Is Rowan Elementary a good school?

Rowan Elementary ranks 2737 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Rowan Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 220 students attended Rowan Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Rowan Elementary?

Students at Rowan Elementary are 63% Hispanic, 11% White, 10% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 7% African American, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Rowan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rowan Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Clark Middle High : Hoover High

Rowan Elementary

Summary:

Rowan Elementary is a public elementary school in San Diego, California, serving 206 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, lower-than-average test scores, and a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Rowan Elementary's chronic absenteeism rates have risen dramatically, from 9.7% in 2018-2019 to 54.8% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the San Diego Unified School District and California state averages. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are also lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the percentage of Rowan Elementary students proficient or better in ELA ranged from 34.62% to 50%, compared to the district's 52.54% to 55.3% and the state's 42.8% to 47.37%. Similarly, the school's Mathematics proficiency rates ranged from 25.93% to 38.89%, while the district and state had higher rates.

Rowan Elementary's challenges may be partly attributed to its high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 71.84% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023. This is significantly higher than the district and state averages. Interestingly, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 17.9 to 20.2 students per teacher, suggests a focus on individualized attention, but this does not appear to be enough to overcome the broader challenges faced by the school. Compared to nearby schools, such as Golden Hill K-8, McKinley Elementary, and Webster Elementary, Rowan Elementary's performance is generally lower, with higher chronic absenteeism rates and lower test scores.

Detail:

Public K-5

1755 Rowan St.
San Diego, CA 92105-5631

(619) 344-3400

District: San Diego Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2737^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,552

Students who attend Rowan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Clark Middle
High:	Hoover High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.5

Number of students: 220

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.2%

White:

10.9%

Asian:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.5%

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Compare Rowan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rowan Elementary ranks better than 53.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 74^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 46.9. (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 (63.2%), White (10.9%), Asian (9.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 74.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rowan Elementary is 20.5, which is the 17^th best among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Rowan Elementary employs 10.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rowan Elementary is $13,552, which is the 5^th highest among 117 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rowan Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Rowan Elementary 2737^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Rowan Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status 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 Rowan Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Rowan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	23.84	3631^st	4809	24.5%
2005	25.51	3596^th	4822	25.4%
2006	23.52	3761^st	4818	21.9%
2007	26.46	3836^th	5113	25.0%
2008	28.17	3734^th	5113	27.0%
2009	38.86	3120^th	5193	39.9%
2010	42.33	3036^th	5314	42.9%
2011	39.58	3268^th	5377	39.2%
2012	40.58	3232^nd	5390	40.0%
2013	37.86	3470^th	5530	37.3%
2015	43.67	2812^th	5611	49.9%
2016	35.10	3404^th	5614	39.4%
2017	40.45	3076^th	5692	46.0%
2018	51.91	2457^th	5662	56.6%
2019	55.58	2279^th	5789	60.6%
2022	35.02	3458^th	5883	41.2%
2023	38.98	3211^th	5874	45.3%
2024	46.90	2737^th	5862	53.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rowan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	65.78	1405^th	5084	72.4%
2019	72.15	1077^th	5173	79.2%
2022	48.95	2337^th	5264	55.6%
2023	50.88	2307^th	5374	57.1%
2024	52.95	2196^th	5511	60.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Rowan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	61.04	1929^th	5413	64.4%
2019	48.90	2557^th	5492	53.4%
2022	25.14	4202^nd	5635	25.4%
2024	39.03	3134^th	5605	44.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Rowan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.08	2976^th	5431	45.2%
2019	61.13	1905^th	5510	65.4%
2022	42.74	2846^th	5663	49.7%
2023	45.63	2702^nd	5650	52.2%
2024	54.65	2222^nd	5636	60.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Rowan Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.60	1257^th	4830	74.0%
2019	60.05	1683^rd	4963	66.1%
2022	41.03	2824^th	5084	44.5%
2023	47.12	2418^th	5098	52.6%
2024	51.40	2179^th	5102	57.3%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, March 11, 2017

