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La Mesa

Q: Is La Mesa a good school?

La Mesa ranks 1262 nd of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

1262^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,804 California Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of California elementary schools

Summary

La Mesa is a K–8 school in Monterey, serving 689 students in Monterey Peninsula Unified and the surrounding Monterey Peninsula area. Its 2025–26 all-grade results are above state and district averages in English language arts (ELA), math, and science, but the most important caution for families is that eighth graders scored below the state in all three subjects: 40% in ELA, 23% in math, and 30% in science, compared with 49%, 36%, and 35% statewide.

Across all grades, La Mesa is stronger than the state and district in every tested subject: its 2025–26 proficiency rates were 61% in ELA, 50% in math, and 49% in science. Those results are 11, 12, and 13 percentage points above the state, and 18, 23, and 23 points above the district, respectively. Compared with nearby schools, La Mesa is above the peer average in all three subjects, with its largest advantage in science—12 points. Its local rankings are fifth of eight schools in ELA, sixth in math, and fifth in science; math is its weakest relative area among nearby schools. Fifth and seventh grades stand out, including 72% fifth-grade ELA and 75% seventh-grade ELA, while eighth grade is notably weaker.

La Mesa’s all-grade proficiency has improved overall since 2022–23, especially in ELA, which rose 7 points; math rose 1 point, while science ended close to its starting level after falling and recovering. The ELA gap over the state widened by 4 points, while the math and science gaps narrowed by 3 and 5 points. SchoolDigger places La Mesa at the 78th statewide percentile with four stars in 2025–26, third among nearby schools with rankings. Chronic absenteeism was low at 7% in 2025–26, versus 16% in the district and 18% statewide; the 2024–25 student–teacher ratio was 23.4. The school reported 45% free/reduced lunch eligible in 2024–25. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking for students with low socioeconomic status was 56th percentile in 2025–26, 22 points below La Mesa’s overall percentile and down 14 points from the prior year; its special education student ranking was 50th percentile in 2024–25, compared with an overall 77th percentile.

689

Students ?

23.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,072

Per pupil spending ?

45.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

1 La Mesa Way
Monterey, CA 93940-4894

(831) 649-1872

District: Monterey Peninsula Unified

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.4%

Hispanic:

29.0%

Asian:

10.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare La Mesa to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 82nd percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (55% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of California elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Monterey Peninsula Unified

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg34%

California avg42%

Elementary school

1,262^nd of 5,804

California public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

843^rd of 2,703

California public middle schools ?

Top 31%▼ down 3 pts since 2023

From top 28% (2023) to top 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 11Elementary Schools in the Monterey Peninsula Unified

