San Diego Mission Academy

San Diego Mission Academy is a small public school serving grades 6-12 with 289 students, operating within its own San Diego Mission Academy District and showing a remarkable recent rise in its statewide ranking.

The school presents a complex picture with some very promising strengths alongside significant challenges. On the positive side, its statewide ranking has improved dramatically from the 16th to the 72nd percentile in just five years, and it shows particular effectiveness with its 11th graders and specific student groups like Hispanic students and those from low-income families. However, the school faces severe hurdles, including a graduation rate of 31.8% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 60.4%, both of which are the worst among nearby schools like Madison High and the Kearny School of Biomedical Science and Technology, which have graduation rates above 95%. Academic performance in the middle school grades (6-8) is also alarmingly low, which likely contributes to the later struggles.

Notably, the school spends approximately $89,554 per student, which is four to six times more than surrounding schools such as the School for Entrepreneurship and Technology, yet this high investment has not yet translated to better outcomes in graduation or consistent test scores. While the school's rapid ranking improvement suggests recent changes are having an impact, addressing foundational issues like attendance and early academic support will be crucial for its continued progress.