Is Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary a good school?

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary ranks in the bottom 7.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 419 students attended Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary?

Students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary are 95% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary usually go on to attend: High : San Diego High

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Summary:

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary is a public elementary school serving 411 students in grades K-6 in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego, California. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-20% of California elementary schools over the past decade, with a current statewide ranking of 5408 out of 5862 schools (0 out of 5 stars).

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary faces significant challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism, which have risen from 24.5% in 2018-2019 to 51.9% in 2022-2023, much higher than the San Diego Unified district average of 39.4% and the state average of 16.1%. The school's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on state assessments, is also significantly below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 21.21% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 54.22% for the district and 47.04% for the state, and only 15.12% of students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 43.89% for the district and 35.54% for the state.

The nearby schools, such as Rodriguez Elementary, Chavez Elementary, and Baker Elementary, also struggle with low academic performance and high rates of chronic absenteeism. However, the nearby King-Chavez charter school network, which includes King-Chavez Academy of Excellence, King-Chavez Primary Academy, and King-Chavez Arts and Athletics Academy, generally outperforms Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary and the other nearby district-run schools in academic achievement, despite serving a similarly disadvantaged student population. Additionally, Mountain View Elementary, a small K-8 school located just 0.17 miles from Ralph Waldo Emerson, has consistently outperformed the other nearby schools, ranking in the top 40-60% of California elementary schools over the past few years.

Detail:

Public K-6

3510 Newton Ave.
San Diego, CA 92113-3118

(619) 344-6200

District: San Diego Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
5408^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,004

Students who attend Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary usually attend:

High:

San Diego High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.9

Number of students: 419

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

94.5%

African American:

3.1%

Two or more races:

1.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary ranks worse than 92.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 114^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 13.72. (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 (94.5%), African American (3.1%), two or more races (1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary is 20.9, which is the 22^nd best among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary is $10,004, which is the 20^th highest among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary 5408^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

San Diego Unified:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	10.97	4622^nd	4809	3.9%
2005	7.59	4748^th	4822	1.5%
2006	7.07	4743^rd	4818	1.6%
2007	9.48	4938^th	5113	3.4%
2008	7.09	5036^th	5113	1.5%
2009	12.90	4856^th	5193	6.5%
2010	17.62	4733^rd	5314	10.9%
2011	20.24	4666^th	5377	13.2%
2012	17.14	4836^th	5390	10.3%
2013	33.04	3811^th	5530	31.1%
2015	19.31	4700^th	5611	16.2%
2016	34.93	3412^th	5614	39.2%
2017	23.70	4366^th	5692	23.3%
2018	25.54	4192^nd	5662	26.0%
2019	22.93	4546^th	5789	21.5%
2022	19.41	4920^th	5883	16.4%
2023	24.74	4387^th	5874	25.3%
2024	13.72	5408^th	5862	7.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	53.14	1114^th	3246	65.7%
2019	43.16	1597^th	3275	51.2%
2022	24.89	2955^th	3311	10.8%
2023	29.84	2549^th	3250	21.6%
2024	28.40	2654^th	3160	16.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.92	2273^rd	2420	6.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.68	3188^th	5084	37.3%
2019	35.68	3453^rd	5173	33.2%
2022	28.17	3988^th	5264	24.2%
2023	36.41	3362^nd	5374	37.4%
2024	18.01	4942^nd	5511	10.3%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	52.25	133^rd	356	62.6%
2023	48.54	144^th	336	57.1%
2024	23.70	315^th	364	13.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.14	4158^th	5413	23.2%
2019	25.42	4195^th	5492	23.6%
2022	18.05	4886^th	5635	13.3%
2023	21.05	4607^th	5617	18.0%
2024	13.23	5263^rd	5605	6.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	16.29	2122^nd	2128	0.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.98	3944^th	5431	27.4%
2019	22.50	4424^th	5510	19.7%
2022	21.81	4528^th	5663	20.0%
2023	31.11	3675^th	5650	35.0%
2024	15.76	5088^th	5636	9.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.12	3263^rd	4830	32.4%
2019	34.21	3370^th	4963	32.1%
2022	26.86	3972^nd	5084	21.9%
2023	31.68	3576^th	5098	29.9%
2024	18.60	4544^th	5102	10.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I have never gone through a whole month of calling a school and that they NEVER answer at any time or any day!!
Makes me wonder about our kids safety!!

