Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Dehesa Elementary

Q: Is Dehesa Elementary a good school?

Dehesa Elementary ranks 4275 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

4275^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of California elementary schools

Summary

Dehesa Elementary is a public K-8 school serving 399 students in the rural Dehesa area of El Cajon, California, operating as the sole school within the Dehesa Elementary district.

Academically, the school's test scores in English, Math, and Science are below state averages, and its statewide ranking has been volatile in recent years, currently placing it in the lower third of California elementary schools. Interestingly, when compared to nearby schools like Jamacha Elementary and Vista Grande Elementary—which serve higher percentages of students from low-income families—Dehesa's academic performance is generally weaker, suggesting it may be underperforming relative to its community. However, the school has a significant strength in its highly-rated Special Education program and shows a positive pattern where student proficiency improves markedly by the 8th grade.

The school presents a mixed picture with other notable contrasts: it has successfully reduced chronic student absenteeism to a rate better than the state and most schools in the larger Cajon Valley Union district, yet it struggles with a large performance gap where female students score significantly lower than male students. With a lower student-teacher ratio than many neighboring schools, Dehesa has specific areas of effectiveness it can build upon while needing to address inconsistencies in achievement across different groups of students.

399

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$33,353

Per pupil spending ?

36.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4612 Dehesa Rd.
El Cajon, CA 92019-2922

(619) 444-2161

District: Dehesa Elementary

Students who attend Dehesa Elementary usually attend:

High:

Valhalla High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.1%

White:

31.1%

Two or more races:

19.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Dehesa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 34th percentile in 2013 → 27th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (29% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg29%

California avg41%

Elementary school

4,275^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 50% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,259^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 31% (2015) to top 46% (2025)

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	26.5	4275 of 5857	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	4789 of 5869	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.9	3029 of 5883	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.1	797 of 1417	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.4	4422 of 5789	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.1	3461 of 5662	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.5	2687 of 5692	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	42.1	2953 of 5614	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.9	2800 of 5611	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	35.3	3652 of 5530	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	23.3	4433 of 5390	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.4	4103 of 5377	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.0	3171 of 5314	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.6	2904 of 5193	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.6	2751 of 5113	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	58.4	1904 of 5113	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.5	1847 of 4818	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	60.3	1722 of 4822	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.1	1875 of 4809	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	16.5	4979 of 5597	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	5244 of 5612	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	19.1	4518 of 5107	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.2	3483 of 5107	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.6	4167 of 5460	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	5442 of 5517	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	3403 of 5628	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.5	3864 of 5643	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.4	849 of 1272	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.9	466 of 2847	83.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.4	1937 of 2598	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	1259 of 2761	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.6	1477 of 2783	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.7	631 of 894	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	1434 of 2715	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.7	1702 of 2480	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	17.6	2126 of 2508	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	44.4	1262 of 2497	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	28.0	1705 of 2477	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	9.3	2239 of 2379	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	23.5	1826 of 2259	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	22.3	1852 of 2236	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	46.5	1163 of 2551	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.5	1043 of 2395	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.4	1022 of 2534	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	23.4	602 of 763	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Special Education (2025)84th percentile+57 vs school

Male (2025)40th percentile+13 vs school

White (2025)25th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)12th percentile-15 vs school

Female (2025)11th percentile-16 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)60th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)56th percentile~ school

Female (2024)54th percentile+7 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy34%-15 vs state

