Is John Muir Language Academy a good school?

John Muir Language Academy ranks 2665 th of 5862 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend John Muir Language Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 277 students attended John Muir Language Academy.

What is the racial makeup of John Muir Language Academy?

Students at John Muir Language Academy are 55% Hispanic, 24% White, 13% Two or more races, 8% African American.

John Muir Language Academy

Summary:

John Muir Language Academy is an alternative public school in San Diego, California, serving 213 students in grades K-12. The school is part of the San Diego Unified School District, which is ranked 604 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

John Muir Language Academy has seen fluctuating chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 10.0% in 2017-2018 to 40.9% in 2021-2022, with the most recent rate in 2022-2023 at 20.5%. This is still higher than the state average, though lower than nearby schools like Alba (74.5%), Riley/New Dawn (59.5%), and Whittier K-12 (51.3%). The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the San Diego Unified School District and California state averages. Additionally, John Muir Language Academy has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 58.22% in 2022-2023 to 70.37% in 2020-2021, significantly higher than nearby schools like Learning Choice Academy (30%) and Mt. Everest Academy (22.54%).

The analysis of John Muir Language Academy's data suggests that the school faces unique challenges, with higher chronic absenteeism rates, lower test scores, and a higher percentage of students from low-income families compared to nearby alternative schools. These factors may contribute to the school's overall performance, which is generally lower than the surrounding schools within the San Diego Unified School District. Addressing these areas could be a focus for the school to improve student outcomes and better support the needs of its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

4431 Mt. Herbert Ave.
San Diego, CA 92117-4728

(858) 268-1954

District: San Diego Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2665^th of 5,862 California Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,800

Student/teacher ratio: 19.7

Number of students: 277

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.9%

White:

23.8%

Two or more races:

12.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare John Muir Language Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John Muir Language Academy ranks better than 54.5% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.94. (See more...)

Compare Details John Muir Language Academy ranks better than 57.2% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.36. (See more...)

Compare Details John Muir Language Academy ranks better than 64.9% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.01. (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 John Muir Language Academy has the largest alternative school student body size in the San Diego Unified School District. Student population at John Muir Language Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (54.9%), White (23.8%), two or more races (12.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John Muir Language Academy is 19.7, which is the highest among 6 alternative schools in the San Diego Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare John Muir Language Academy employs 13.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John Muir Language Academy is $11,800. 4 alternative schools in the San Diego Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John Muir Language Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks John Muir Language Academy 2665^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See John Muir Language Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks John Muir Language Academy 1188^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See John Muir Language Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks John Muir Language Academy 816^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See John Muir Language Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White 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 John Muir Language Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	13.61	4444^th	4809	7.6%
2005	11.24	4578^th	4822	5.1%
2006	36.43	2911^th	4818	39.6%
2007	49.09	2381^st	5113	53.4%
2008	50.72	2328^th	5113	54.5%
2009	56.06	2119^th	5193	59.2%
2010	49.01	2619^th	5314	50.7%
2011	60.74	1978^th	5377	63.2%
2012	86.77	634^th	5390	88.2%
2013	71.33	1507^th	5530	72.7%
2015	65.22	1703^rd	5611	69.6%
2016	67.30	1651^st	5614	70.6%
2017	67.10	1697^th	5692	70.2%
2018	63.88	1868^th	5662	67.0%
2019	27.26	4171^st	5789	27.9%
2022	41.29	3002^nd	5883	49.0%
2023	37.48	3317^th	5874	43.5%
2024	47.94	2665^th	5862	54.5%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.27	2342^nd	5084	53.9%
2019	9.28	5069^th	5173	2.0%
2024	14.56	5165^th	5511	6.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	60.31	1961^st	5413	63.8%
2023	31.16	3664^th	5617	34.8%
2024	31.93	3637^th	5605	35.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	64.28	1749^th	5431	67.8%
2024	46.98	2631^st	5636	53.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	68.56	1204^th	4830	75.1%
2022	73.00	1020^th	5084	79.9%
2023	64.20	1445^th	5098	71.7%
2024	69.40	1211^th	5102	76.3%

