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JCS - Manzanita

Q: Is JCS - Manzanita a good school?

JCS - Manzanita ranks 3021 st of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

3021^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 48% of California alternative schools

Summary

JCS - Manzanita is a small, K-12 alternative public school serving 224 students in La Mesa, operating as its own district.

The school has clear strengths, particularly in science, where student proficiency significantly outpaces the state average and most nearby schools like America's Finest Charter and Diego Valley East Public Charter. It also fosters an exceptional culture of attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate far lower than the state and comparable to The O'Farrell Charter. This likely supports its strong and consistent graduation rates, which meet state averages and exceed those of several local alternative schools.

While performing reasonably in English Language Arts, mathematics is an identified area for growth. The school serves a more economically diverse population than many similar local schools and achieves its outcomes with moderate, efficient per-student spending compared to others in the area that spend much more. Its most similar peer is the nearby The Learning Choice Academy - East County, which has comparable academic performance and even lower absenteeism.

224

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,750

Per pupil spending ?

47.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5300 Jackson Dr.
La Mesa, CA 91942-6014

(619) 303-4344

District: JCS - Manzanita District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.3%

White:

34.8%

Two or more races:

8.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare JCS - Manzanita to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2021 → 53rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the California average (58% vs 87%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2021

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school37%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,021^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 18 pts since 2019

From top 33% (2019) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,309^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 47%▬ steady since 2021

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	42.7	3021 of 5857	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.4	2712 of 5869	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.1	2687 of 5859	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.8	1617 of 5883	72.5%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	442 of 1417	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.6	1939 of 5789	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	2512 of 5597	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.1	2746 of 5609	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	53.5	2029 of 5107	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.9	3626 of 5087	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.9	2445 of 5460	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.4	2500 of 5517	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.6	4189 of 5363	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	38.5	3231 of 5628	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	2541 of 5643	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	2536 of 5638	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.4	1667 of 5663	70.6%	★★★★☆
2021	53.1	528 of 1272	58.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	2055 of 2598	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	2342 of 2661	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	1309 of 2761	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	1049 of 2783	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.7	1262 of 2781	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.5	910 of 2740	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.4	421 of 894	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	47.7	1119 of 2509	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.1	1472 of 2395	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.1	2088 of 2359	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	1808 of 2542	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.1	1250 of 2531	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.7	1314 of 2458	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.4	436 of 721	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	1355 of 2534	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.2	1370 of 2552	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.8	863 of 2538	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	81.8	405 of 2527	84.0%	★★★★☆
2021	46.8	359 of 763	52.9%	★★★☆☆

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

Hispanic (2024)60th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)43rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)21st percentile-28 vs school

Middle school

Female (2022)55th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)39th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)29th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Science44%+11 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy42%-7 vs state

Mathematics30%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near JCS - Manzanita

