Best Elementary Schools in Poway, CA

Poway, California, has seven K–5 elementary schools, with all-grades proficiency averaging 66% in English language arts (ELA), 61% in math, and 57% in science in 2025–2026. Those averages were 16, 23, and 21 percentage points above state results, respectively, although they remained below the corresponding averages for Poway Unified. The central takeaway is that every school exceeded state all-grades proficiency in all three subjects, but results varied substantially from school to school.

Tierra Bonita was the clearest overall standout: it led in math at 75% and science at 80%, and was essentially tied with Chaparral for the top ELA result, at 74%; SchoolDigger placed Tierra Bonita in the 93rd percentile statewide. Chaparral also stood out, leading Grade 3 and Grade 4 ELA and Grade 4 math. Painted Rock led Grade 3 math and was above the district in all-grades math. At the other end, Valley had the lowest ELA and math results, 54% and 49%, while Garden Road had the lowest science result, 47%. Valley’s science result was stronger, however: 60%, second-highest in the group. Garden Road’s Grade 5 math was 36%, just below the state’s 37%; the gap between the highest and lowest Grade 5 math results was 41 percentage points.

Recent changes were mixed: from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, the seven-school average fell by 1 percentage point in both ELA and math, while science rose by 10 points. Valley had large gains in ELA and science, but remained lowest in current ELA and math; science declined at Painted Rock and Midland. SchoolDigger’s statewide percentile ranking rose from 60 to 72 for Valley and from 76 to 82 for Pomerado, while Tierra Bonita’s moved from 95 to 93. School size and student–teacher ratios (20.0 to 23.7) do not sort neatly by results. The 2024–2025 free/reduced lunch eligible measure also offers context, not an explanation: Valley was highest at 37%, while Painted Rock and Tierra Bonita were around 8%.