Summary
Johnson Elementary serves 766 students in kindergarten through fifth grade in El Cajon, among schools in and around the city. In 2025–2026, its proficiency results were below both the state and the Cajon Valley Union district in English language arts (ELA), math, and science—its most important challenge.
Compared with nearby Cajon Valley schools, however, Johnson was relatively strong: it had the second-highest results in all three subjects among six nearby schools with reported scores and more than 21 students, behind Flying Hills School of Arts. Its scores were 23% in ELA, 19% in math, and 14% in science, versus district results of 31%, 23%, and 24%, and state results of 49%, 38%, and 36%, respectively. Math was its closest subject to both district and state levels; its results were 4 points below the district and 19 below the state. Fletcher Hills Elementary, for comparison, scored 69% in ELA, 61% in math, and 54% in science. By grade, fourth-grade ELA was nearly even with the district (29% versus 29%), while third-grade ELA was lower (14% versus 27%).
Results improved over the four years from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026: ELA rose 2 percentage points, math 4, and science 7. But ELA and math fell in the latest year, while science continued to improve. Chronic absenteeism also improved, dropping 24 points from 50% in 2021–2022 to 26% in 2025–2026, though it remained 8 points above the district and 7 above the state. SchoolDigger placed Johnson at the 10th statewide percentile, rank 5,222 of 5,804, with one star. Its 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 24.7 to 1, and 95% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. SchoolDigger’s statewide rankings showed stronger relative standing for African American students (49th percentile) and special education students (42nd) than for the school overall (10th percentile).
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