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Rios Elementary

Q: Is Rios Elementary a good school?

Rios Elementary ranks 3323 rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

3323^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of California elementary schools

Summary

Rios Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 255 students in El Cajon, part of the Cajon Valley Union School District, which has shown significant recent improvement in its academic performance.

The school's story is one of notable change; after several years of lower rankings, Rios Elementary made a substantial leap forward in the 2024-2025 school year, improving its statewide standing and showing strong gains in both math and English Language Arts proficiency. This positive trend is particularly evident in the performance of its special education students, who score well above average. However, the school faces a persistent and significant challenge with chronic student absenteeism, which is much higher than at neighboring schools like Lakeview Elementary or Riverview Elementary, and this likely impacts overall achievement.

When compared to nearby schools, Rios Elementary stands out for its higher per-student spending and its recent volatility in test scores, whereas schools in the Lakeside Union Elementary district tend to be more consistently high-performing. While the school's recent progress is promising, addressing attendance and building on the successful strategies that led to the current year's improvement will be key to its continued growth and stability.

255

Students ?

21.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,220

Per pupil spending ?

76.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14314 Rios Canyon Rd.
El Cajon, CA 92021-2725

(619) 588-3090

District: Cajon Valley Union

Students who attend Rios Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Los Coches Creek Middle
High:	Granite Hills High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.1%

White:

38.4%

Two or more races:

8.6%

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Compare Rios Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 17th percentile in 2024 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 43rd (2025) from a 17th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (35% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 19% California)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg26%

California avg41%

3,323^rd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 43% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 19Elementary Schools in the Cajon Valley Union

1184^th of 1,543Cajon Valley Union among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.4	3323 of 5857	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.2	4850 of 5869	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	4577 of 5859	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.1	4537 of 5883	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.5	4059 of 5789	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.4	4040 of 5662	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.8	4105 of 5692	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	35.5	3376 of 5614	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.1	2390 of 5611	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.8	2247 of 5530	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.2	2386 of 5390	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.7	2255 of 5377	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	44.4	2880 of 5314	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.3	2341 of 5193	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	53.8	2173 of 5113	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.1	1373 of 5113	73.1%	★★★★☆
2006	68.6	1409 of 4818	70.8%	★★★★☆
2005	63.2	1605 of 4822	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	66.6	1424 of 4809	70.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	24.2	1790 of 2227	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.2	1133 of 2128	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	24.8	2882 of 3275	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.1	2047 of 3246	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.2	3914 of 5597	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.0	5047 of 5612	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.9	4801 of 5609	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.5	4167 of 5635	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	4093 of 5492	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.0	3607 of 5413	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.0	2148 of 5107	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.4	4431 of 5107	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.7	4343 of 5087	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.5	4475 of 5084	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	4097 of 4963	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	4264 of 4830	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.2	3247 of 5460	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.6	4484 of 5517	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	4527 of 5363	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	4331 of 5264	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.5	3886 of 5173	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.4	3816 of 5084	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.6	2840 of 5628	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.4	4330 of 5643	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.6	4071 of 5638	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	4450 of 5663	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.5	3665 of 5510	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.0	4022 of 5431	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.3	966 of 2847	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.1	1056 of 2635	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	1222 of 2420	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	2160 of 2598	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	2402 of 2651	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	2354 of 2661	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.0	2446 of 2726	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.7	2419 of 2834	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.2	2422 of 2737	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2025)66th percentile+23 vs school

Hispanic (2025)58th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2025)50th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)30th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2022)20th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)17th percentile-26 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)12th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy38%-11 vs state

