Schools in Encinitas, CA

Encinitas has 11 schools—six elementary, two middle, two high and one alternative—serving students from elementary through high school. In 2025–26, the unweighted school averages were 67% in ELA, 59% in math and 56% in science, compared with state results of 49%, 38% and 36%. The difference between the highest and lowest reported school results was about 29 percentage points in ELA, 26 in math and 29 in science. These averages combine schools serving different grades, so grade-matched comparisons can be more useful. The main takeaway is that local school averages exceed state results in every subject, but results vary substantially among schools.

Flora Vista Elementary leads the broad all-grades comparison in ELA (80%) and math (71%); its ELA result is 4 percentage points above the next-highest school, Diegueno Middle (77%). The math gap between them is less than 1 point. Capri Elementary leads in science at 71%, 3 points above the next-highest school, Flora Vista. At the lower end, JCS - Cedar Cove has the lowest reported ELA (51%) and math (45%) results, though both are above state results; its science score is suppressed. Ocean Knoll Elementary has the lowest reported science result (42%), also above the state figure. Among the middle schools, Diegueno leads Oak Crest Middle in grade 7 and grade 8 math by 14 and 12 percentage points, respectively.

Recent changes are mixed: from 2024–25 to 2025–26, school-average proficiency increased by about 0 points in ELA, 3 points in math and 5 points in science; state results rose by less than 1, 1 and 3 points, respectively. The math average is heavily influenced by Sunset High (Continuation), whose math result jumped 37 points; without it, the other schools’ average was nearly flat. Sunset’s chronic absenteeism was 81%, compared with 18% statewide, illustrating that test results and attendance can tell different stories. The reported free/reduced lunch eligible measure for 2024–25 was 13% at Flora Vista and 37% at Ocean Knoll, alongside ELA results of 80% and 62%; these figures offer context, not an explanation for the results.