Summary
Foster Elementary serves 518 students in grades K–5 in San Diego, within San Diego Unified. The biggest concern is that the school trails nearby same-district K–5 schools in all three tested subjects, with its largest gap in science.
In 2025–2026, 38% of students were proficient in English language arts, compared with 49% statewide, 54% in the district, and a 62% average among nearby K–5 schools. Math was the closest subject to the state result: 37% at Foster versus 38% statewide, though the nearby-school average was 63%. Science was weakest against nearby schools: 26% at Foster versus 53% nearby, a 27-point gap. Foster ranked second-lowest among nine same-district K–5 schools in ELA and math, and lowest in science. Within the school, grade 4 math was a relative bright spot at 41%, close to the state’s 42%; grade 5 math was 31%, compared with 37% statewide and 54% at nearby schools.
Math proficiency rose 6 points from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026, narrowing its gap with the state by 2 points; ELA rose 2 points, but its state gap widened by 1 point. Science fell 6 points while the state improved, leaving Foster 10 points below the state, compared with being 2 points above it four years earlier. SchoolDigger places the school at the 42nd percentile statewide with 2 stars; its percentile was 69 in 2015–2016. The 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio was 23.7, below the nearby-school average of 25.2. In 2024–2025, 59% of students were reported as free/reduced lunch eligible, compared with a 44% average among nearby schools; California provides statewide free meals, so this is an eligibility measure, not whether students can receive free meals. SchoolDigger’s 2024–2025 ranking was notably stronger for Special Education Students (76th percentile, versus 43rd overall) and weaker for Multi-racial Students (8th percentile).
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