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Lemon Avenue Elementary

Q: Is Lemon Avenue Elementary a good school?

Lemon Avenue Elementary ranks 1201 st of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1201^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of California elementary schools

Summary

Lemon Avenue Elementary serves 502 students in grades K–5 in La Mesa, in a community with several nearby elementary schools to compare. In 2025–26, SchoolDigger placed it at the 79th percentile statewide, with 4 stars, and its proficiency rates topped both the state and La Mesa–Spring Valley in math, English language arts (ELA) and science. The most important takeaway is that Lemon Avenue’s results are strong across all three subjects, with its biggest advantage in math.

Math is the school’s strongest subject relative to local and statewide results: 56% of students were proficient, 18 percentage points above both California and the district, and above the nearby-school average of 44%. Science was the comparatively weaker subject by these margins, but its 48% proficiency still beat the state, district and nearby-school average of 40%. Among nine nearby schools with 2025–26 scores, Lemon Avenue ranked third in math and science and fourth in ELA; its 64% ELA proficiency was also above the nearby average of 55%. Fourth grade stands out: ELA and math proficiency were 71% and 66%, each second among nearby schools with comparable results. Fifth-grade math was a relative soft spot at 42%—still above state and district levels, but fourth among those nearby schools and 24 points below Lemon Avenue’s fourth-grade math result.

Science has improved most over time, rising 12 percentage points from 2022–23 to 2025–26, while ELA changed little overall and math slipped 1 point. SchoolDigger’s statewide percentile rose from 69 in 2023–24 to 79 in 2025–26; the school ranked third of nine nearby schools with a rating, behind Benchley/Weinberger Elementary and Murdock Elementary. Its 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 27.8, the second-highest among 11 nearby schools, and its 2024–25 free/reduced lunch-eligible rate was 44%, below the nearby-school average of 57%. SchoolDigger’s effectiveness ranking for Multi-racial Students was notably lower than the overall result: 28th percentile and 1 star, compared with 79th percentile overall; that group’s ranking had fallen from the 47th percentile the prior year. For White Students, the ranking rose from the 51st percentile in 2023–24 to the 82nd in 2025–26.

502

Students ?

27.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,650

Per pupil spending ?

44.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

8787 Lemon Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91941-5214

(619) 668-5835

District: La Mesa-Spring Valley

Students who attend Lemon Avenue Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	La Mesa Arts Academy
High:	Grossmont High

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.2%

Hispanic:

29.9%

Two or more races:

14.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Lemon Avenue Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 76th percentile in 2015 → 79th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (58% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of California elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in La Mesa-Spring Valley

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 28 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg43%

California avg42%

1,201^st of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 18Elementary Schools in the La Mesa-Spring Valley

462^nd of 968La Mesa-Spring Valley 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
2026	78.2	1201 of 5804	79.3%	★★★★☆
2025	73.8	1426 of 5857	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	65.3	1801 of 5869	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.8	1245 of 5859	78.8%	★★★★☆
2022	71.8	1541 of 5883	73.8%	★★★★☆
2019	61.6	1985 of 5789	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	1704 of 5662	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	73.8	1393 of 5692	75.5%	★★★★☆
2016	67.7	1630 of 5614	71.0%	★★★★☆
2015	74.7	1326 of 5611	76.4%	★★★★☆
2013	74.1	1371 of 5530	75.2%	★★★★☆
2012	74.1	1321 of 5390	75.5%	★★★★☆
2011	62.9	1851 of 5377	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.4	1959 of 5314	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.5	1460 of 5193	71.9%	★★★★☆
2008	75.4	1174 of 5113	77.0%	★★★★☆
2007	82.1	889 of 5113	82.6%	★★★★☆
2006	81.3	907 of 4818	81.2%	★★★★☆
2005	86.6	659 of 4822	86.3%	★★★★☆
2004	76.0	1079 of 4809	77.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	37.3	1415 of 2585	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	916 of 2128	57.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	73.4	1331 of 5569	76.1%	★★★★☆
2025	63.7	1795 of 5597	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.2	1952 of 5612	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.9	1458 of 5609	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	72.4	1423 of 5635	74.7%	★★★★☆
2019	52.6	2357 of 5492	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	1801 of 5413	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	1741 of 5085	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.1	1552 of 5107	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.3	1403 of 5107	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	86.2	498 of 5087	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	72.5	1041 of 5084	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	62.5	1554 of 4963	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.0	1385 of 4830	71.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	63.6	1665 of 5412	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.0	2242 of 5460	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.2	2799 of 5517	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.5	1301 of 5363	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	55.0	1979 of 5264	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.9	2077 of 5173	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.5	1479 of 5084	70.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	79.1	1095 of 5590	80.4%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	1071 of 5628	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	67.6	1628 of 5643	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	80.1	1088 of 5638	80.7%	★★★★☆
2022	69.7	1543 of 5663	72.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	1615 of 5510	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	69.2	1520 of 5431	72.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	539 of 752	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	53.7	382 of 718	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	17.0	301 of 339	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	661 of 2847	76.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	78.3	465 of 2532	81.6%	★★★★☆
2025	69.4	807 of 2598	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	1288 of 2651	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.2	889 of 2661	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.6	1300 of 2726	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.8	1252 of 2834	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	1080 of 2737	60.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)80th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)77th percentile~ school

