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The Learning Choice Academy - East County

Q: Is The Learning Choice Academy - East County a good school?

The Learning Choice Academy - East County ranks 3207 th of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

3207^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 45% of California alternative schools

Summary

The Learning Choice Academy - East County is a K-12 public charter school in La Mesa, California, serving 466 students with an alternative education model designed for those who may benefit from a non-traditional setting.

This school stands out for its exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 0.4%, which is dramatically better than the state average and most nearby alternatives like Pacific Springs Charter (1.3%) or America's Finest Charter (41.4%). It also shows a particular strength in science, with 40% of students proficient, outperforming the state and many peers. However, academic performance is mixed, with English and math proficiency generally below state averages, and graduation rates have fluctuated from year to year. Compared to its sister school, Learning Choice Academy - Chula Vista, the East County campus has stronger science scores but lower graduation rates and higher recent dropout figures.

Within the landscape of local alternative schools, The Learning Choice Academy - East County occupies a middle ground. It performs better than some schools serving highly disadvantaged populations, such as Diego Valley East Public Charter, but does not reach the higher academic achievement levels of schools like The O'Farrell Charter. The school's per-student spending has risen significantly in recent years, yet the student-teacher ratio has also increased. This profile suggests a school that successfully engages its students to attend regularly but faces ongoing challenges in translating that attendance into consistent, high-level academic achievement across all subjects.

466

Students ?

21.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,811

Per pupil spending ?

58.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4215 Spring St.
La Mesa, CA 91941-7965

(619) 463-8811

District: The Learning Choice Academy - East County District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

61.8%

White:

24.9%

Two or more races:

6.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare The Learning Choice Academy - East County to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2022 → 48th in 2025

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the California average (81% vs 88%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2022

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

California avg41%

Elementary school

3,207^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 14 pts since 2021

From top 41% (2021) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,098^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 40%▼ down 2 pts since 2021

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

1,133^rd of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 1 pts since 2021

See the entire ranking list of California High 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	40.1	3207 of 5857	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.9	2801 of 5869	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.2	2173 of 5859	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.3	1968 of 5883	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.7	581 of 1417	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.3	3366 of 5597	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.4	2830 of 5612	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.3	1984 of 5609	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.7	2113 of 5635	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.7	406 of 1267	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	34.9	3387 of 5107	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.1	1838 of 5107	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.1	1032 of 5087	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	1005 of 5084	80.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.9	3097 of 5460	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.5	2089 of 5517	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.3	1016 of 5363	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	64.1	1466 of 5264	72.2%	★★★★☆
2021	80.8	136 of 1110	87.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.2	2861 of 5628	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.2	2562 of 5643	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.9	2178 of 5638	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.4	1709 of 5663	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.3	784 of 1272	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	1638 of 2598	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.1	1098 of 2761	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.1	1273 of 2783	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.4	1018 of 2781	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.5	1242 of 2740	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.6	338 of 894	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.1	1096 of 2533	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	1187 of 2551	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.8	898 of 2531	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	852 of 2509	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.1	284 of 738	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	621 of 2395	74.1%	★★★★☆
2024	57.4	794 of 2388	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	732 of 2374	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.1	934 of 2359	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.3	801 of 2542	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.3	1037 of 2579	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.1	565 of 2531	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	43.8	1205 of 2458	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.7	129 of 721	82.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	978 of 2534	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	1185 of 2552	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	1015 of 2538	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	1359 of 2527	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.7	298 of 763	60.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.3	853 of 1520	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.4	1133 of 2162	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.4	731 of 2159	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	1003 of 2170	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.3	753 of 2123	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.2	663 of 1290	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	55.0	773 of 1915	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.4	1028 of 1915	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.3	501 of 1858	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	32.0	742 of 1054	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.2	1045 of 1900	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	69.0	499 of 1902	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	36.2	1223 of 1917	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.0	392 of 1861	78.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	1161 of 2013	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.0	560 of 2026	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	58.9	733 of 2030	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.8	429 of 1943	77.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.6	989 of 1942	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	63.1	625 of 1948	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.3	860 of 1963	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.7	982 of 1916	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	57.7	508 of 1193	57.4%	★★★☆☆

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

Male (2025)49th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)43rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)40th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)37th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)34th percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)74th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)68th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)61st percentile~ school

Female (2025)57th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)44th percentile-16 vs school

High school

Female (2024)60th percentile-7 vs school

White (2023)57th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)49th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)45th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy43%-6 vs state

Science40%+7 vs state

Mathematics28%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near The Learning Choice Academy - East County

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 (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 ()	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
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	$15,811	$925	$14,886
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	$16,181	$489	$15,692
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	$14,649	$1,125	$13,524
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							$14,699	$1,123	$13,576
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							$151,637	$340	$151,297
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							$21,837	$3,923	$17,914
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							$14,928	$529	$14,399
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							$216,955	$6,375	$210,580
Learning Choice Academy - Chula Vista	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	881 Kuhn Dr.	Chula Vista	91914	San Diego County	Learning Choice Academy - Chula Vista District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 463-6801	437	24	17.8	56.5%	27 (6.2%)	19 (4.3%)	340 (77.8%)	29 (6.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.8%)								(n/a)	44.0	31.3	28.6		32.7	37.9	41.7	44.0	32.1	56.7	42.6	83.3	49.3	31.0	29.2	20.0	25.0	46.7	22.9	34.3	29.7	66.7	70.0	73.3	70.0	73.3	70.0	$14,442	$1,354	$13,088
Pacific Springs Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2371 Fenton St.	Chula Vista	91914	San Diego County	Pacific Springs Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 252-8800	489	18	27.3	54.0%	75 (15.3%)	16 (3.3%)	310 (63.4%)	39 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	45 (9.2%)								(n/a)	15.7	15.4			15.5	35.0	34.0	29.4	48.2	65.7	40.4		40.7	23.3	20.4	17.7	29.6	20.0	19.2		21.9	78.8	78.8	78.8	78.8	78.8	78.8

Frequently Asked Questions about The Learning Choice Academy - East County

Is The Learning Choice Academy - East County a good school?

The Learning Choice Academy - East County ranks 3207^th of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend The Learning Choice Academy - East County?

In the 2024-25 school year, 466 students attended The Learning Choice Academy - East County.

What is the racial makeup of The Learning Choice Academy - East County?

Students at The Learning Choice Academy - East County are 62% Hispanic, 25% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 1% American Indian.

What district is The Learning Choice Academy - East County in?

The Learning Choice Academy - East County District

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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.