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Lemon Avenue Elementary

Q: Is Lemon Avenue Elementary a good school?

Lemon Avenue Elementary ranks 1426 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1426^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of California elementary schools

Summary

Lemon Avenue Elementary is a public K-5 school serving about 500 students in the La Mesa-Spring Valley district, consistently performing as an above-average school within its community.

The school stands out for its strong and balanced academic performance, particularly in mathematics where it significantly outpaces both district and state averages. It shows notable effectiveness in supporting specific student groups, including male students and those in special education, and achieves these results despite having one of the highest student-teacher ratios in the district. While not the absolute top performer, it holds a strong middle position among local schools like Murray Manor Elementary and Murdock Elementary, and performs significantly better than others such as La Mesa Dale Elementary and Northmont Elementary.

An interesting finding is that Lemon Avenue achieves results comparable to schools with similar economic profiles and outperforms those with higher needs, suggesting effective instructional strategies. However, recent data shows slight declines in its statewide ranking and in performance for some student subgroups, which is an area to watch. Compared to a high-performing school in a different district like Benchley/Weinberger Elementary in San Diego Unified, or nearby charter schools, Lemon Avenue remains a reliable and solid choice for families in the area.

502

Students ?

27.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,650

Per pupil spending ?

44.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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 — 75th percentile in 2013 → 76th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (55% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% 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 (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg41%

California avg41%

1,426^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 17Elementary Schools in the La Mesa-Spring Valley

723^rd of 1,543La 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)

Male (2025)81st percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2025)77th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)70th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)69th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)68th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)59th percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)47th percentile-29 vs school

Disabled (2019)45th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy58%+9 vs state

Mathematics55%+18 vs state

Science46%+14 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 (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 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%)	73.8	1426^th of 5857 public elementary schools	75.7%		65.3	1801^st of 5869 public elementary schools	69.3%	375	46.3	46.3	60.5	55.0	58.5		58.0	70.7	47.6	45.6		55.2	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%)	33	3727^th of 5857 public elementary schools	36.4%		41.7	3087^th of 5869 public elementary schools	47.4%	640	23.1	23.1	46.7	46.7	34.6		43.0	20.0	29.0	15.4		21.8	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%)	76.4	1318^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.5%		78	1244^th of 5869 public elementary schools	78.8%	74	41.2	41.2	65.4	61.9	62.8		63.5	73.3	47.4	39.2		56.2							$16,683	$15,540	$1,143
Murray Manor Elementary	Public	K-5	8305 El Paso St.	La Mesa	91942	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%)	78.3	1230^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.0%		74.3	1395^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.2%	165	46.8	46.8	64.1	68.3	55.1		62.6	60.8	63.9	46.8		57.3	94.7	94.7			94.7		$17,196	$16,078	$1,118
La Mesa Dale Elementary	Public	K-5	4251 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%)	55.5	2279^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.1%		53.6	2367^th of 5869 public elementary schools	59.7%	88	35.8	35.8	51.3	55.7	47.1		51.4	47.4	40.0	30.9		39.8							$17,569	$15,934	$1,635
Northmont Elementary	Public	K-5	9405 Gregory St.	La Mesa	91942	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%)	46.8	2774^th of 5857 public elementary schools	52.6%		44.5	2891^st of 5869 public elementary schools	50.7%	117	29.0	29.0	48.6	47.5	44.3		46.9	28.8	45.0	33.9		35.4	94.5						$16,699	$15,138	$1,561
Maryland Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	5400 Maryland Ave.	La Mesa	91942	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%)	65.6	1818^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.0%		65.6	1791^st of 5869 public elementary schools	69.5%	27	43.8	43.8	66.2	60.0	50.0		59.8	54.2	47.7	20.8		43.2	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%)	41.5	3116^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.8%		36.4	3411^th of 5869 public elementary schools	41.9%	295	28.8	28.8	28.4	35.0	41.7	64.3	42.8	22.4	30.0	22.2	50.0	31.2							$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%)	93.1	464^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.1%		91.7	595^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.9%	131	67.8	67.8	74.0	73.3	75.9		74.4	80.5	69.8	65.5		71.6							$25,053	$23,904	$1,149
Rolando Elementary	Public	K-5	6925 Tower St.	La Mesa	91942	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%)	51.2	2539^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.7%		43.5	2956^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.6%	417	35.6	35.6	39.7	47.6	55.9		47.6	35.5	41.9	37.3		38.3	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 1426^th of 5857 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 »

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.