Female (2026)76th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)66th percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2019)45th percentile-20 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)28th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy64%+15 vs state

Mathematics56%+18 vs state

Science48%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lemon Avenue Elementary

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)					% 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th 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 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 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
Lemon Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	8787 Lemon Ave.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5835	502	18	27.8	44.4%	242 (48.2%)	20 (4.0%)	150 (29.9%)	18 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	71 (14.1%)	78.2	1201^st of 5804 public elementary schools	79.3%		73.8	1426^th of 5857 public elementary schools	75.7%	225	47.6	47.6	61.7	71.3	60.7		64.5	61.7	65.8	41.7		56.2	95.9						$16,650	$15,104	$1,546
Sparrow Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	5150 Wilson St.	La Mesa	91942	San Diego County	Sparrow Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 439-6327	156	7	22.2	34.0%	61 (39.1%)	1 (0.6%)	75 (48.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.9%)								(n/a)													83.1	90.9	90.9	90.9	87.0	92.2
Murdock Elementary	Public	K-5	4354 Conrad Dr.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5775	608	25	24.3	43.1%	212 (34.9%)	27 (4.4%)	254 (41.8%)	23 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	91 (15.0%)	80.1	1125^th of 5804 public elementary schools	80.6%		76.4	1318^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.5%	193	47.0	47.0	68.9	68.4	61.9		66.5	63.3	63.2	44.1		57.3							$16,683	$15,540	$1,143
Murray Manor Elementary	Public	K-5	8305 El Paso St.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5865	530	21	25.2	50.0%	213 (40.2%)	29 (5.5%)	191 (36.0%)	33 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (12.1%)	74.1	1399^th of 5804 public elementary schools	75.9%		78.3	1230^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.0%	169	49.4	49.4	59.7	63.6	57.0		60.1	59.2	49.4	48.1		52.2	94.7	94.7			94.7		$17,196	$16,078	$1,118
La Mesa Dale Elementary	Public	K-5	4271 Olive Ave.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5740	460	18	26.2	68.3%	102 (22.2%)	51 (11.1%)	231 (50.2%)	25 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (10.9%)	56.7	2219^th of 5804 public elementary schools	61.8%		55.5	2279^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.1%	60	38.2	38.2	58.2	46.7	47.8		51.1	44.3	47.4	33.8		42.2							$17,569	$15,934	$1,635
Northmont Elementary	Public	K-5	9405 Gregory St.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5830	422	17	24.8	54.5%	133 (31.5%)	37 (8.8%)	181 (42.9%)	16 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	52 (12.3%)	34.4	3621^st of 5804 public elementary schools	37.6%		46.8	2774^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.6%	847	27.8	27.8	25.5	40.5	55.8		40.3	29.1	26.7	26.4		27.3	94.5						$16,699	$15,138	$1,561
Maryland Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	5400 Maryland Ave.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5744	451	19	23.7	58.5%	155 (34.4%)	41 (9.1%)	164 (36.4%)	34 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (12.4%)	69.1	1624^th of 5804 public elementary schools	72.0%		65.6	1818^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.0%	194	37.5	37.5	69.8	66.1	59.4		64.8	55.6	54.0	31.3		46.4	94.9			96.9	96.9		$14,805	$13,710	$1,095
Lemon Grove Academy Elementary	Public	K-6	7885 Golden Ave.	Lemon Grove	91945	San Diego County	Lemon Grove	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 825-5637	399	16	25.7	83.2%	33 (8.3%)	47 (11.8%)	282 (70.7%)	11 (2.8%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	22 (5.5%)	27.1	4209^th of 5804 public elementary schools	27.5%		41.5	3116^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.8%	1093	15.3	15.3	19.5	18.6	41.4	49.3	33.5	14.3	21.1	22.0	32.0	23.5							$23,926	$22,002	$1,924
Benchley/Weinberger Elementary	Public	K-5	6269 Twin Lake Dr.	San Diego	92119	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 344-4000	560	22	25.4	20.0%	299 (53.4%)	13 (2.3%)	140 (25.0%)	31 (5.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (13.6%)	92.5	507^th of 5804 public elementary schools	91.3%		93.1	464^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.1%	43	57.0	57.0	79.5	82.1	73.3		78.1	79.5	80.8	59.3		72.7							$25,053	$23,904	$1,149
Rolando Elementary	Public	K-5	6925 Tower St.	La Mesa	91941	San Diego County	La Mesa-Spring Valley	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 668-5800	371	13	28.5	68.7%	95 (25.6%)	29 (7.8%)	178 (48.0%)	31 (8.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.7%)	47.8	2723^rd of 5804 public elementary schools	53.1%		51.2	2539^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%	184	43.9	43.9	52.5	39.7	56.3		48.8	36.6	29.4	25.8		29.7	95.6	97.1	97.1	97.1	95.6	97.1	$19,997	$18,696	$1,301

Frequently Asked Questions about Lemon Avenue Elementary

How many students attend Lemon Avenue Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Lemon Avenue Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lemon Avenue Elementary?

Students at Lemon Avenue Elementary are 48% White, 30% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 4% African American, 4% Asian.

What district is Lemon Avenue Elementary in?

La Mesa-Spring Valley

Is Lemon Avenue Elementary a good school?

Lemon Avenue Elementary ranks 1201^st of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Lemon Avenue Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lemon Avenue Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : La Mesa Arts Academy
High : Grossmont High

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Latest California data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

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.