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

Ira Harbison

Public Grades K-6
2476th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 5,817 California Elementary Schools
Better than 57% of California elementary schools
Summary

Ira Harbison is a 393-student K–6 elementary school in National City, in the National Elementary School District. In 2025–2026, 46% of students were proficient in English language arts (ELA), 38% in math and 47% in science. Chronic absenteeism is a standout: at 11%, it was lower than the district’s 24%, the state’s 18%, and every nearby school’s rate.

Science is Ira’s clearest academic strength: its 47% proficiency rate was above the state’s 36%, the district’s 27% and the nearby-school average of 33%. It ranked fourth among the 11 nearby schools, behind Nye Elementary, Bethune K-8 and Rancho de la Nacion. Math matched the state at 38% and exceeded the nearby average of 36%. ELA was weaker relative to the state—46% versus 49%—but above the district’s 35% and nearby average of 41%; Ira ranked third locally. Results vary by grade: third-grade ELA was 31%, 13 points below the state, and third-grade math was 33%, 14 points below.

Results have improved since 2022–2023: ELA rose 5 points, math 8 and science 7. Math went from 4 points below the state to parity, while ELA remains below it. SchoolDigger gave Ira a 57th-percentile ranking and 3 stars in 2025–2026, up from the 43rd percentile in 2023–2024; nearby schools averaged the 46th percentile. SchoolDigger’s measure of how well Ira serves English Language Learner Students placed the group at the 69th percentile in 2023–2024, 26 points above the school’s overall ranking that year. Its Special Education Students group ranked at the 38th percentile in 2025–2026, 19 points below the overall ranking. For context, the 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 23.1, close to the nearby average of 23.3, and 77% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible.

393
Students ?
23.1
Student/teacher ratio ?
$27,982
Per pupil spending ?
76.6%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in California receive free school meals.
≥ 98%
Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)
 3235 EastEighth St.
       National City, CA  91950-3116

(619) 336-8200

District: National Elementary


Students who attend Ira Harbison usually attend:

Middle:    Granger Junior High
High:    Sweetwater High
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.6%
Asian:
26.7%
Two or more races:
4.6%
more
 See top rated California elementary schools

 Compare Ira Harbison to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 61st percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2026
Strengths
✓Among the top-ranked schools in National Elementary
✓Above the California median (57th percentile)
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 school43%
District avg31%
California avg42%
2,476th of 5,817
California public elementary schools ?
Top 43%▲ up 6 pts since 2016
From top 48% (2016) to top 43% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
1st of 10Elementary Schools in the National Elementary
1019th of 1,530National Elementary 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202652.32476 of 581757.4%★★★☆☆
202544.42922 of 585750.1%★★★☆☆
202437.23353 of 586942.9%★★☆☆☆
202345.12818 of 585951.9%★★★☆☆
202228.53990 of 588332.2%★★☆☆☆
201927.24173 of 578927.9%★☆☆☆☆
201848.92619 of 566253.7%★★★☆☆
201752.82386 of 569258.1%★★★☆☆
201646.32700 of 561451.9%★★★☆☆
201554.62211 of 561160.6%★★★☆☆
201358.32223 of 553059.8%★★★☆☆
201256.32252 of 539058.2%★★★☆☆
201157.12189 of 537759.3%★★★☆☆
201059.52008 of 531462.2%★★★☆☆
200962.61787 of 519365.6%★★★☆☆
200865.41608 of 511368.6%★★★☆☆
200763.01686 of 511367.0%★★★☆☆
200658.51797 of 481862.7%★★★☆☆
200555.71924 of 482260.1%★★★☆☆
200454.81930 of 480959.9%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202453.8985 of 316268.8%★★★☆☆
202350.21189 of 324563.4%★★★☆☆
202234.82216 of 331133.1%★★☆☆☆
201924.62892 of 327511.7%★☆☆☆☆
201874.4460 of 324685.8%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202656.22175 of 558161.0%★★★☆☆
202542.02956 of 559747.2%★★☆☆☆
202440.73009 of 561246.4%★★☆☆☆
202342.62843 of 560949.3%★★☆☆☆
202232.53538 of 563537.2%★★☆☆☆
201928.63938 of 549228.3%★☆☆☆☆
201844.82789 of 541348.5%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202651.52247 of 509455.9%★★★☆☆
202539.93024 of 510740.8%★★☆☆☆
202435.63306 of 510735.3%★★☆☆☆
202336.73162 of 508737.8%★★☆☆☆
202219.14571 of 508410.1%★☆☆☆☆
201919.44413 of 496311.1%★☆☆☆☆
201838.02995 of 483038.0%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202657.22046 of 542362.3%★★★☆☆
202551.92306 of 546057.8%★★★☆☆
202445.32726 of 551750.6%★★★☆☆
202347.92509 of 536353.2%★★★☆☆
202229.53890 of 526426.1%★☆☆☆☆
201931.03794 of 517326.7%★☆☆☆☆
201854.52072 of 508459.2%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202647.02661 of 560352.5%★★★☆☆
202547.52637 of 562853.1%★★★☆☆
202435.43388 of 564340.0%★★☆☆☆
202347.92570 of 563854.4%★★★☆☆
202226.24120 of 566327.2%★☆☆☆☆
201926.74048 of 551026.5%★☆☆☆☆
201852.62303 of 543157.6%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202634.31826 of 292737.6%★★☆☆☆
202552.8977 of 284765.7%★★★☆☆
202427.81952 of 263525.9%★☆☆☆☆
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)
English Language Learner (2024)69th percentile+26 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile+5 vs school
Female (2026)61st percentile+4 vs school
Hispanic (2026)56th percentile~ school
Male (2026)53rd percentile-5 vs school
Special Education (2026)38th percentile-20 vs school
By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?
Science47%+11 vs state
English Language Arts/Literacy46%-4 vs state
Mathematics38%~ state avg

5.0
1 rating
5★1
4★0
3★0
2★0
1★0
Rate Ira Harbison
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 Ira Harbison

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private






Frequently Asked Questions about Ira Harbison

Students who attend Ira Harbison usually go on to attend:

Middle : Granger Junior High
High : Sweetwater High

In the 2024-25 school year, 393 students attended Ira Harbison.

Ira Harbison ranks 2476th of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Ira Harbison are 62% Hispanic, 27% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% White, 2% Not Specified.

Rate Ira Harbison!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ira Harbison!


Latest California data All new data »
2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026
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


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.

Diagnostics