We moved to the neighborhood from out of state and didn't want to choice to another school and sit in traffic. It has been a good decision for us. It is small and secluded and the new principal is making wonderful improvements. We are proud to send our kids to Rowan. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Rowan Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	115	93	10	60	3	n/a	n/a	0	281
1989	107	87	12	64	2	n/a	n/a	0	272
1990	110	91	20	67	3	n/a	n/a	0	291
1991	106	103	30	73	7	n/a	n/a	0	319
1992	93	109	30	87	6	n/a	n/a	0	325
1993	71	120	27	92	6	n/a	n/a	0	316
1994	74	142	25	113	6	n/a	n/a	0	360
1995	53	102	33	140	5	n/a	n/a	0	333
1996	53	102	33	140	5	n/a	n/a	0	333
1997	58	114	33	135	4	n/a	n/a	0	344
1998	58	103	32	142	1	n/a	n/a	0	336
1999	52	118	38	145	1	n/a	n/a	0	354
2000	48	111	35	155	2	n/a	n/a	0	351
2001	46	113	33	156	2	n/a	n/a	0	350
2002	37	89	22	178	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
2003	37	89	22	178	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
2004	28	100	27	189	1	n/a	n/a	0	345
2005	38	80	26	185	1	n/a	n/a	0	330
2006	31	91	18	155	3	n/a	n/a	0	298
2007	26	93	19	151	1	n/a	n/a	4	294
2008	20	92	20	158	1	n/a	n/a	0	291
2009	28	81	20	158	0	1	0	0	288
2010	19	81	17	157	0	2	15	0	291
2011	15	60	23	150	0	2	18	0	268
2012	13	55	23	143	0	0	15	0	249
2013	18	58	24	139	0	0	16	0	255
2014	16	51	22	165	1	0	15	0	270
2015	12	35	20	145	1	0	20	0	233
2016	13	31	23	137	1	0	25	0	230
2017	12	39	26	138	2	0	14	0	231
2018	10	37	23	124	0	0	10	0	204
2019	6	13	25	130	2	0	10	0	186
2020	12	26	25	136	2	0	16	0	217
2021	14	22	29	131	2	0	15	0	213
2022	15	23	26	130	2	0	13	0	209
2023	19	17	18	136	2	0	14	0	206
2024	24	15	21	139	3	0	18	0	220

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 Rowan Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	281	11.1	25.3	n/a
1989	272	9.1	29.8	n/a
1990	291	10.1	28.8	n/a
1991	319	13.1	24.3	n/a
1992	325	13.3	24.4	56.3
1993	316	13.1	24.1	73.4
1994	360	14.0	25.7	72.8
1995	333	15.0	22.2	83.2
1996	333	15.0	22.2	83.2
1997	344	15.5	22.2	83.7
1998	336	21.5	15.6	81.8
1999	354	21.0	16.9	87.3
2000	351	24.0	14.6	78.9
2001	350	24.1	14.5	73.4
2002	326	19.6	16.6	80.4
2003	326	19.6	16.6	80.4
2004	345	24.4	14.1	77.1
2005	330	26.1	12.6	82.7
2006	298	22.0	13.5	81.9
2007	294	22.5	13.1	85.5
2008	291	23.0	12.7	87.6
2009	288	20.5	13.4	88.9
2010	291	18.0	16.1	89
2011	268	n/a	n/a	89.2
2012	249	16.0	15.5	n/a
2013	255	15.0	17.0	98.8
2014	270	10.0	27.0	72.2
2015	233	11.0	21.1	85.8
2016	230	9.0	25.5	79.6
2017	231	9.0	25.6	78.4
2018	204	8.0	25.5	76
2019	186	8.0	23.2	78
2020	217	n/a	n/a	80.2
2021	213	10.5	20.2	79.8
2022	209	11.5	18.1	77
2023	206	11.5	17.9	71.8
2024	220	10.7	20.5	74.5

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 Rowan Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	281	11.1	25.3	n/a
1989	272	9.1	29.8	n/a
1990	291	10.1	28.8	n/a
1991	319	13.1	24.3	n/a
1992	325	13.3	24.4	56.3
1993	316	13.1	24.1	73.4
1994	360	14.0	25.7	72.8
1995	333	15.0	22.2	83.2
1996	333	15.0	22.2	83.2
1997	344	15.5	22.2	83.7
1998	336	21.5	15.6	81.8
1999	354	21.0	16.9	87.3
2000	351	24.0	14.6	78.9
2001	350	24.1	14.5	73.4
2002	326	19.6	16.6	80.4
2003	326	19.6	16.6	80.4
2004	345	24.4	14.1	77.1
2005	330	26.1	12.6	82.7
2006	298	22.0	13.5	81.9
2007	294	22.5	13.1	85.5
2008	291	23.0	12.7	87.6
2009	288	20.5	13.4	88.9
2010	291	18.0	16.1	89
2011	268	n/a	n/a	89.2
2012	249	16.0	15.5	n/a
2013	255	15.0	17.0	98.8
2014	270	10.0	27.0	72.2
2015	233	11.0	21.1	85.8
2016	230	9.0	25.5	79.6
2017	231	9.0	25.6	78.4
2018	204	8.0	25.5	76
2019	186	8.0	23.2	78
2020	217	n/a	n/a	80.2
2021	213	10.5	20.2	79.8
2022	209	11.5	18.1	77
2023	206	11.5	17.9	71.8
2024	220	10.7	20.5	74.5

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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