
2018	310	6	113	82	3	0	79	0	593
2019	301	10	114	82	1	0	75	0	583
2020	287	7	112	74	1	0	63	0	544
2021	284	7	121	74	3	0	67	0	556
2022	276	7	89	74	2	0	60	0	508
2023	296	7	80	90	1	0	59	0	533

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 Curie Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	564	20.1	28.0	n/a
1989	556	20.1	27.6	n/a
1990	569	18.1	31.4	n/a
1991	555	21.1	26.3	n/a
1992	569	21.4	26.5	16.2
1993	550	21.1	26.1	16.9
1994	578	21.0	27.5	19.2
1995	511	22.0	23.2	22.5
1996	511	22.0	23.2	22.5
1997	518	23.0	22.5	18.5
1998	545	27.0	20.2	15
1999	556	27.0	20.6	17.4
2000	573	29.0	19.8	16.4
2001	571	28.3	20.2	12.3
2002	591	31.0	19.1	15.6
2003	591	31.0	19.1	15.6
2004	594	31.0	19.2	15.8
2005	597	31.8	18.8	17.3
2006	594	31.2	19.0	17
2007	591	30.4	19.4	20.2
2008	592	31.4	18.9	18.9
2009	606	30.0	19.5	15
2010	592	27.0	21.9	15.5
2011	588	n/a	n/a	20.6
2012	595	27.0	22.0	n/a
2013	576	26.0	22.1	15.1
2014	565	20.6	27.4	15.6
2015	571	22.0	25.9	11.9
2016	587	22.0	26.6	14.1
2017	602	23.4	25.7	13
2018	593	23.3	25.4	13.2
2019	583	21.3	27.3	9.9
2020	544	n/a	n/a	11.2
2021	556	20.8	26.7	9.4
2022	508	21.4	23.7	11.8
2023	533	21.0	25.3	10.7

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 Curie Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	564	20.1	28.0	n/a
1989	556	20.1	27.6	n/a
1990	569	18.1	31.4	n/a
1991	555	21.1	26.3	n/a
1992	569	21.4	26.5	16.2
1993	550	21.1	26.1	16.9
1994	578	21.0	27.5	19.2
1995	511	22.0	23.2	22.5
1996	511	22.0	23.2	22.5
1997	518	23.0	22.5	18.5
1998	545	27.0	20.2	15
1999	556	27.0	20.6	17.4
2000	573	29.0	19.8	16.4
2001	571	28.3	20.2	12.3
2002	591	31.0	19.1	15.6
2003	591	31.0	19.1	15.6
2004	594	31.0	19.2	15.8
2005	597	31.8	18.8	17.3
2006	594	31.2	19.0	17
2007	591	30.4	19.4	20.2
2008	592	31.4	18.9	18.9
2009	606	30.0	19.5	15
2010	592	27.0	21.9	15.5
2011	588	n/a	n/a	20.6
2012	595	27.0	22.0	n/a
2013	576	26.0	22.1	15.1
2014	565	20.6	27.4	15.6
2015	571	22.0	25.9	11.9
2016	587	22.0	26.6	14.1
2017	602	23.4	25.7	13
2018	593	23.3	25.4	13.2
2019	583	21.3	27.3	9.9
2020	544	n/a	n/a	11.2
2021	556	20.8	26.7	9.4
2022	508	21.4	23.7	11.8
2023	533	21.0	25.3	10.7

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates