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South Bay Union


At a glance
1199thof 1,543 California districts▲ 24
Better than 22% of California districts
Elementary 11Grades K-8
601 Elm Ave.
Imperial Beach, CA 91932-2029
·(619) 628-1600·All California district rankings →
Statewide performance 2017–2025
2025: better than 22.3% of districts
12
Schools
5,448
Students
Top rankedNestor Language Academy Charter2222nd of 5,857 California elementary schools
Biggest riser
Nestor Language Academy Charter up 541 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Oneonta Elementary 22.8 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
3★
2★
1★
0★
1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

The South Bay Union district consists of 11 elementary schools serving grades K-6 or K-8 in the San Diego communities of Imperial Beach, San Diego, and San Ysidro, where a high percentage of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among these schools, Nestor Language Academy Charter stands out as the top performer with the highest state ranking and test scores, along with the lowest rate of chronic student absenteeism, while Emory Elementary also shows strong results, particularly in science. In contrast, Central Elementary and George Nicoloff Elementary have the lowest rankings and proficiency rates in the district.

Overall, the district's average test scores in English, math, and science are below state averages, and chronic absenteeism is higher than the state average at most schools. Interesting findings include that higher per-student spending does not always link to better performance, and that schools like Nestor demonstrate strong results can be achieved within the district's demographic context, with its successful practices potentially offering a model for improvement elsewhere.

Ranking:
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E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




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.





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