Is Sandburg Elementary a good school?

Sandburg Elementary ranks 676 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sandburg Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 554 students attended Sandburg Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sandburg Elementary?

Students at Sandburg Elementary are 44% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 17% Two or more races, 17% White, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Sandburg Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sandburg Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Challenger Middle High : Mira Mesa High

Sandburg Elementary

Summary:

Sandburg Elementary is a public elementary school in San Diego, California, serving 490 students in grades K-5 and part of the San Diego Unified School District. This high-performing school consistently ranks in the top 15% of California elementary schools, with exceptional academic achievement that exceeds district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Sandburg Elementary's standout performance is particularly notable for Hispanic, White, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, who rank in the top 10-15% of California elementary schools. However, the school faces challenges with increasing chronic absenteeism, which has risen from 5.5% to 23.2% in recent years. While Sandburg outperforms nearby schools within the San Diego Unified district, it lags behind the exceptional performance of schools in the neighboring Poway Unified School District.

Sandburg Elementary's strengths lie in its consistently high academic proficiency rates, with 70% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 67.66% in Mathematics, far surpassing the district and state averages. The school's focus on supporting the needs of Hispanic and Low Socioeconomic Status students has been particularly effective, but there is room for improvement in addressing the academic needs of Asian and Multi-racial students. Overall, Sandburg Elementary is a high-performing school that provides a strong educational foundation for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

11230 Avenida del Gato
San Diego, CA 92126-1235

(858) 566-0510

District: San Diego Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,190

Students who attend Sandburg Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Challenger Middle
High:	Mira Mesa High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.4

Number of students: 554

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

44.2%

Hispanic:

20.2%

Two or more races:

17.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sandburg Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sandburg Elementary ranks better than 88.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 27^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 90.41. (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 Student population at Sandburg Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (44.2%), Hispanic (20.2%), two or more races (17%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sandburg Elementary is 23.4. 65 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sandburg Elementary employs 23.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sandburg Elementary is $8,190. 67 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sandburg Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sandburg Elementary 676^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sandburg Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

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:

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Rank History for Sandburg Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	82.35	817^th	4809	83.0%
2005	77.59	1032^nd	4822	78.6%
2006	81.29	906^th	4818	81.2%
2007	83.10	847^th	5113	83.4%
2008	85.30	740^th	5113	85.5%
2009	87.55	611^th	5193	88.2%
2010	83.08	837^th	5314	84.2%
2011	86.30	674^th	5377	87.5%
2012	88.12	544^th	5390	89.9%
2013	88.44	561^st	5530	89.9%
2015	89.56	639^th	5611	88.6%
2016	93.94	387^th	5614	93.1%
2017	90.66	599^th	5692	89.5%
2018	93.61	410^th	5662	92.8%
2019	92.85	454^th	5789	92.2%
2022	88.57	771^st	5883	86.9%
2023	90.08	706^th	5874	88.0%
2024	90.41	676^th	5862	88.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	57.74	168^th	339	50.4%
2019	56.30	224^th	445	49.7%
2023	22.99	555^th	669	17.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	78.57	331^st	2420	86.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	96.55	87^th	5084	98.3%
2019	93.56	185^th	5173	96.4%
2022	90.37	340^th	5264	93.5%
2023	94.42	211^th	5374	96.1%
2024	94.31	271^st	5511	95.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.92	520^th	5413	90.4%
2019	93.21	342^nd	5492	93.8%
2022	88.45	718^th	5635	87.3%
2023	91.89	511^th	5617	90.9%
2024	88.80	680^th	5605	87.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	72.88	459^th	2585	82.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	93.78	331^st	5431	93.9%
2019	90.06	575^th	5510	89.6%
2022	85.97	826^th	5663	85.4%
2023	84.97	869^th	5650	84.6%
2024	89.45	644^th	5636	88.6%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.04	361^st	1071	66.3%
2019	68.55	406^th	1149	64.7%
2022	64.52	505^th	1154	56.2%
2023	71.41	372^nd	1190	68.7%
2024	71.32	385^th	1203	68.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	84.14	531^st	4830	89.0%
2019	88.38	368^th	4963	92.6%
2022	88.51	415^th	5084	91.8%
2023	92.45	265^th	5098	94.8%
2024	91.68	293^rd	5102	94.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Sandburg Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	89.75	107^th	2737	96.1%
2019	85.70	242^nd	2834	91.5%
2022	59.48	1175^th	2726	56.9%
2023	82.84	315^th	2662	88.2%
2024	76.70	565^th	2647	78.7%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, September 23, 2010