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

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

Rank History for John Muir Language Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	32.29	1153^rd	1769	34.8%
2005	25.07	1332^nd	1777	25.0%
2006	32.42	1201^st	1804	33.4%
2007	54.47	796^th	1999	60.2%
2008	68.97	506^th	2005	74.8%
2009	72.32	460^th	2063	77.7%
2010	52.14	976^th	2179	55.2%
2011	69.74	558^th	2236	75.0%
2012	65.31	693^rd	2259	69.3%
2013	54.20	1041^st	2379	56.2%
2015	65.16	759^th	2477	69.4%
2016	59.36	885^th	2497	64.6%
2017	53.77	1010^th	2508	59.7%
2018	45.37	1210^th	2480	51.2%
2019	43.25	1347^th	2715	50.4%
2022	44.57	1317^th	2740	51.9%
2023	43.39	1363^rd	2802	51.4%
2024	49.36	1188^th	2777	57.2%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.04	993^rd	2230	55.5%
2019	43.41	1232^nd	2369	48.0%
2022	57.29	798^th	2458	67.5%
2023	39.58	1356^th	2549	46.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	51.55	988^th	2262	56.3%
2019	40.37	1316^th	2380	44.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.14	1221^st	2273	46.3%
2019	50.42	1019^th	2407	57.7%
2023	40.64	1326^th	2558	48.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	62.69	603^rd	2072	70.9%
2019	53.53	846^th	2213	61.8%
2022	66.06	581^st	2359	75.4%
2023	63.30	661^st	2391	72.4%
2024	86.19	194^th	2383	91.9%

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

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

Rank History for John Muir Language Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	35.81	797^th	1653	51.8%
2005	32.02	993^rd	1901	47.8%
2006	31.93	1039^th	1968	47.2%
2007	55.57	537^th	2063	74.0%
2008	52.45	616^th	2117	70.9%
2009	42.58	944^th	2238	57.8%
2010	44.06	913^th	2281	60.0%
2011	59.20	539^th	2367	77.2%
2012	47.67	848^th	2354	64.0%
2013	48.58	823^rd	2426	66.1%
2015	81.42	333^rd	1994	83.3%
2023	41.86	1078^th	2348	54.1%
2024	52.01	816^th	2323	64.9%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	41.48	435^th	1323	67.1%

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

Rank History for high school Special Education students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.12	884^th	1547	42.9%
2024	31.15	944^th	1534	38.5%

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

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.56	1315^th	2247	41.5%
2024	33.55	1332^nd	2235	40.4%

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

Rank History for high school Homeless students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	87.21	36^th	417	91.4%
2024	56.87	175^th	451	61.2%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.03	1072^nd	2118	49.4%
2024	48.48	858^th	2098	59.1%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	43.36	966^th	2207	56.2%
2024	53.51	726^th	2172	66.6%

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

Rank History for high school African American students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	30.21	487^th	720	32.4%
2024	18.70	627^th	721	13.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.64	700^th	2142	67.3%
2024	68.34	424^th	2125	80.0%

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

Rank History for high school White students at John Muir Language Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	70.01	308^th	1434	78.5%
2024	60.25	435^th	1406	69.1%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative 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

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Enrollment information for John Muir Language Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	174	63	47	50	7	n/a	n/a	0	341
1989	174	67	65	57	5	n/a	n/a	0	368
1990	180	75	45	60	9	n/a	n/a	0	369
1991	180	62	40	67	15	n/a	n/a	0	364
1992	153	65	42	75	16	n/a	n/a	0	351
1993	164	59	36	81	15	n/a	n/a	0	355
1994	152	59	31	109	14	n/a	n/a	0	365
1995	111	89	29	106	23	n/a	n/a	0	358
1996	111	89	29	106	23	n/a	n/a	0	358
1997	101	76	31	115	16	n/a	n/a	0	339
1998	73	85	36	129	8	n/a	n/a	0	331
1999	72	59	39	131	6	n/a	n/a	0	307
2000	76	61	41	116	9	n/a	n/a	0	303
2001	61	73	33	127	11	n/a	n/a	0	305
2002	68	56	28	133	9	n/a	n/a	0	294
2003	68	56	28	133	9	n/a	n/a	0	294
2004	79	55	23	146	8	n/a	n/a	0	311
2005	64	52	22	178	7	n/a	n/a	0	323
2006	59	48	21	148	7	n/a	n/a	0	283
2007	70	40	22	127	7	n/a	n/a	5	271
2008	101	44	28	144	3	n/a	n/a	0	320
2009	114	44	30	137	2	10	0	0	337
2010	126	44	34	154	5	10	7	0	380
2011	113	42	35	179	4	3	13	0	389
2012	103	41	27	176	5	4	15	0	371
2013	89	39	21	161	3	4	25	0	342
2014	83	26	19	172	3	5	28	0	336
2015	98	23	19	168	0	2	30	0	340
2016	81	13	11	155	0	1	28	0	289
2017	84	19	7	152	0	2	20	0	284
2018	74	11	6	123	1	3	17	0	235
2019	42	26	7	94	0	0	20	0	189
2020	32	28	7	106	0	0	28	0	201
2021	29	25	6	115	0	0	14	0	189
2022	26	27	4	118	0	0	18	1	194
2023	43	25	1	122	0	0	22	0	213
2024	66	22	1	152	0	0	35	1	277