625^th of 968Monterey Peninsula Unified 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	77.1	1262 of 5804	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	1319 of 5857	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.2	1143 of 5869	80.5%	★★★★☆
2023	73.8	1432 of 5859	75.6%	★★★★☆
2022	78.6	1255 of 5883	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	82.8	1023 of 5789	82.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	1186 of 5662	79.1%	★★★★☆
2017	74.4	1366 of 5692	76.0%	★★★★☆
2016	73.5	1372 of 5614	75.6%	★★★★☆
2015	82.7	1000 of 5611	82.2%	★★★★☆
2013	65.1	1824 of 5530	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.8	1793 of 5390	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	78.6	1075 of 5377	80.0%	★★★★☆
2010	80.3	1001 of 5314	81.2%	★★★★☆
2009	84.6	772 of 5193	85.1%	★★★★☆
2008	92.7	337 of 5113	93.4%	★★★★★
2007	88.7	580 of 5113	88.7%	★★★★☆
2006	87.2	635 of 4818	86.8%	★★★★☆
2005	81.2	879 of 4822	81.8%	★★★★☆
2004	77.2	1024 of 4809	78.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	49.5	1205 of 3162	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.1	646 of 3245	80.1%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	274 of 3311	91.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	72.9	1354 of 5569	75.7%	★★★★☆
2025	71.1	1454 of 5597	74.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.8	1416 of 5612	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.7	1390 of 5609	75.2%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	1290 of 5635	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	87.0	716 of 5492	87.0%	★★★★☆
2018	79.8	1054 of 5413	80.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	49.9	2330 of 5085	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.6	1944 of 5107	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.5	2438 of 5107	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.8	2070 of 5087	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.2	1056 of 5084	79.2%	★★★★☆
2019	62.5	1552 of 4963	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.8	3090 of 4830	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	2369 of 5412	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.1	1620 of 5460	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	61.7	1696 of 5517	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	1958 of 5363	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.5	893 of 5264	83.0%	★★★★☆
2019	65.6	1431 of 5173	72.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	79.1	1096 of 5590	80.4%	★★★★☆
2025	78.6	1129 of 5628	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	917 of 5643	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.7	1422 of 5638	74.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.3	1226 of 5663	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	74.8	1306 of 5510	76.3%	★★★★☆
2018	75.0	1269 of 5431	76.6%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	78.1	21 of 123	82.9%	★★★★☆
2025	81.1	21 of 153	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	92.8	5 of 118	95.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	41.2	1414 of 2847	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.1	788 of 2635	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	51.1	882 of 2420	63.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	69.3	779 of 2532	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	72.6	660 of 2598	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	78.7	471 of 2651	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.4	816 of 2661	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	894 of 2726	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.4	722 of 2834	74.5%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	840 of 2737	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	843 of 2703	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.8	766 of 2761	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	68.0	722 of 2783	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	64.4	781 of 2781	71.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	54.8	351 of 1478	76.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	673 of 2483	72.9%	★★★★☆
2025	75.8	528 of 2533	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	64.8	728 of 2551	71.5%	★★★★☆
2023	58.0	865 of 2531	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	1241 of 2325	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.3	1045 of 2395	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	1266 of 2388	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.6	1253 of 2374	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	1118 of 2493	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.3	832 of 2542	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.1	1104 of 2579	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.7	598 of 2531	76.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	58.3	886 of 2478	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.4	976 of 2534	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.3	685 of 2552	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	67.3	665 of 2538	73.8%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.7	60 of 194	69.1%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	22 of 192	88.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	33.7	990 of 1566	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	55.1	643 of 1482	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.5	562 of 1520	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.7	377 of 1537	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	57.5	622 of 1543	59.7%	★★★☆☆

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

Military Connected (2026)83rd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)80th percentile~ school

Female (2026)76th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-9 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)62nd percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)56th percentile-22 vs school

Hispanic (2026)54th percentile-24 vs school

Special Education (2025)50th percentile-27 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2024)76th percentile~ school

Female (2026)73rd percentile+4 vs school

Military Connected (2025)69th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)57th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)47th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2025)37th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy60%+11 vs state

Mathematics50%+12 vs state

Science49%+13 vs state

3.0

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★2

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, July 23, 2016

This school is a mixed bag. Previous comments are on point about the military kids holding this schools academic ratings so high. If not for it being directly placed in the middle of officer housing, and primarily filled with the kids of higher educated parents, the scores of this school would be the same as the surrounding area. Unfortunately, that means the kids attending will have education outcomes below what they are use to. This is frustrating for the parents. I DO NOT fault the teachers, it is the the district. That being said, when you meet the office staff and get a bad feeling about the school, listen to your instinct. There are lots of charter school alternatives. I recommend looking at Big Sur Charter in Monterey. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, September 5, 2011

I have a child that has been a student at La Mesa for the past 3 years. I have other children that have attended other elementary schools on the peninsula. The sterling reputation that La Mesa enjoys in the community is no longer deserved. Perhaps La Mesa earned this reputation many years ago, but other schools in the area actually perform to a much higher standard.

The most upsetting factor at La Mesa is the unprofessional and simply rude 'ladies' that 'work' in the front office. They treat the children and the parents as unwelcome interruptions of these 'ladies' gossip sessions. They will speak loudly to each other about subjects that should be carefully guarded with confidentiality, with their backs turned to the entrance. I have seen visitors stand at the entrance for 2 minutes waiting for assistance while these 'ladies' finished their gossip section. Terrible. Close Quote

