Summary
Joyner Elementary serves 410 students in grades K–5 in San Diego and is part of San Diego Unified. In 2025–26, its proficiency rates were below district and state results in English language arts (ELA), math, and science. Among the 11 nearby K–5 schools, Joyner ranked second-lowest in ELA, third-lowest in math, and lowest in science.
Joyner’s strongest subject relative to district and state results is math, though its proficiency remains low: 19% compared with 46% in the district and 38% statewide. ELA was 20%, versus 54% in the district and 49% statewide; science was 10%, versus 42% and 36%. Nearby schools averaged 35% in ELA, 35% in math, and 27% in science, putting Joyner about 14, 16, and 17 percentage points below those averages. Science is also Joyner’s weakest local result: it was below every nearby school. Fifth-grade math is a particular concern, at 8%, compared with 28% in Joyner’s third grade, 12% at the next-lowest nearby school, and 37% statewide.
Results have changed unevenly: math proficiency rose 2 percentage points from 2022–23 to 2025–26, while ELA and science each fell about 6 points. Because state results rose, Joyner’s gap with the state widened in all three subjects, most in science, by about 12 points. Chronic absenteeism has improved from its 2021–22 peak of 62% to 32% in 2025–26, but it rose 4 points from the prior year and remains the highest among nearby schools. SchoolDigger places Joyner at the 8th percentile with 0 stars in 2025–26, down from the 18th percentile the year before. Its 2024–25 student–teacher ratio was 24.6, compared with a nearby average of 23.6; 94% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. A notable relative bright spot in SchoolDigger’s statewide rankings is Special Education Students: the group ranked at the 55th percentile in 2023–24, compared with Joyner’s overall 9th percentile that year, a one-year result that does not explain what drove the difference.
Thank you for your feedback!