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

Hawthorne Elementary

Q: Is Hawthorne Elementary a good school?

Hawthorne Elementary ranks 1498 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1498^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of California elementary schools

Summary

Hawthorne Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 248 students in the San Diego Unified School District, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking above average statewide while supporting a community where a majority of students face economic disadvantages.

What makes Hawthorne stand out is its remarkable success in helping students thrive academically despite these challenges; its students score significantly higher in English and Math than those at other local schools with similar demographics, such as Clairemont Canyons Academy and Lafayette Elementary. The school has also engineered an impressive turnaround in student attendance, slashing chronic absenteeism from over 40% to just 11.8%, a rate now better than the San Diego Unified average and most neighboring schools.

Hawthorne achieves these strong results efficiently, with moderate per-student spending, and shows a unique strength in supporting its male students. While schools like Spreckels Elementary and Curie Elementary post higher overall scores, they serve more affluent populations, making Hawthorne's consistent improvement and effective support for its community a notable success story in the area.

248

Students ?

22.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,942

Per pupil spending ?

61.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4750 Lehrer Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117-1358

(858) 634-5701

District: San Diego Unified

Students who attend Hawthorne Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Innovation Middle
High:	Madison High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

39.9%

White:

31.5%

Two or more races:

13.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Hawthorne Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 83rd percentile in 2019 → 74th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (54% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 83rd-percentile peak (2019) to 74th (2025)

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg49%

California avg41%

1,498^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From top 41% (2015) to top 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

44^th of 120Elementary Schools in the San Diego Unified

577^th of 1,543San Diego 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	72.5	1498 of 5857	74.4%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	1617 of 5869	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	68.4	1650 of 5859	71.8%	★★★★☆
2022	79.5	1207 of 5883	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	83.9	972 of 5789	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	59.4	2065 of 5662	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.0	2800 of 5692	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.6	2734 of 5614	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.0	2288 of 5611	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.3	2553 of 5530	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.1	2611 of 5390	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.1	1631 of 5377	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.3	1968 of 5314	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.3	1578 of 5193	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.1	1805 of 5113	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	61.3	1756 of 5113	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.7	1714 of 4818	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.0	1877 of 4822	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.6	1846 of 4809	61.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.2	1767 of 5597	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	1859 of 5612	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.6	1735 of 5609	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	77.5	1224 of 5635	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.4	1279 of 5492	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	53.8	2284 of 5413	57.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.2	2141 of 5107	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.7	1648 of 5107	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.4	2211 of 5087	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	85.4	529 of 5084	89.6%	★★★★☆
2019	78.1	783 of 4963	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	50.8	2173 of 4830	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	1515 of 5460	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	60.7	1751 of 5517	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.6	1536 of 5363	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.0	595 of 5264	88.7%	★★★★☆
2019	91.2	265 of 5173	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	58.1	1854 of 5084	63.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.2	1226 of 5628	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.0	1360 of 5643	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	69.2	1539 of 5638	72.7%	★★★★☆
2022	77.2	1234 of 5663	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	83.9	871 of 5510	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	62.9	1814 of 5431	66.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	89.2	118 of 2834	95.8%	★★★★★

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 (2019)96th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)78th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)68th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)58th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy59%+10 vs state

