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Bethune K-8

Q: Is Bethune K-8 a good school?

Bethune K-8 ranks 1562 nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

1562^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of California elementary schools

Summary

Bethune K-8 is a consistently above-average K-8 school serving 520 students in the San Diego Unified district, notable for its strong and improving academic performance within a diverse community.

The school stands out for its exceptional effectiveness with students from all backgrounds, particularly those from low-income families, where it ranks in the state's top 15%. Academically, Bethune outperforms most nearby schools; for example, its 58.6% proficiency in English Language Arts is significantly higher than at Valencia Park Elementary (34.0%), Perry Elementary (37.9%), and Fulton K-8 (26.9%). The school has also made impressive strides in reducing chronic absenteeism to 16.3%, which is the best rate among comparable local schools and below both district and state averages.

Bethune achieves these strong results efficiently, spending less per student than several neighboring schools that have lower test scores. Its K-8 structure provides continuity, and the school is on a positive trajectory, with rising state rankings and proficiency rates in recent years. While schools like Nye Elementary also perform very well, Bethune's combination of high achievement, equity, and improvement makes it a notable success story in the area.

520

Students ?

22.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,014

Per pupil spending ?

72.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6835 Benjamin Holt Rd.
San Diego, CA 92114-7827

(619) 860-5800

District: San Diego Unified

Students who attend Bethune K-8 usually attend:

Middle:	Bell Middle
High:	Morse High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

59.2%

Hispanic:

23.3%

Two or more races:

10.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Bethune K-8 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2013 → 73rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (54% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the California median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg49%

California avg41%

Elementary school

1,562^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

449^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 16%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From top 24% (2015) to top 16% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

46^th of 120Elementary Schools in the San Diego Unified

577^th of 1,543San Diego 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	1562 of 5857	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	60.0	2065 of 5869	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	1936 of 5859	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	1978 of 5883	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.6	1768 of 5789	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.2	1659 of 5662	70.7%	★★★★☆
2017	66.4	1732 of 5692	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	73.7	1362 of 5614	75.7%	★★★★☆
2015	67.0	1611 of 5611	71.3%	★★★★☆
2013	59.4	2146 of 5530	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	58.9	2107 of 5390	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.9	2419 of 5377	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.7	2126 of 5314	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	39.7	3067 of 5193	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.6	2466 of 5113	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	52.8	2171 of 5113	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.1	1816 of 4818	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	70.6	1306 of 4822	72.9%	★★★★☆
2004	74.3	1142 of 4809	76.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	72.2	1406 of 5597	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	61.3	1896 of 5612	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.6	2009 of 5609	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.7	2038 of 5635	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.8	1614 of 5492	70.6%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	1520 of 5413	71.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.4	1841 of 5107	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.8	2783 of 5107	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.5	1749 of 5087	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.2	2951 of 4963	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	2358 of 4830	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	82.0	695 of 5460	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	64.3	1545 of 5517	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	1049 of 5363	80.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.7	926 of 5264	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	73.6	994 of 5173	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	77.4	803 of 5084	84.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.3	1640 of 5628	70.9%	★★★★☆
2024	57.1	2106 of 5643	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	1802 of 5638	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.7	1883 of 5663	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.7	1788 of 5510	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.2	1752 of 5431	67.7%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	81.7	449 of 2761	83.7%	★★★★☆
2024	74.8	593 of 2783	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	68.1	715 of 2781	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	54.9	1029 of 2740	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.9	530 of 2715	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	72.7	587 of 2480	76.3%	★★★★☆
2017	74.6	574 of 2508	77.1%	★★★★☆
2016	76.6	518 of 2497	79.3%	★★★★☆
2015	72.1	606 of 2477	75.5%	★★★★☆
2013	39.4	1448 of 2379	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.8	1391 of 2259	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.4	1218 of 2236	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	64.2	679 of 2179	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	47.5	1024 of 2063	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	520 of 2533	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	661 of 2551	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	66.6	696 of 2531	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	51.0	1048 of 2509	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.4	500 of 2380	79.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	531 of 2262	76.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.8	813 of 2395	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.0	709 of 2388	70.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.2	496 of 2374	79.1%	★★★★☆
2022	55.0	853 of 2359	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.6	931 of 2213	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.5	710 of 2072	65.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.8	192 of 2542	92.4%	★★★★★
2024	78.8	370 of 2579	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.5	429 of 2531	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	640 of 2458	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	85.4	213 of 2369	91.0%	★★★★★
2018	80.9	270 of 2230	87.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	83.0	384 of 2534	84.8%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	475 of 2552	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	674 of 2538	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	57.7	863 of 2527	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.8	491 of 2407	79.6%	★★★★☆
2018	71.1	569 of 2273	75.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	20.8	388 of 462	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)87th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2025)75th percentile~ school

Male (2025)71st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)64th percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)92nd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)85th percentile~ school

Female (2025)79th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)66th percentile-18 vs school

Multi-racial (2018)16th percentile-60 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy59%+10 vs state

Mathematics54%+17 vs state

Science43%+11 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 9, 2009

This is a really good school. Very positive environment. The Principal and teachers are really involved and motivate the students. Close Quote

