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Los Penasquitos Elementary

Q: Is Los Penasquitos Elementary a good school?

Los Penasquitos Elementary ranks 594 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

594^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of California elementary schools

Summary

Los Penasquitos Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 634 students in San Diego's highly-rated Poway Unified School District, standing out for its strong academic results with a diverse student population.

While the school consistently ranks in the top 10-15% of California elementary schools, what truly differentiates it is its exceptional support for specific student groups; it ranks in the 99th percentile for English Language Learners and the 96th for Special Education students, achieving this despite having a higher percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds than neighbors like Sunset Hills Elementary or Rolling Hills Elementary. This success is notable as the school operates with slightly lower per-student spending and a higher student-teacher ratio than several comparable schools in the district.

Areas for community attention include a chronic absenteeism rate higher than the district average and some peers, and science scores that, while solid, trail those of top-performing schools like Rolling Hills Elementary. Overall, Los Penasquitos Elementary demonstrates a resilient and efficient model, delivering competitive academic outcomes within a high-performing district while excelling in supporting its diverse learners.

634

Students ?

22.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,501

Per pupil spending ?

37.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14125 Cuca St.
San Diego, CA 92129-1852

(858) 672-3600

District: Poway Unified

Students who attend Los Penasquitos Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Black Mountain Middle
High:	Mt. Carmel High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

34.9%

White:

29.3%

Hispanic:

18.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Los Penasquitos Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2013 → 90th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (71% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg68%

California avg41%

594^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 5% (2015) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 26Elementary Schools in the Poway Unified

106^th of 1,543Poway Unified 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	91.3	594 of 5857	89.9%	★★★★☆
2024	91.5	608 of 5869	89.6%	★★★★☆
2023	91.1	628 of 5859	89.3%	★★★★☆
2022	91.5	625 of 5883	89.4%	★★★★☆
2019	92.9	450 of 5789	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	95.0	285 of 5662	95.0%	★★★★★
2017	94.6	359 of 5692	93.7%	★★★★★
2016	96.4	202 of 5614	96.4%	★★★★★
2015	95.3	300 of 5611	94.7%	★★★★★
2013	90.3	447 of 5530	91.9%	★★★★★
2012	88.5	514 of 5390	90.5%	★★★★★
2011	89.1	486 of 5377	91.0%	★★★★★
2010	88.9	507 of 5314	90.5%	★★★★★
2009	93.1	283 of 5193	94.6%	★★★★★
2008	93.4	286 of 5113	94.4%	★★★★★
2007	91.3	445 of 5113	91.3%	★★★★★
2006	91.1	431 of 4818	91.1%	★★★★★
2005	88.0	595 of 4822	87.7%	★★★★☆
2004	91.4	425 of 4809	91.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	89.2	31 of 593	94.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.0	472 of 1203	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.0	489 of 1205	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.1	793 of 1190	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.6	681 of 1154	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.4	345 of 1149	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	79.3	148 of 1071	86.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	74.4	372 of 2227	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	87.1	232 of 2585	91.0%	★★★★★
2018	90.9	137 of 2128	93.6%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	98.7	23 of 3162	99.3%	★★★★★
2023	94.9	79 of 3245	97.6%	★★★★★
2022	96.9	84 of 3311	97.5%	★★★★★
2019	91.7	145 of 3275	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	98.8	46 of 3246	98.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.7	655 of 5597	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	89.8	628 of 5612	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	91.7	520 of 5609	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	92.0	512 of 5635	90.9%	★★★★★
2019	93.3	334 of 5492	93.9%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	284 of 5413	94.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.2	900 of 5107	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	91.6	298 of 5107	94.2%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	185 of 5087	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	99.5	22 of 5084	99.6%	★★★★★
2019	86.5	443 of 4963	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	92.6	209 of 4830	95.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	83.7	623 of 5460	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	616 of 5517	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	459 of 5363	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	90.4	339 of 5264	93.6%	★★★★★
2019	89.3	312 of 5173	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	95.6	108 of 5084	97.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	90.6	542 of 5628	90.4%	★★★★★
2024	90.6	567 of 5643	90.0%	★★★★☆
2023	88.5	698 of 5638	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	89.1	680 of 5663	88.0%	★★★★☆
2019	89.7	596 of 5510	89.2%	★★★★☆
2018	94.5	286 of 5431	94.7%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.1	256 of 718	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.0	330 of 670	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.9	223 of 669	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	295 of 610	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.3	82 of 339	75.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	95.1	115 of 2847	96.0%	★★★★★
2024	82.3	305 of 2635	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	81.5	289 of 2420	88.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	80.5	399 of 2598	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	582 of 2651	78.0%	★★★★☆
2023	79.2	456 of 2661	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	587 of 2726	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	90.3	88 of 2834	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	87.1	177 of 2737	93.5%	★★★★★

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)

English Language Learner (2024)99th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2025)96th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2024)95th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)90th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile~ school

Female (2025)88th percentile~ school

White (2025)85th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)83rd percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)82nd percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)64th percentile-26 vs school

Asian (2025)61st percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy75%+26 vs state

Mathematics69%+32 vs state

Science57%+24 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, September 25, 2011