Mathematics52%+15 vs state

Science45%+12 vs state

4.0

1 rating

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Hawthorne Elementary

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 Hawthorne Elementary

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 (2024)
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 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	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	K-5	4750 Lehrer Dr.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 634-5701	248	11	22.5	61.7%	78 (31.5%)	6 (2.4%)	99 (39.9%)	28 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	33 (13.3%)	72.5	1498^th of 5857 public elementary schools	74.4%		69.4	1617^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.4%	119	44.7		44.7	51.2	58.1	68.4				59.1	53.7	51.6	50.0				51.8							$25,942	$4,249	$21,693
Field Elementary	Public	K-5	4375 Bannock Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 800-5900	238	10	23.8	68.5%	43 (18.1%)	4 (1.7%)	166 (69.7%)	11 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.5%)	71.3	1545^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.6%		62.8	1938^th of 5869 public elementary schools	67.0%	393	48.8		48.8	50.0	50.0	55.8				52.3	63.3	61.8	44.2				55.1							$27,474	$4,809	$22,665
Sequoia Elementary	Public	K-5	4690 Limerick Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 605-1800	180	10	18.0	74.4%	37 (20.6%)	5 (2.8%)	97 (53.9%)	21 (11.7%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	18 (10.0%)	80.6	1136^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.6%		69.8	1606^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.6%	470	55.9		55.9	61.5	56.5	67.7				62.7	61.5	50.0	58.8				57.1							$30,140	$2,937	$27,203
Whitman Elementary	Public	K-5	4050 Appleton St.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 935-2900	102	4	25.5	72.5%	17 (16.7%)	2 (2.0%)	65 (63.7%)	8 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (9.8%)	47.7	2720^th of 5857 public elementary schools	53.6%		49.1	2600^th of 5869 public elementary schools	55.7%	120	25.0		25.0	41.2	66.7	33.3				48.9	26.3	50.0	33.3				36.7							$30,271	$3,496	$26,775
John Muir	Public	K-8	4431 Mt. Herbert Ave.	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 268-1954	336	17	19.7	43.8%	100 (29.8%)	21 (6.3%)	181 (53.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.8%)	86.2	867^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.2%		47.9	2670^th of 5869 public elementary schools	54.5%	1803	73.9	23.1	55.6	66.7	57.1	78.3	72.4	56.3	46.2	65.1	66.7	52.4	60.9	56.7	31.3	30.8	53.1							$23,931	$3,140	$20,791
Curie Elementary	Public	K-5	4080 Governor Dr.	San Diego	92122	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 221-5500	536	22	24.3	18.8%	307 (57.3%)	9 (1.7%)	92 (17.2%)	67 (12.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (11.2%)	97	152^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	97.4%		97.3	139^th of 5869 public elementary schools	97.6%	13	81.2		81.2	86.4	80.7	79.7				82.5	92.1	77.3	75.0				82.0							$19,094	$2,779	$16,315
Lafayette Elementary	Public	K-5	6125 Printwood Way	San Diego	92117	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 987-5000	208	16	13.4	76.0%	49 (23.6%)	7 (3.4%)	123 (59.1%)	8 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (9.6%)	32.6	3759^th of 5857 public elementary schools	35.8%		38.1	3297^th of 5869 public elementary schools	43.8%	462	32.3		32.3	14.8	35.7	46.7				32.9	20.0	28.6	32.3				27.0							$25,354	$4,383	$20,971
Spreckels Elementary	Public	K-5	6033 Stadium St.	San Diego	92122	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 453-5377	680	25	27.2	35.6%	321 (47.2%)	6 (0.9%)	204 (30.0%)	61 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	85 (12.5%)	86.6	843^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	85.6%		86.8	873^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	85.1%	30	51.8		51.8	67.9	73.1	67.3				69.3	75.7	66.4	51.8				64.6	98.0						$19,196	$2,905	$16,291
High Technical Elementary Mesa	Public, Charter	K-5	5331 Mt. Alifan Dr.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	High Technical Elementary Mesa District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 510-4620	423	18	23.5	38.5%	139 (32.9%)	28 (6.6%)	136 (32.2%)	95 (22.5%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	17 (4.0%)	46.9	2771^st of 5857 public elementary schools	52.7%		44.7	2881^st of 5869 public elementary schools	50.9%	110	36.6		36.6	40.3	45.1	50.7				45.3	34.7	39.4	29.6				34.6	97.0						$14,064	$904	$13,160
Clairemont Canyons Academy	Public	K-5	4133 Mt. Albertine Ave.	San Diego	92111	San Diego County	San Diego Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 605-1350	318	17	18.7	73.3%	84 (26.4%)	44 (13.8%)	105 (33.0%)	56 (17.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	26 (8.2%)	41.6	3106^th of 5857 public elementary schools	47.0%		54.9	2292^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	60.9%	814	25.0		25.0	41.9	30.0	33.3				35.5	58.1	30.0	33.3				42.1	92.1	93.7	95.2	95.2	95.2	96.8	$30,288	$4,556	$25,732

Frequently Asked Questions about Hawthorne Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Hawthorne Elementary?

Students at Hawthorne Elementary are 40% Hispanic, 31% White, 13% Two or more races, 11% Asian, 2% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Hawthorne Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 248 students attended Hawthorne Elementary.

Is Hawthorne Elementary a good school?

Hawthorne Elementary ranks 1498^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Hawthorne Elementary in?

San Diego Unified

What schools do graduates of Hawthorne Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hawthorne Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Innovation Middle
High : Madison High

Rate Hawthorne Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in San Diego, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hawthorne Elementary!

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.