Science27%-6 vs state

Mathematics24%-13 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Dehesa Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Dehesa Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Dehesa Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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 (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 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th 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 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 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
Dehesa Elementary	Public	K-8	4612 Dehesa Rd.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Dehesa Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 444-2161	399	28	14.4	36.8%	124 (31.1%)	8 (2.0%)	168 (42.1%)	9 (2.3%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	79 (19.8%)	26.5	4275^th of 5857 public elementary schools	27.0%		20.8	4789^th of 5869 public elementary schools	18.4%	514	22.9	37.5	26.6	14.3	26.2	34.7	46.3	44.4	43.8	34.0	14.8	26.2	18.8	26.8	27.8	37.5	24.0							$33,353	$33,144	$209
Crest Elementary	Public	K-8	2000 Suncrest Blvd.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 558-3128	271	12	22.5	61.6%	153 (56.5%)	2 (0.7%)	77 (28.4%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	31 (11.4%)	30	3960^th of 5857 public elementary schools	32.4%		21.1	4761^st of 5869 public elementary schools	18.9%	801	28.6	4.8	19.6	28.0	50.0	37.1	31.7	38.2	19.1	35.3	36.0	26.5	11.4	17.1	17.7	4.8	19.0							$27,733	$26,594	$1,139
Jamul Elementary	Public	K-5	14567 Lyons Valley Rd.	Jamul	91935	San Diego County	Jamul-Dulzura Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 669-7800	386	16	24.1	45.9%	105 (27.2%)	6 (1.6%)	242 (62.7%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.7%)	36	3485^th of 5857 public elementary schools	40.5%		32.5	3738^th of 5869 public elementary schools	36.3%	253	18.5		18.5	34.3	53.2	47.6				44.8	31.3	34.9	13.9				26.7							$20,012	$18,484	$1,528
Vista Grande Elementary	Public	K-5	1908 Vista Grande Rd.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3170	633	25	25.2	61.3%	421 (66.5%)	5 (0.8%)	103 (16.3%)	25 (3.9%)	3 (0.5%)	6 (0.9%)	70 (11.1%)	63.4	1905^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.5%		60.9	2033^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	65.4%	128	32.5		32.5	50.0	48.0	59.8				52.1	56.5	55.0	37.4				50.5	98.3	98.3	98.3		98.3		$20,809	$19,678	$1,131
Mountain View Learning Academy	Public	K-8	8770 Harbison Canyon Rd.	Alpine	91901	San Diego County	Alpine Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 659-2854	64	3	21.3	39.1%	33 (51.6%)	5 (7.8%)	18 (28.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.7%)	40.7	3171^st of 5857 public elementary schools	45.9%		54.4	2321^st of 5869 public elementary schools	60.5%	850	50.0		40.0			41.7	27.3			38.8			8.3	36.4			38.8							$19,138	$18,356	$782
Shadow Hills Elementary	Public	1-5	8770 Harbison Canyon Rd.	Alpine	91901	San Diego County	Alpine Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 445-2977	377	18	20.9	33.4%	158 (41.9%)	5 (1.3%)	161 (42.7%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.3%)	78	1242^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	78.8%		71.8	1510^th of 5869 public elementary schools	74.3%	268	41.8		41.8	51.3	65.5	68.7				60.9	62.0	72.7	50.8				61.2							$21,667	$20,486	$1,181
Creekside Early Learning Center	Public	K	8818 Harbison Canyon Rd.	Alpine	91901	San Diego County	Alpine Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 659-8250	227	10	22.7	33.9%	118 (52.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (34.4%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (11.5%)								(n/a)																								$32,901	$31,720	$1,181
Madison Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	1615 East Madison Ave.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3077	670	27	24.5	90.9%	313 (46.7%)	26 (3.9%)	232 (34.6%)	34 (5.1%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	56 (8.4%)	15.3	5233^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	10.7%		19.2	4922^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	16.1%	311	12.6		12.6	24.7	20.2	31.4				25.6	11.7	14.7	18.6				15.2	97.0			97.0	97.0	98.0	$22,877	$21,118	$1,759
Rios Elementary	Public	K-5	14314 Rios Canyon Rd.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3090	255	12	21.2	76.1%	98 (38.4%)	16 (6.3%)	110 (43.1%)	8 (3.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.6%)	38.4	3323^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	43.3%		20.2	4850^th of 5869 public elementary schools	17.4%	1527	23.5		23.5	36.4	40.5	36.4				38.0	48.5	28.6	32.4				35.8							$27,220	$25,570	$1,650
Meridian Elementary	Public	K-5	651 South Third St.	El Cajon	92019	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3083	570	24	23.3	93.2%	271 (47.5%)	28 (4.9%)	116 (20.4%)	90 (15.8%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	58 (10.2%)	11.9	5512^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.9%		16.2	5202^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	11.4%	310	17.0		17.0	16.2	17.4	26.4				19.9	9.8	11.2	13.8				11.6	94.4			96.3	96.3		$23,129	$21,324	$1,805

Frequently Asked Questions about Dehesa Elementary

Is Dehesa Elementary a good school?

Dehesa Elementary ranks 4275^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Dehesa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dehesa Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Valhalla High

What is the racial makeup of Dehesa Elementary?

Students at Dehesa Elementary are 42% Hispanic, 31% White, 20% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% African American, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Dehesa Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 399 students attended Dehesa Elementary.

What district is Dehesa Elementary in?

Dehesa Elementary

Rate Dehesa Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in El Cajon, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Dehesa Elementary!

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.