Summary:
The Lemon Grove School District consists of eight public schools serving 2,648 students from kindergarten through 8th grade, all of which face significant economic challenges with high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Academic performance across the district lags behind state averages, but there is notable variation among schools. Mt. Vernon Elementary and Monterey Heights Elementary are the highest-performing, each earning a 3-star rating and leading in English and math proficiency. Lemon Grove Academy Elementary also shows strong results despite having the highest poverty rate. In contrast, San Miguel Elementary is the lowest-ranked school with concerning proficiency rates in 5th grade.
A major area of concern for the district is chronic absenteeism, which averages 25.6% and exceeds the state average at six of the eight schools, most notably at the Lemon Grove Early Childhood Education Center. There is also a noticeable drop in student performance in 5th grade across multiple schools, suggesting a potential transition challenge. The middle school, Lemon Grove Academy for the Sciences and Humanities, shows a slight decline in its ranking year-over-year.
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