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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 ()				Ranking ()				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 (2025)
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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th 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 11th 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 11th 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
JCS - Manzanita	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	5300 Jackson Dr.	La Mesa	91942	San Diego County	JCS - Manzanita District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 303-4344	224	15	14.8	47.3%	78 (34.8%)	6 (2.7%)	115 (51.3%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.5%)								(n/a)	27.8	55.6			43.9	36.0	57.1	44.4	52.6	28.6	38.9		42.0	32.0	42.9	11.1	26.3	21.4	44.4		29.8	79.3	82.8		79.3	79.3	79.3	$27,750	$27,334	$416
The Learning Choice Academy - East County	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4215 Spring St.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	The Learning Choice Academy - East County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 463-8811	466	22	21.0	58.6%	116 (24.9%)	22 (4.7%)	288 (61.8%)	4 (0.9%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.2%)								(n/a)	37.0	45.1	34.4		40.0	31.0	40.0	40.7	52.6	43.2	40.0	48.4	42.6	27.6	31.0	33.3	23.7	36.1	35.3	9.1	28.4	84.0	84.0	84.0	84.0	84.0	84.0	$33,402	$32,606	$796
Literacy First Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	799 East Washington Ave.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Literacy First Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 579-7232	2,160	96	22.5	52.3%	684 (31.7%)	33 (1.5%)	434 (20.1%)	908 (42.0%)	7 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (4.2%)								(n/a)	37.0	42.4	42.5		40.1	46.4	53.0	59.7	58.6	62.4	70.2	83.8	59.6	46.4	53.8	48.1	50.9	50.6	56.3	45.6	50.5	97.6	97.6	97.6		98.2	97.6
Diego Valley East Public Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	511 North Second St.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Diego Valley East Public Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 870-0608	408	18	23.3	84.6%	177 (43.4%)	23 (5.6%)	170 (41.7%)	9 (2.2%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.9%)								(n/a)				9.1	9.1							19.5	19.5							1.2	1.2							$39,998	$39,556	$442
Bostonia Global	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1390 Broadway	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Bostonia Global District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3121	1,266	54	23.4	83.8%	244 (19.3%)	49 (3.9%)	882 (69.7%)	22 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	66 (5.2%)								(n/a)	24.7	15.4	7.8		17.3	35.0	33.0	28.4	26.0	30.4	24.4	25.5	29.6	32.7	25.3	12.9	12.2	10.8	11.5	2.0	16.4							$19,346	$18,988	$358
The O'Farrell Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	6130 Skyline Dr.	San Diego	92114	San Diego County	The O'Farrell Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 263-3009	1,862	100	18.7	40.5%	27 (1.5%)	220 (11.8%)	1,087 (58.4%)	384 (20.6%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (0.6%)	131 (7.0%)								(n/a)	36.2	32.3	45.1		37.7	57.9	57.4	51.4	47.8	43.4	43.9	70.3	51.8	61.8	48.5	38.5	37.4	40.1	35.5	37.6	40.6
America's Finest Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	730 45th St.	San Diego	92102	San Diego County	America's Finest Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 694-4809	396	27	14.9	95.5%	9 (2.3%)	57 (14.4%)	303 (76.5%)	12 (3.0%)	4 (1.0%)	7 (1.8%)	4 (1.0%)								(n/a)	5.0	7.7	23.8		10.0	17.1	11.9	25.0	12.0	23.1	12.8	40.9	19.2	2.9	7.1	2.5	8.0	3.9	10.3	4.8	5.7
Alba	Public, Alternative	1-12	4041 Oregon St.	San Diego	92104	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-3900	20	8	2.4	85.0%	1 (5.0%)	3 (15.0%)	14 (70.0%)	1 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)								(n/a)		0.0			0.0						0.0		0.0						0.0		0.0
Home & Hosp/Transition Support	Public, Alternative	K-12	4100 Normal St. Annex 14	San Diego	92103	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-6435	66	16	4.2	77.3%	8 (12.1%)	5 (7.6%)	31 (47.0%)	7 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (6.1%)	11 (16.7%)								(n/a)
San Diego County Court	Public, Alternative	K-12	2801 Meadow Lark Dr.	San Diego	92123	San Diego County	San Diego County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 298-6857	219	33	6.7	98.6%	21 (9.6%)	32 (14.6%)	148 (67.6%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	14 (6.4%)								(n/a)				0.0	0.0							0.0	0.0							0.0	0.0							$71,024	$63,724	$7,300

Frequently Asked Questions about JCS - Manzanita

What is the racial makeup of JCS - Manzanita?

Students at JCS - Manzanita are 51% Hispanic, 35% White, 8% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

How many students attend JCS - Manzanita?

In the 2024-25 school year, 224 students attended JCS - Manzanita.

Is JCS - Manzanita a good school?

JCS - Manzanita ranks 3021^st of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is JCS - Manzanita in?

JCS - Manzanita District

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Schools in La Mesa, CA

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.