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science24%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rios Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rios Elementary	Public	K-5	14314 Rios Canyon Rd.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3090	255	12	21.2	76.1%	98 (38.4%)	16 (6.3%)	110 (43.1%)	8 (3.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.6%)	38.4	3323^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	43.3%		20.2	4850^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.4%	1527	23.5		23.5	36.4	40.5	36.4				38.0	48.5	28.6	32.4				35.8						$27,220	$25,570	$1,650
Lakeview Elementary	Public	K-5	9205 Lakeview Rd.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2652	666	29	23.2	32.3%	370 (55.6%)	1 (0.2%)	236 (35.4%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	49 (7.4%)	65.9	1798^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.3%		67.7	1693^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	71.2%	105	31.8		31.8	61.0	55.3	54.1				57.0	59.8	54.8	34.6				49.7						$18,722	$18,174	$548
Blossom Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	9863 Oakmont Terr.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3678	533	23	23.6	65.7%	323 (60.6%)	8 (1.5%)	147 (27.6%)	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	42 (7.9%)	49.9	2596^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.7%		65.9	1780^th of 5869 public elementary schools	69.7%	816	23.2		23.2	44.4	52.9	43.2				47.0	60.5	41.9	23.2				41.8						$25,133	$24,002	$1,131
Crest Elementary	Public	K-8	2000 Suncrest Blvd.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 558-3128	271	12	22.5	61.6%	153 (56.5%)	2 (0.7%)	77 (28.4%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	31 (11.4%)	30	3960^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.4%		21.1	4761^st of 5869 public elementary schools	18.9%	801	28.6	4.8	19.6	28.0	50.0	37.1	31.7	38.2	19.1	35.3	36.0	26.5	11.4	17.1	17.7	4.8	19.0						$27,733	$26,594	$1,139
Lindo Park Elementary	Public	K-5	12824 Lakeshore Dr.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2656	421	19	22.0	73.2%	153 (36.3%)	17 (4.0%)	208 (49.4%)	6 (1.4%)	8 (1.9%)	3 (0.7%)	26 (6.2%)	20.3	4801^st of 5857 public elementary schools	18.0%		20.3	4836^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.6%	35	17.6		17.6	22.2	26.8	33.3				27.9	23.6	25.7	16.2				21.7	97.0		97.0			$24,073	$22,474	$1,599
Lemon Crest Elementary	Public	K-5	12463 Lemon Crest Dr.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2527	437	20	21.7	59.0%	185 (42.3%)	19 (4.3%)	179 (41.0%)	13 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	38 (8.7%)	21.5	4712^th of 5857 public elementary schools	19.5%		29	4021^st of 5869 public elementary schools	31.5%	691	18.6		18.6	41.5	19.1	26.8				29.2	20.6	15.9	22.5				19.8	92.6		95.4		96.3	$24,151	$23,170	$981
Mountain View Learning Academy	Public	K-8	8770 Harbison Canyon Rd.	Alpine	91901	San Diego County	Alpine Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 659-2854	64	3	21.3	39.1%	33 (51.6%)	5 (7.8%)	18 (28.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.7%)	40.7	3171^st of 5857 public elementary schools	45.9%		54.4	2321^st of 5869 public elementary schools	60.5%	850	50.0		40.0			41.7	27.3			38.8			8.3	36.4			38.8						$19,138	$18,356	$782
Shadow Hills Elementary	Public	1-5	8770 Harbison Canyon Rd.	Alpine	91901	San Diego County	Alpine Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 445-2977	377	18	20.9	33.4%	158 (41.9%)	5 (1.3%)	161 (42.7%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.3%)	78	1242^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	78.8%		71.8	1510^th of 5869 public elementary schools	74.3%	268	41.8		41.8	51.3	65.5	68.7				60.9	62.0	72.7	50.8				61.2						$21,667	$20,486	$1,181
Creekside Early Learning Center	Public	K	8818 Harbison Canyon Rd.	Alpine	91901	San Diego County	Alpine Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 659-8250	227	10	22.7	33.9%	118 (52.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (34.4%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (11.5%)								(n/a)																							$32,901	$31,720	$1,181
Winter Gardens Elementary	Public	K-1	8501 Pueblo Rd.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2687	269	12	22.4	30.1%	90 (33.5%)	2 (0.7%)	141 (52.4%)	11 (4.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)								(n/a)																		97.8	97.8		97.8		$21,346	$20,798	$548

Frequently Asked Questions about Rios Elementary

What schools do graduates of Rios Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rios Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Los Coches Creek Middle
High : Granite Hills High

What district is Rios Elementary in?

Cajon Valley Union

What is the racial makeup of Rios Elementary?

Students at Rios Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 38% White, 9% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Rios Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 255 students attended Rios Elementary.

Is Rios Elementary a good school?

Rios Elementary ranks 3323^rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Rios Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.