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City Arts & Leadership Academy

Q: Is City Arts & Leadership Academy a good school?

City Arts & Leadership Academy ranks 1432 nd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

1432^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 34% of California high schools

Summary

City Arts & Leadership Academy is a public high school serving about 400 students in grades 9-12 in San Francisco, operating as its own independent district within a city where educational outcomes vary dramatically from one neighborhood to the next.

The school presents a complex picture with a major strength in graduating students—its 97.2% graduation rate far exceeds the state average—but it faces significant challenges in academic proficiency and student attendance. Its test scores in math and English are low and have shown considerable volatility year-to-year, and chronic absenteeism, while improving, remains high at 40.7%. Interestingly, the school achieves its strong graduation results while spending significantly less per student than most nearby schools in the San Francisco Unified district, such as Balboa High or Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts.

When compared to its closest neighbors, City Arts & Leadership Academy stands out for this combination of high graduation and low proficiency, a pattern not seen at consistently high-performing schools like Lowell High or consistently struggling schools like Thurgood Marshall High. The school has shown historical strength in supporting English Language Learners, but its overall state ranking has dropped sharply in recent years, suggesting it may be navigating significant changes or challenges that nearby schools are not.

397

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,313

Per pupil spending ?

52.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

350 Seneca Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94112-3248

(415) 841-2200

District: City Arts & Leadership Academy District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.1%

African American:

6.0%

Two or more races:

5.8%

See top rated California high schools

Compare City Arts & Leadership Academy to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 31st percentile in 2019 → 34th in 2025

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (86%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (20% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (41% vs 19% California)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school20%

California avg41%

1,432^nd of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 3 pts since 2019

From bottom 31% (2019) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1103^rd of 1,543City Arts & Leadership Academy District among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	1432 of 2162	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.8	1298 of 2159	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.4	910 of 2170	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.7	586 of 2123	72.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.2	440 of 1290	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.6	1477 of 2133	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	57.8	205 of 592	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	42.8	515 of 1161	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.4	844 of 1117	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	56.9	237 of 1085	78.2%	★★★★☆
2023	86.9	38 of 1064	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	65.7	143 of 1044	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	41.9	421 of 941	55.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	24.1	1455 of 1906	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	1346 of 1915	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.6	907 of 1915	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.1	520 of 1858	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	57.0	426 of 1054	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	19.7	1454 of 1833	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.4	1170 of 1900	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.6	1115 of 1902	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.9	894 of 1917	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.7	458 of 1861	75.4%	★★★★☆
2019	28.2	1289 of 1814	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	1121 of 2013	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.7	1254 of 2026	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.2	774 of 2030	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.2	438 of 1943	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	68.7	300 of 1126	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	31.4	1326 of 1937	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	1295 of 1942	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.6	1090 of 1948	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.2	841 of 1963	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.4	573 of 1916	70.1%	★★★★☆
2021	60.7	397 of 1122	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.6	1249 of 1880	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.4	796 of 1252	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.1	906 of 1216	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	63.3	275 of 1197	77.0%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)78th percentile+38 vs school

African American (2019)65th percentile+35 vs school

Disabled (2022)56th percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)44th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)38th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2025)36th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)33rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)24th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy36%-13 vs state