It is an amazing school!:) The teachers are friendly (most of them), they are helpful, and pretty much involved. They take the time to make a difference in the students progress, without taking their roles for granted. We have been blessed to have my daughter start her early education in a wonderful school such as Los Penasquitos Elementary (very diverse). I hope we will continue to have the best education and attention as we do here:)YZ:). Close Quote

Schools Near Los Penasquitos Elementary

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)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio 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
Los Penasquitos Elementary	Public	K-5	14125 Cuca St.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 672-3600	634	28	22.4	37.7%	186 (29.3%)	37 (5.8%)	115 (18.1%)	221 (34.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	72 (11.4%)	91.3	594^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.9%		91.5	608^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.6%	14	57.0	57.0	72.7	74.0	80.0	75.1	68.2	68.1	73.4	69.5	96.9	98.4	97.7	97.7	96.9	97.7	$16,501	$1,111	$15,390
Shoal Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	11775 Shoal Creek Dr.	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 613-9080	500	23	22.0	13.8%	172 (34.4%)	8 (1.6%)	76 (15.2%)	163 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (16.2%)	85.3	912^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.4%		90.3	689^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.3%	223	57.0	57.0	49.3	74.3	75.9	66.8	64.5	74.3	57.5	64.8	89.9	97.0	97.0	92.9	93.9	95.0	$17,015	$531	$16,484
Morning Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	10925 Morning Creek Dr. South	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-4334	531	25	21.5	21.1%	188 (35.4%)	22 (4.1%)	105 (19.8%)	144 (27.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (13.2%)	88.2	763^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	87.0%		90.7	652^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	88.9%	111	57.1	57.1	61.4	77.9	71.1	70.1	68.5	73.3	57.1	66.2							$18,164	$799	$17,365
Rolling Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	15255 Penasquitos Dr.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 672-3400	490	24	20.1	13.1%	186 (38.0%)	4 (0.8%)	103 (21.0%)	122 (24.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (15.1%)	95	337^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.2%		96.3	245^th of 5869 public elementary schools	95.8%	92	84.7	84.7	74.3	69.9	93.1	78.7	75.4	73.8	83.3	77.3							$18,122	$581	$17,541
Sunset Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	9291 Oviedo St.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 484-1600	381	15	25.0	10.0%	164 (43.0%)	6 (1.6%)	68 (17.8%)	99 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (11.0%)	93.6	432^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	92.6%		89.5	724^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.7%	292	63.5	63.5	71.8	75.0	79.7	75.5	73.1	75.0	75.3	74.4	96.8	96.8		96.8	96.8	96.8	$17,522	$563	$16,959
Highland Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	14840 Waverley Downs Way	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 674-4707	661	28	23.2	14.7%	194 (29.3%)	17 (2.6%)	102 (15.4%)	263 (39.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (12.3%)	85.6	897^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.7%		86.1	901^st of 5869 public elementary schools	84.6%	4	57.5	57.5	53.9	72.7	76.1	68.0	55.9	73.9	62.8	64.4	98.4		98.4				$15,661	$898	$14,763
Pomerado Elementary	Public	K-5	12321 Ninth St.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-1320	305	15	20.0	31.5%	115 (37.7%)	3 (1.0%)	104 (34.1%)	48 (15.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (10.2%)	73.6	1442^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	75.4%		74.3	1399^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.2%	43	31.1	31.1	64.9	70.0	62.2	66.2	60.5	63.3	34.1	53.5							$20,750	$1,011	$19,739
Creekside Elementary	Public	K-5	12362 Springhurst Dr.	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 391-1514	585	27	21.9	14.4%	220 (37.6%)	6 (1.0%)	74 (12.6%)	227 (38.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (9.7%)	94.8	346^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.1%		94.8	363^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	93.8%	17	63.9	63.9	71.1	86.5	78.6	79.1	80.0	87.5	64.3	78.1	98.1				98.1		$16,913	$671	$16,242
Sundance Elementary	Public	K-5	8944 Twin Trails Dr.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 484-2950	428	20	21.1	14.5%	148 (34.6%)	4 (0.9%)	62 (14.5%)	156 (36.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	56 (13.1%)	91.7	565^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.4%		93.4	484^th of 5869 public elementary schools	91.8%	81	60.5	60.5	69.0	77.5	77.6	75.1	70.7	78.9	59.2	69.3							$19,203	$592	$18,611
Turtleback Elementary	Public	K-5	15855 Turtleback Rd.	San Diego	92127	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 673-5514	458	23	19.7	21.6%	158 (34.5%)	7 (1.5%)	106 (23.1%)	123 (26.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (13.8%)	76.4	1315^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.5%		77	1291^st of 5869 public elementary schools	78.0%	24	40.0	40.0	57.1	63.9	62.4	61.1	58.3	60.7	55.3	57.8	94.9	95.9		95.9	94.9	95.9	$16,488	$618	$15,870

Frequently Asked Questions about Los Penasquitos Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Los Penasquitos Elementary?

Students at Los Penasquitos Elementary are 35% Asian, 29% White, 18% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 6% African American.

What district is Los Penasquitos Elementary in?

Poway Unified

What schools do graduates of Los Penasquitos Elementary attend?

Students who attend Los Penasquitos Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Black Mountain Middle
High : Mt. Carmel High

How many students attend Los Penasquitos Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 634 students attended Los Penasquitos Elementary.

Is Los Penasquitos Elementary a good school?

Los Penasquitos Elementary ranks 594^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Los Penasquitos 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.