They won't do transfers in a timely manner nor answer any messages! By far this is the worst school I've ever come across, and I have 12 kids so I've seen plenty a schools, but never as ill mannered or irresponsible as this one. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	49	196	7	643	1	n/a	n/a	0	896
1989	30	189	7	631	0	n/a	n/a	0	857
1990	41	162	7	688	0	n/a	n/a	0	898
1991	74	160	9	731	0	n/a	n/a	0	974
1992	81	149	7	781	0	n/a	n/a	0	1018
1993	115	136	7	855	0	n/a	n/a	0	1113
1994	137	121	5	970	0	n/a	n/a	0	1233
1995	156	139	5	1000	1	n/a	n/a	0	1301
1996	156	139	5	1000	1	n/a	n/a	0	1301
1997	179	144	8	1069	2	n/a	n/a	0	1402
1998	167	119	6	978	2	n/a	n/a	0	1272
1999	153	119	2	1033	2	n/a	n/a	0	1309
2000	152	123	4	1115	2	n/a	n/a	0	1396
2001	91	109	7	1162	2	n/a	n/a	0	1371
2002	36	94	8	1086	0	n/a	n/a	0	1224
2003	36	94	8	1086	0	n/a	n/a	0	1224
2004	19	54	6	937	1	n/a	n/a	0	1017
2005	10	62	8	859	1	n/a	n/a	0	940
2006	3	53	12	812	2	n/a	n/a	0	882
2007	4	36	7	775	1	n/a	n/a	2	825
2008	3	50	4	702	3	n/a	n/a	0	762
2009	6	42	2	674	2	1	0	0	727
2010	3	26	2	671	0	0	2	0	704
2011	3	24	2	606	0	0	5	0	640
2012	4	28	2	614	0	0	5	0	653
2013	4	29	4	559	1	0	2	0	599
2014	2	31	7	536	1	0	2	0	579
2015	4	24	6	547	1	0	4	0	586
2016	5	20	7	525	1	0	9	0	567
2017	5	30	6	511	0	0	16	0	568
2018	4	19	6	413	1	0	14	0	457
2019	5	16	2	392	1	0	10	0	426
2020	0	11	1	401	1	0	8	0	422
2021	0	13	5	387	1	0	5	0	411
2022	1	15	5	360	0	0	5	0	386
2023	2	9	5	381	0	0	14	0	411
2024	3	13	3	396	0	0	4	0	419

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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	896	37.2	24.0	n/a
1989	857	36.2	23.6	n/a
1990	898	39.9	22.5	n/a
1991	974	44.2	22.0	n/a
1992	1018	44.9	22.6	93
1993	1113	48.2	23.1	88.4
1994	1233	54.0	22.8	94.2
1995	1301	52.5	24.8	94.5
1996	1301	52.5	24.8	94.5
1997	1402	64.0	21.9	94.2
1998	1272	70.5	18.0	92.5
1999	1309	75.5	17.3	94.4
2000	1396	75.0	18.6	94.5
2001	1371	78.3	17.5	88.5
2002	1224	66.0	18.5	99
2003	1224	66.0	18.5	99
2004	1017	61.5	16.5	85
2005	940	50.0	18.8	80.3
2006	882	51.0	17.3	91
2007	825	50.0	16.5	90.9
2008	762	51.0	14.9	90.9
2009	727	48.0	13.7	91.1
2010	704	42.0	16.7	91.1
2011	640	n/a	n/a	90.9
2012	653	42.0	15.5	n/a
2013	599	41.0	14.6	99.5
2014	579	29.0	19.9	88.1
2015	586	25.0	23.4	95.6
2016	567	26.0	21.8	97.5
2017	568	24.0	23.6	97.7
2018	457	20.0	22.8	96.9
2019	426	18.0	23.6	96
2020	422	n/a	n/a	97.2
2021	411	19.0	21.6	80
2022	386	18.0	21.4	94.6
2023	411	17.0	24.1	95.4
2024	419	20.0	20.9	95.7

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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	896	37.2	24.0	n/a
1989	857	36.2	23.6	n/a
1990	898	39.9	22.5	n/a
1991	974	44.2	22.0	n/a
1992	1018	44.9	22.6	93
1993	1113	48.2	23.1	88.4
1994	1233	54.0	22.8	94.2
1995	1301	52.5	24.8	94.5
1996	1301	52.5	24.8	94.5
1997	1402	64.0	21.9	94.2
1998	1272	70.5	18.0	92.5
1999	1309	75.5	17.3	94.4
2000	1396	75.0	18.6	94.5
2001	1371	78.3	17.5	88.5
2002	1224	66.0	18.5	99
2003	1224	66.0	18.5	99
2004	1017	61.5	16.5	85
2005	940	50.0	18.8	80.3
2006	882	51.0	17.3	91
2007	825	50.0	16.5	90.9
2008	762	51.0	14.9	90.9
2009	727	48.0	13.7	91.1
2010	704	42.0	16.7	91.1
2011	640	n/a	n/a	90.9
2012	653	42.0	15.5	n/a
2013	599	41.0	14.6	99.5
2014	579	29.0	19.9	88.1
2015	586	25.0	23.4	95.6
2016	567	26.0	21.8	97.5
2017	568	24.0	23.6	97.7
2018	457	20.0	22.8	96.9
2019	426	18.0	23.6	96
2020	422	n/a	n/a	97.2
2021	411	19.0	21.6	80
2022	386	18.0	21.4	94.6
2023	411	17.0	24.1	95.4
2024	419	20.0	20.9	95.7

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.

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