Is La Mirada Academy a good school?

La Mirada Academy ranks 3771 st of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend La Mirada Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 936 students attended La Mirada Academy.

What is the racial makeup of La Mirada Academy?

Students at La Mirada Academy are 90% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of La Mirada Academy attend?

Students who attend La Mirada Academy usually go on to attend: High : San Marcos High

La Mirada Academy

Summary:

La Mirada Academy is a public elementary school serving 936 students in grades K-8 in the San Marcos Unified School District. Despite its large size, the school has consistently received a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is performing below average compared to other California elementary schools.

La Mirada Academy faces significant challenges in improving student outcomes. The school significantly lags behind the San Marcos Unified district and the state of California in academic performance across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 32.65% of La Mirada students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 56.53% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 23.2% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, with 70.62% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, La Mirada serves a much higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students compared to the district and state.

Neighboring schools like San Elijo Elementary and Paloma Elementary, which serve more affluent student populations, significantly outperform La Mirada Academy across all academic measures. This highlights the challenges faced by La Mirada in serving its high-needs student body, and the need for targeted interventions and additional resources to support the school's improvement efforts.

Detail:

Public K-8

3697 La Mirada Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92078-2312

(760) 290-2000

District: San Marcos Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3771^st of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,248

Students who attend La Mirada Academy usually attend:

High:

San Marcos High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.9

Number of students: 936

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

89.6%

White:

5.6%

Asian:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare La Mirada Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details La Mirada Academy ranks worse than 64.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 11^th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the San Marcos Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.08. (See more...)

Compare Details La Mirada Academy ranks worse than 85.6% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.23. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (89.6%), White (5.6%), Asian (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Mirada Academy is 22.9, which is the 3^rd best among 12 elementary schools in the San Marcos Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare La Mirada Academy employs 40.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Mirada Academy is $9,248, which is the 3^rd highest among 12 elementary schools in the San Marcos Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Mirada Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks La Mirada Academy 3771^st of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See La Mirada Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks La Mirada Academy 2376^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See La Mirada Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

San Marcos Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Marcos Unified 475^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for La Mirada Academy.

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Rank History for La Mirada Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	38.20	2736^th	4809	43.1%
2005	45.07	2437^th	4822	49.5%
2006	49.81	2202^nd	4818	54.3%
2007	36.23	3151^st	5113	38.4%
2008	39.77	2956^th	5113	42.2%
2009	39.03	3110^th	5193	40.1%
2010	47.13	2741^st	5314	48.4%
2011	43.70	2972^nd	5377	44.7%
2012	34.81	3605^th	5390	33.1%
2013	18.76	4820^th	5530	12.8%
2015	18.57	4778^th	5611	14.8%
2016	16.82	4881^st	5614	13.1%
2017	23.77	4355^th	5692	23.5%
2018	30.30	3800^th	5662	32.9%
2019	32.03	3773^rd	5789	34.8%
2022	41.27	3005^th	5883	48.9%
2023	41.39	3046^th	5874	48.1%
2024	32.08	3771^st	5862	35.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.90	1399^th	3246	56.9%
2019	51.54	1171^st	3275	64.2%
2022	63.94	642^nd	3311	80.6%
2023	47.53	1319^th	3250	59.4%
2024	49.38	1212^th	3160	61.6%

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

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	37.85	1291^st	2420	46.7%
2024	32.60	1672^nd	2634	36.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	38.55	3129^th	5084	38.5%
2019	34.50	3539^th	5173	31.6%
2022	48.43	2369^th	5264	55.0%
2023	51.33	2281^st	5374	57.6%
2024	33.03	3695^th	5511	33.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Homeless students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	19.61	333^rd	364	8.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.84	3421^st	5413	36.8%
2019	33.48	3542^nd	5492	35.5%
2022	38.30	3107^th	5635	44.9%
2023	41.94	2889^th	5617	48.6%
2024	33.45	3525^th	5605	37.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.96	1343^rd	2128	36.9%
2019	28.50	1874^th	2585	27.5%
2022	42.29	1007^th	2227	54.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.60	4051^st	5431	25.4%
2019	30.46	3765^th	5510	31.7%
2022	43.87	2778^th	5663	50.9%
2023	40.15	3061^st	5650	45.8%
2024	31.33	3713^th	5636	34.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.65	3169^th	4830	34.4%
2019	41.53	2853^rd	4963	42.5%
2022	54.80	1909^th	5084	62.5%
2023	50.69	2199^th	5098	56.9%
2024	38.10	3108^th	5102	39.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	47.23	1604^th	2737	41.4%

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

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

Rank History for La Mirada Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	8.84	2586^th	2715	4.8%
2022	21.77	2140^th	2740	21.9%
2023	20.03	2271^st	2802	19.0%
2024	17.23	2376^th	2777	14.4%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	23.01	1429^th	1442	0.9%
2022	40.35	748^th	1540	51.4%
2023	36.64	905^th	1529	40.8%
2024	44.93	572^nd	1477	61.3%

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

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.60	1370^th	1538	10.9%
2024	30.63	1073^rd	1550	30.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	8.28	2283^rd	2369	3.6%
2022	21.93	2029^th	2458	17.5%
2023	22.09	2092^nd	2549	17.9%
2024	18.36	2242^nd	2575	12.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	10.87	388^th	394	1.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	8.46	2302^nd	2380	3.3%
2022	21.54	2006^th	2509	20.0%
2023	18.07	2176^th	2547	14.6%
2024	16.37	2246^th	2546	11.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	25.10	1204^th	1491	19.2%
2022	26.57	1200^th	1531	21.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	9.32	2313^th	2407	3.9%
2022	23.42	1918^th	2527	24.1%
2023	22.80	1962^nd	2558	23.3%
2024	18.33	2158^th	2547	15.3%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at La Mirada Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	9.89	2123^rd	2213	4.1%
2022	25.71	1798^th	2359	23.8%
2023	23.18	1901^st	2391	20.5%
2024	19.01	2043^rd	2383	14.3%