Science16%-17 vs state

Mathematics8%-29 vs state

★

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Schools Near City Arts & Leadership Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
City Arts & Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	350 Seneca Ave.	San Francisco	94112	San Francisco County	City Arts & Leadership Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 841-2200	397	23	17.2	52.9%	8 (2.0%)	24 (6.0%)	330 (83.1%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (5.8%)	32.7	1432^nd of 2162 public high schools	33.8%		37.8	1298^th of 2159 public high schools	39.9%	134		15.9	15.9	36.1	36.1	8.1	8.1	$17,313	$1,735	$15,578
Balboa High	Public	9-12	1000 Cayuga Ave.	San Francisco	94112	San Francisco County	San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 469-4090	1,238	62	20.0	63.7%	44 (3.6%)	70 (5.7%)	428 (34.6%)	611 (49.4%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (1.4%)	67 (5.4%)	80.4	400^th of 2162 public high schools	81.5%		84.3	338^th of 2159 public high schools	84.3%	62	42.1		40.5	65.7	65.7	45.8	45.8	$23,679	$2,580	$21,099
Jordan (June) School for Equity	Public	9-12	325 La Grande Ave.	San Francisco	94112	San Francisco County	San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 452-4922	176	13	13.1	70.5%	4 (2.3%)	16 (9.1%)	128 (72.7%)	15 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	9 (5.1%)	14.7	1815^th of 2162 public high schools	16.0%		11.8	1959^th of 2159 public high schools	9.3%	144	7.9		7.5	22.2	22.2	3.1	3.1	$33,669	$1,175	$32,494
Asawa (Ruth) SF School of the Arts A Public School	Public	9-12	555 Portola Dr.	San Francisco	94131	San Francisco County	San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 695-5700	680	34	20.2	22.2%	250 (36.8%)	26 (3.8%)	154 (22.6%)	118 (17.4%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	125 (18.4%)	95.9	81^st of 2162 public high schools	96.3%		95.5	102^nd of 2159 public high schools	95.3%	21	68.1		67.1	80.6	80.6	65.6	65.6	$24,773	$1,998	$22,775
Academy (The)- SF @McAteer	Public	9-12	555 Portola Dr.	San Francisco	94131	San Francisco County	San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 695-5700	123	12	9.9	56.1%	16 (13.0%)	8 (6.5%)	65 (52.8%)	23 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.1%)	57.5	882^nd of 2162 public high schools	59.2%		62.7	702^nd of 2159 public high schools	67.5%	180	22.7		22.7	72.7	72.7	22.7	22.7	$27,925	$1,816	$26,109
S.F. County Court Woodside Learning Center	Public	6-12	375 Woodside Ave. W1	San Francisco	94127	San Francisco County	San Francisco County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 753-7792	17	2	8.5	82.4%	0 (0.0%)	5 (29.4%)	7 (41.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (29.4%)								(n/a)								$200,133	$22,849	$177,284
Burton (Phillip and Sala) Academic High	Public	9-12	400 Mansell St.	San Francisco	94134	San Francisco County	San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 469-4550	1,047	55	19.1	67.7%	15 (1.4%)	82 (7.8%)	478 (45.7%)	391 (37.3%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (2.4%)	55 (5.3%)	65.4	681^st of 2162 public high schools	68.5%		76.7	463^rd of 2159 public high schools	78.6%	218	41.8		41.8	56.5	56.5	26.4	26.4	$24,090	$1,612	$22,478
Jefferson High	Public	9-12	6996 Mission St.	Daly City	94014	San Mateo County	Jefferson Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 550-7700	1,072	55	19.4	41.1%	41 (3.8%)	23 (2.1%)	544 (50.7%)	402 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (1.6%)	40 (3.7%)	45.5	1131^st of 2162 public high schools	47.7%		40.3	1231^st of 2159 public high schools	43.0%	100	25.7	19.1	25.2	46.5	46.5	20.2	20.2	$20,792	$1,702	$19,090
Lowell High	Public	9-12	1101 Eucalyptus Dr.	San Francisco	94132	San Francisco County	San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(415) 759-2730	2,571	123	20.9	42.5%	397 (15.4%)	58 (2.3%)	441 (17.2%)	1,346 (52.4%)	3 (0.1%)	7 (0.3%)	316 (12.3%)	97.2	50^th of 2162 public high schools	97.7%		97	71^st of 2159 public high schools	96.7%	21	67.3	42.3	66.2	87.0	87.0	71.4	71.4	$21,746	$1,660	$20,086
Thornton High	Public	9-12	115 First Ave.	Daly City	94014	San Mateo County	Jefferson Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 550-7840	89	8	11.5	52.8%	10 (11.2%)	2 (2.2%)	55 (61.8%)	14 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	6 (6.7%)	16	1769^th of 2162 public high schools	18.2%		20	1704^th of 2159 public high schools	21.1%	65	4.0	15.0	8.9	14.7	14.7	2.7	2.7	$23,115	$1,229	$21,886

Frequently Asked Questions about City Arts & Leadership Academy

What district is City Arts & Leadership Academy in?

City Arts & Leadership Academy District

What is the racial makeup of City Arts & Leadership Academy?

Students at City Arts & Leadership Academy are 83% Hispanic, 6% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% Asian, 1% Not Specified.

How many students attend City Arts & Leadership Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 397 students attended City Arts & Leadership Academy.

Is City Arts & Leadership Academy a good school?

City Arts & Leadership Academy ranks 1432^nd of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate City Arts & Leadership Academy!

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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.