Schools Near La Mesa

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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)	% 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 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	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
La Mesa	Public	K-8	1 La Mesa Way	Monterey	93940	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 649-1872	689	29	23.4	45.3%	306 (44.4%)	26 (3.8%)	200 (29.0%)	74 (10.7%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	72 (10.4%)	77.1	1262^nd of 5804 public elementary schools	78.3%		76.4	1319^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.5%	57	62.5	29.8	48.7	58.8	56.7	71.9	54.0	75.4	40.4	60.5	58.8	46.3	62.5	46.0	57.4	23.4	50.4	98.3					$19,072	$17,626	$1,446
Bay View Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	222 Casa Verde Way	Monterey	93940	Monterey County	Bay View Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 717-4630	477	21	22.7	43.4%	109 (22.9%)	11 (2.3%)	263 (55.1%)	31 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	60 (12.6%)								(n/a)
Monte Vista	Public	K-8	100 Toda Vista Dr.	Monterey	93942	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 392-3890	688	29	23.6	45.9%	305 (44.3%)	24 (3.5%)	261 (37.9%)	33 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.3%)	55 (8.0%)	65.6	1791^st of 5804 public elementary schools	69.1%		69.2	1637^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.1%	154	47.2	40.8	44.2	37.8	70.1	56.3	54.6	64.1	40.8	53.9	41.9	64.9	42.1	39.8	48.4	31.6	44.5	98.1		98.1	98.1	98.1	$21,763	$20,268	$1,495
Del Rey Woods Elementary	Public	K-6	1281 Plumas Ave.	Seaside	93955	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 392-3907	390	20	19.1	87.9%	25 (6.4%)	9 (2.3%)	320 (82.1%)	14 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	18 (4.6%)	20.5	4751^st of 5804 public elementary schools	18.1%		29.4	4005^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.6%	746	20.9		20.9	34.2	29.3	25.4	25.4			28.0	26.8	29.3	9.0	20.6			20.5						$23,464	$21,464	$2,000
Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula	Public	K-8	1650 Sonoma Ave.	Seaside	93955	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 899-1100	410	18	22.7	77.8%	30 (7.3%)	3 (0.7%)	365 (89.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.7%)	14.6	5248^th of 5804 public elementary schools	9.6%		21	4742^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	19.0%	506	5.7	34.2	20.6	17.5	14.3	25.7	34.4	51.1	40.5	32.0	30.0	21.4	5.7	15.6	44.9	39.5	27.9						$23,975	$22,146	$1,829
Robert Down Elementary	Public	K-5	485 Pine Ave.	Pacific Grove	93950	Monterey County	Pacific Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 646-6540	422	24	17.9	19.0%	238 (56.4%)	4 (0.9%)	67 (15.9%)	44 (10.4%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	66 (15.6%)	88.9	706^th of 5804 public elementary schools	87.8%		91.7	564^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.4%	142	60.8		60.8	88.7	69.9	62.8				73.5	87.5	64.0	54.9				68.7	92.7			95.6		$33,163	$31,978	$1,185
Monterey Bay Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1004 David Ave.	Pacific Grove	93950	Monterey County	Monterey Bay Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 655-4638	475	17	27.9	31.2%	260 (54.7%)	3 (0.6%)	128 (26.9%)	16 (3.4%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	62 (13.1%)								(n/a)																		95.8	97.2	97.2
Martin Luther King	Public	K-6	1713 Broadway	Seaside	93955	Monterey County	Monterey Peninsula Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 392-3970	548	27	20.1	89.2%	21 (3.8%)	22 (4.0%)	446 (81.4%)	27 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.6%)	22 (4.0%)	11.3	5507^th of 5804 public elementary schools	5.1%		12.8	5436^th of 5857 public elementary schools	7.2%	71	6.3		6.3	12.3	13.0	22.5	33.8			20.8	17.5	19.7	5.0	10.8			12.9						$21,264	$18,924	$2,340
Forest Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	1065 Congress Ave.	Pacific Grove	93950	Monterey County	Pacific Grove Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 646-6560	324	19	16.7	22.2%	159 (49.1%)	6 (1.9%)	87 (26.9%)	17 (5.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	52 (16.0%)	73.4	1428^th of 5804 public elementary schools	75.4%		75.8	1343^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	77.1%	85	49.1		49.1	52.8	58.1	69.8				60.9	57.9	48.4	47.2				50.3	96.7					$40,061	$38,800	$1,261
International School of Monterey	Public, Charter	K-8	1720 Yosemite St.	Seaside	93955	Monterey County	International School of Monterey District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(831) 583-2165	439	21	21.3	32.1%	91 (20.7%)	23 (5.2%)	221 (50.3%)	46 (10.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (12.1%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about La Mesa

What schools do graduates of La Mesa attend?

Students who attend La Mesa usually go on to attend:

High : Monterey High

What district is La Mesa in?

Monterey Peninsula Unified

Is La Mesa a good school?

La Mesa ranks 1262^nd of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of La Mesa?

Students at La Mesa are 44% White, 29% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 10% Two or more races, 4% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend La Mesa?

In the 2024-25 school year, 689 students attended La Mesa.

Rate La Mesa!

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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.