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: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, August 31, 2018

Alvin Dunn, now La Mirada Academy is simply an amazing school.
The teachers are awesome and helpful, the class sizes are small.
They follow the International Baccalaureate program.
I feel like my kids are getting a comparable charter school experience for free. Close Quote

Enrollment information for La Mirada Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	518	26	29	282	8	n/a	n/a	0	863
1989	494	19	23	292	7	n/a	n/a	0	835
1990	471	36	25	328	8	n/a	n/a	0	868
1991	461	21	17	275	6	n/a	n/a	0	780
1992	463	20	13	286	8	n/a	n/a	0	790
1993	482	31	25	414	12	n/a	n/a	0	964
1994	385	43	25	428	8	n/a	n/a	0	889
1995	336	21	24	515	9	n/a	n/a	0	905
1996	336	21	24	515	9	n/a	n/a	0	905
1997	348	18	26	628	12	n/a	n/a	0	1032
1998	287	36	21	607	5	n/a	n/a	0	956
1999	280	24	27	611	8	n/a	n/a	0	950
2000	193	25	18	689	10	n/a	n/a	0	935
2001	146	24	22	757	8	n/a	n/a	0	957
2002	124	11	19	784	5	n/a	n/a	0	943
2003	124	11	19	784	5	n/a	n/a	0	943
2004	102	18	30	785	6	n/a	n/a	0	941
2005	104	11	26	805	3	n/a	n/a	0	949
2006	91	16	26	771	2	n/a	n/a	0	906
2007	75	17	25	795	4	n/a	n/a	2	918
2008	73	21	30	802	3	n/a	n/a	0	929
2009	49	8	11	523	0	1	3	0	595
2010	63	7	13	562	1	1	2	0	649
2011	39	11	15	547	0	1	4	0	617
2012	31	10	18	534	0	1	3	0	597
2013	32	7	14	551	0	1	8	0	613
2014	50	7	18	642	0	1	4	0	722
2015	57	5	18	672	0	0	8	0	760
2016	53	8	15	671	0	0	5	0	752
2017	57	6	18	699	0	2	0	0	782
2018	67	7	21	681	1	3	0	0	780
2019	69	9	35	814	1	3	0	0	931
2020	67	6	41	916	0	5	10	0	1045
2021	62	1	37	887	4	6	8	0	1005
2022	55	5	22	855	1	5	9	0	952
2023	52	0	25	839	3	4	12	1	936

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 La Mirada Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	863	34.0	25.3	n/a
1989	835	31.9	26.1	n/a
1990	868	34.5	25.1	n/a
1991	780	34.9	22.3	n/a
1992	790	35.5	22.2	37.1
1993	964	38.5	25.0	47.9
1994	889	35.3	25.2	63.3
1995	905	38.1	23.8	67.2
1996	905	38.1	23.8	67.2
1997	1032	43.5	23.7	70.4
1998	956	46.7	20.5	66
1999	950	43.5	21.8	61.5
2000	935	44.5	21.0	67.4
2001	957	42.8	22.4	71.3
2002	943	46.4	20.3	71.6
2003	943	46.4	20.3	71.6
2004	941	46.4	20.3	73.3
2005	949	41.8	22.7	76.7
2006	906	43.4	20.9	76.6
2007	918	46.3	19.8	77.7
2008	929	50.4	18.4	79.2
2009	595	33.3	15.1	84
2010	649	32.2	20.1	81.2
2011	617	n/a	n/a	86.9
2012	597	23.5	25.4	n/a
2013	613	23.5	26.0	90.9
2014	722	31.0	23.2	87.4
2015	760	32.0	23.7	87.1
2016	752	34.0	22.1	80.3
2017	782	33.0	23.6	80.3
2018	780	n/a	n/a	80.3
2019	931	n/a	n/a	49.9
2020	1045	n/a	n/a	47.2
2021	1005	43.0	23.3	56.2
2022	952	44.0	21.6	72.4
2023	936	40.7	22.9	70.6

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 La Mirada Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	863	34.0	25.3	n/a
1989	835	31.9	26.1	n/a
1990	868	34.5	25.1	n/a
1991	780	34.9	22.3	n/a
1992	790	35.5	22.2	37.1
1993	964	38.5	25.0	47.9
1994	889	35.3	25.2	63.3
1995	905	38.1	23.8	67.2
1996	905	38.1	23.8	67.2
1997	1032	43.5	23.7	70.4
1998	956	46.7	20.5	66
1999	950	43.5	21.8	61.5
2000	935	44.5	21.0	67.4
2001	957	42.8	22.4	71.3
2002	943	46.4	20.3	71.6
2003	943	46.4	20.3	71.6
2004	941	46.4	20.3	73.3
2005	949	41.8	22.7	76.7
2006	906	43.4	20.9	76.6
2007	918	46.3	19.8	77.7
2008	929	50.4	18.4	79.2
2009	595	33.3	15.1	84
2010	649	32.2	20.1	81.2
2011	617	n/a	n/a	86.9
2012	597	23.5	25.4	n/a
2013	613	23.5	26.0	90.9
2014	722	31.0	23.2	87.4
2015	760	32.0	23.7	87.1
2016	752	34.0	22.1	80.3
2017	782	33.0	23.6	80.3
2018	780	n/a	n/a	80.3
2019	931	n/a	n/a	49.9
2020	1045	n/a	n/a	47.2
2021	1005	43.0	23.3	56.2
2022	952	44.0	21.6	72.4
2023	936	40.7	22.9	70.6

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