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 Muir Language Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	341	12.3	27.7	n/a
1989	368	0.0	0.0	n/a
1990	369	14.8	24.9	n/a
1991	364	16.9	21.5	n/a
1992	351	17.2	20.4	41
1993	355	15.8	22.5	58.3
1994	365	14.9	24.5	54.2
1995	358	16.2	22.1	74.6
1996	358	16.2	22.1	74.6
1997	339	17.5	19.4	69.6
1998	331	18.5	17.9	73.1
1999	307	17.0	18.1	73.6
2000	303	17.0	17.8	73.3
2001	305	16.0	19.1	73.1
2002	294	17.0	17.3	71.8
2003	294	17.0	17.3	71.8
2004	311	17.8	17.5	70.7
2005	323	17.6	18.4	76.8
2006	283	18.0	15.7	70.7
2007	271	22.0	12.3	69.9
2008	320	23.4	13.7	68.1
2009	337	16.4	14.7	68
2010	380	22.2	17.0	63.9
2011	389	n/a	n/a	67.9
2012	371	20.8	17.8	n/a
2013	342	20.6	16.5	61.4
2014	336	17.2	19.5	57.1
2015	340	15.0	22.6	54.4
2016	289	15.0	19.2	51.9
2017	284	12.2	23.2	51.1
2018	235	10.6	22.1	58.7
2019	189	9.6	19.6	64.6
2020	201	n/a	n/a	68.2
2021	189	11.6	16.2	70.4
2022	194	11.6	16.7	63.4
2023	213	12.0	17.7	58.2
2024	277	13.9	19.7	43.7

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 John Muir Language Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	341	12.3	27.7	n/a
1989	368	0.0	0.0	n/a
1990	369	14.8	24.9	n/a
1991	364	16.9	21.5	n/a
1992	351	17.2	20.4	41
1993	355	15.8	22.5	58.3
1994	365	14.9	24.5	54.2
1995	358	16.2	22.1	74.6
1996	358	16.2	22.1	74.6
1997	339	17.5	19.4	69.6
1998	331	18.5	17.9	73.1
1999	307	17.0	18.1	73.6
2000	303	17.0	17.8	73.3
2001	305	16.0	19.1	73.1
2002	294	17.0	17.3	71.8
2003	294	17.0	17.3	71.8
2004	311	17.8	17.5	70.7
2005	323	17.6	18.4	76.8
2006	283	18.0	15.7	70.7
2007	271	22.0	12.3	69.9
2008	320	23.4	13.7	68.1
2009	337	16.4	14.7	68
2010	380	22.2	17.0	63.9
2011	389	n/a	n/a	67.9
2012	371	20.8	17.8	n/a
2013	342	20.6	16.5	61.4
2014	336	17.2	19.5	57.1
2015	340	15.0	22.6	54.4
2016	289	15.0	19.2	51.9
2017	284	12.2	23.2	51.1
2018	235	10.6	22.1	58.7
2019	189	9.6	19.6	64.6
2020	201	n/a	n/a	68.2
2021	189	11.6	16.2	70.4
2022	194	11.6	16.7	63.4
2023	213	12.0	17.7	58.2
2024	277	13.9	19.7	43.7

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