Schools Near Bethune K-8

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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)	% 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 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	% 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
Bethune K-8	Public	K-8	6835 Benjamin Holt Rd.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 860-5800	520	23	22.6	72.1%	8 (1.5%)	26 (5.0%)	121 (23.3%)	308 (59.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	52 (10.0%)	70.8	1562^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	73.3%		60	2065^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.8%	503	35.3	48.7	43.4	41.2	54.8	60.8	64.4	57.8	65.4	58.6	49.0	80.7	43.1	58.9	46.5	55.8	54.0	96.8						$20,014	$3,437	$16,577
Perry Elementary	Public	K-5	6290 Oriskany Rd.	San Diego	92139	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 479-4040	341	16	21.8	73.0%	47 (13.8%)	57 (16.7%)	131 (38.4%)	55 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	46 (13.5%)	35.3	3558^th of 5857 public elementary schools	39.3%		51.5	2473^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	57.9%	1085	18.2		18.2	41.5	38.2	34.2				37.9	46.3	29.4	25.0				33.6	96.0				96.0		$23,683	$3,614	$20,069
Boone Elementary	Public	K-5	7330 Brookhaven Rd.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-6000	342	14	24.4	84.2%	11 (3.2%)	41 (12.0%)	215 (62.9%)	48 (14.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.6%)	29	4047^th of 5857 public elementary schools	30.9%		21.5	4718^th of 5869 public elementary schools	19.6%	671	30.2		30.2	30.2	28.1	36.5				31.8	24.5	35.1	19.1				26.0	96.4						$21,807	$3,835	$17,972
Zamorano Elementary	Public	K-5	2655 Casey St.	San Diego	92139	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 430-1400	823	33	24.9	71.0%	25 (3.0%)	94 (11.4%)	358 (43.5%)	211 (25.6%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	125 (15.2%)	62.1	1958^th of 5857 public elementary schools	66.6%		66.1	1774^th of 5869 public elementary schools	69.8%	184	40.9		40.9	52.7	46.5	61.7				53.8	45.1	41.7	44.5				43.6	96.2	98.5	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	$21,016	$4,167	$16,849
Fulton K-8	Public	K-8	7055 Skyline Dr.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-3200	310	14	22.1	90.3%	7 (2.3%)	63 (20.3%)	169 (54.5%)	40 (12.9%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.3%)	25 (8.1%)	22.9	4604^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.4%		19.2	4924^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.1%	320	24.3	25.0	24.7	21.4	26.1	32.4	26.3	16.0	36.1	26.9	33.3	13.0	24.3	15.8	12.0	25.0	22.5							$21,883	$3,902	$17,981
Penn Elementary	Public	K-5	2797 Utica Dr.	San Diego	92139	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 430-1700	366	16	22.8	81.4%	11 (3.0%)	39 (10.7%)	213 (58.2%)	65 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	36 (9.8%)	53.2	2417^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.7%		56.5	2212^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.3%	205	27.0		27.0	62.3	55.4	50.8				55.8	50.0	33.9	25.4				35.7	90.0	97.1	95.7	95.7	92.9	95.7	$23,212	$3,540	$19,672
Paradise Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	5816 Alleghany St.	San Diego	92139	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-5200	213	9	23.6	75.1%	10 (4.7%)	8 (3.8%)	143 (67.1%)	18 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	27 (12.7%)	22.2	4657^th of 5857 public elementary schools	20.5%		20.6	4797^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.3%	140	16.7		16.7	38.1	25.0	40.0				34.1	31.8	8.8	13.9				16.3	77.1	80.0	85.7	80.0	77.1	80.0	$25,704	$3,732	$21,972
Nye Elementary	Public	K-5	981 Valencia Pkwy.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 430-1200	385	16	24.0	71.7%	21 (5.5%)	79 (20.5%)	116 (30.1%)	121 (31.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	44 (11.4%)	89.6	684^th of 5857 public elementary schools	88.3%		89.6	722^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	87.7%	38	64.9		64.9	67.8	72.7	70.2				70.0	61.7	72.7	73.7				68.9	97.2	97.2					$20,516	$3,951	$16,565
Pacific View Leadership Elementary	Public	K-5	6196 Childs Ave.	San Diego	92139	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 430-1600	227	9	26.3	76.7%	4 (1.8%)	9 (4.0%)	163 (71.8%)	36 (15.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.3%)	39.2	3275^th of 5857 public elementary schools	44.1%		27.2	4191^st of 5869 public elementary schools	28.6%	916	30.6		30.6	29.2	41.9	55.9				43.8	25.0	28.1	27.8				27.2	94.4	94.4	94.4	94.4	94.4		$22,556	$3,079	$19,477
Ira Harbison	Public	K-6	3235 EastEighth St.	National City	91950	San Diego County	National Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 336-8200	393	17	23.1	76.6%	8 (2.0%)	12 (3.1%)	242 (61.6%)	105 (26.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.6%)	44.4	2922^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	50.1%		37.2	3353^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	42.9%	431	30.9		30.9	28.3	47.9	47.3	42.6			41.9	36.2	47.9	29.1	31.0			35.6	96.9				96.9		$24,570	$3,079	$21,491

Frequently Asked Questions about Bethune K-8

What district is Bethune K-8 in?

San Diego Unified

Is Bethune K-8 a good school?

Bethune K-8 ranks 1562^nd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bethune K-8?

In the 2024-25 school year, 520 students attended Bethune K-8.

What schools do graduates of Bethune K-8 attend?

Students who attend Bethune K-8 usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bell Middle
High : Morse High

What is the racial makeup of Bethune K-8?

Students at Bethune K-8 are 59% Asian, 23% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 5% African American, 2% White.

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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.