Sandburg has an amazing principal who not only cares about giving a GREAT education, but also instilling good values in our children. I love this school! Great principal, great staff, great teachers, great PTA, great Foundation. We really have a sense of community seldom found elsewhere. Both our children love it and are excelling. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sandburg Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	451	40	184	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	723
1989	445	44	217	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	747
1990	482	45	282	36	3	n/a	n/a	0	848
1991	401	40	307	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	793
1992	421	34	324	42	8	n/a	n/a	0	829
1993	377	44	352	50	4	n/a	n/a	0	827
1994	394	45	354	54	7	n/a	n/a	0	854
1995	378	59	386	61	10	n/a	n/a	0	894
1996	378	59	386	61	10	n/a	n/a	0	894
1997	301	57	327	68	5	n/a	n/a	0	758
1998	297	41	332	73	3	n/a	n/a	0	746
1999	289	42	337	77	3	n/a	n/a	0	748
2000	274	44	372	73	2	n/a	n/a	0	765
2001	280	43	346	67	6	n/a	n/a	0	742
2002	246	49	345	66	1	n/a	n/a	0	707
2003	246	49	345	66	1	n/a	n/a	0	707
2004	233	42	335	78	2	n/a	n/a	0	690
2005	254	43	329	70	1	n/a	n/a	0	697
2006	245	38	320	81	2	n/a	n/a	0	686
2007	251	38	282	82	2	n/a	n/a	5	660
2008	244	45	300	83	2	n/a	n/a	0	674
2009	230	44	281	89	3	8	0	0	655
2010	185	32	254	133	3	6	91	0	704
2011	181	26	255	136	3	6	101	0	708
2012	211	28	261	118	5	4	109	0	736
2013	199	31	299	127	5	6	111	0	778
2014	174	21	291	119	3	5	119	0	732
2015	181	16	342	119	2	6	115	0	781
2016	169	12	320	90	2	3	103	0	699
2017	161	8	301	83	1	1	108	0	663
2018	122	3	267	87	0	1	104	0	584
2019	103	3	252	90	0	0	88	0	536
2020	107	4	231	94	1	0	82	0	519
2021	105	6	221	93	1	0	86	0	512
2022	99	5	209	79	0	0	76	0	468
2023	96	4	219	86	0	0	84	1	490
2024	93	8	245	112	2	0	94	0	554

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 Sandburg Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	723	25.1	28.8	n/a
1989	747	25.1	29.7	n/a
1990	848	28.1	30.1	n/a
1991	793	29.2	27.1	n/a
1992	829	29.7	27.9	18.7
1993	827	30.1	27.5	19.5
1994	854	29.0	29.4	22.7
1995	894	37.0	24.2	30.6
1996	894	37.0	24.2	30.6
1997	758	35.9	21.1	32.2
1998	746	38.1	19.6	29.4
1999	748	37.4	20.0	30.1
2000	765	39.0	19.6	28.1
2001	742	38.6	19.2	22.1
2002	707	39.9	17.7	23.1
2003	707	39.9	17.7	23.1
2004	690	34.6	19.9	24.6
2005	697	35.0	19.9	31.3
2006	686	37.0	18.5	30.5
2007	660	36.6	18.0	31.5
2008	674	40.5	16.6	32.9
2009	655	35.5	17.5	36
2010	704	30.2	23.3	38.9
2011	708	n/a	n/a	41.9
2012	736	31.8	23.1	n/a
2013	778	34.1	22.8	34.1
2014	732	27.7	26.3	33.1
2015	781	28.0	27.8	31.6
2016	699	27.0	25.8	35.9
2017	663	25.1	26.3	38.8
2018	584	22.2	26.3	36.8
2019	536	20.6	26.0	38.1
2020	519	n/a	n/a	38.2
2021	512	20.8	24.6	44.1
2022	468	20.4	22.9	40.4
2023	490	22.4	21.8	41.2
2024	554	23.6	23.4	43.3

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 Sandburg Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	723	25.1	28.8	n/a
1989	747	25.1	29.7	n/a
1990	848	28.1	30.1	n/a
1991	793	29.2	27.1	n/a
1992	829	29.7	27.9	18.7
1993	827	30.1	27.5	19.5
1994	854	29.0	29.4	22.7
1995	894	37.0	24.2	30.6
1996	894	37.0	24.2	30.6
1997	758	35.9	21.1	32.2
1998	746	38.1	19.6	29.4
1999	748	37.4	20.0	30.1
2000	765	39.0	19.6	28.1
2001	742	38.6	19.2	22.1
2002	707	39.9	17.7	23.1
2003	707	39.9	17.7	23.1
2004	690	34.6	19.9	24.6
2005	697	35.0	19.9	31.3
2006	686	37.0	18.5	30.5
2007	660	36.6	18.0	31.5
2008	674	40.5	16.6	32.9
2009	655	35.5	17.5	36
2010	704	30.2	23.3	38.9
2011	708	n/a	n/a	41.9
2012	736	31.8	23.1	n/a
2013	778	34.1	22.8	34.1
2014	732	27.7	26.3	33.1
2015	781	28.0	27.8	31.6
2016	699	27.0	25.8	35.9
2017	663	25.1	26.3	38.8
2018	584	22.2	26.3	36.8
2019	536	20.6	26.0	38.1
2020	519	n/a	n/a	38.2
2021	512	20.8	24.6	44.1
2022	468	20.4	22.9	40.4
2023	490	22.4	21.8	41.2
2024	554	23.6	23.4	43.3

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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