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La Mirada Academy

Q: Is La Mirada Academy a good school?

La Mirada Academy ranks 4250 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

4250^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of California elementary schools

Summary

La Mirada Academy is a K-8 public school serving 868 students in the San Marcos Unified district, currently ranked in the 27th percentile statewide with a one-star rating and serving a community where a high percentage of families face economic challenges.

Academic performance at the school is significantly below the district average, with only 28.7% of students proficient in English and 17.8% in math, and there is a particularly sharp decline in math skills in the upper grades. While the school spends more per student than several nearby schools like Paloma Elementary and Carrillo Elementary, its outcomes are much lower, highlighting a notable achievement gap within the same district. For comparison, students at Discovery Elementary are nearly three times more likely to be proficient in English.

There are some positive signs, including a meaningful reduction in chronic absenteeism and historically strong support for English Language Learners. However, the school's performance has been volatile, showing recent declines after a period of improvement, indicating a need for consistent, targeted strategies to address learning gaps, especially in middle school mathematics.

868

Students ?

23.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,841

Per pupil spending ?

77.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3697 La Mirada Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92078-2312

(760) 290-2000

District: San Marcos Unified

Students who attend La Mirada Academy usually attend:

High:

San Marcos High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.4%

White:

4.3%

Asian:

3.0%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare La Mirada Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 49th percentile in 2022 → 27th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (22% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 49th-percentile peak (2022) to 27th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg50%

California avg41%

Elementary school

4,250^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 15% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

2,496^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 5 pts since 2019

From bottom 5% (2019) to bottom 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 12Elementary Schools in the San Marcos Unified

488^th of 1,543San Marcos 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
2025	26.7	4250 of 5857	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	3777 of 5869	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.4	3040 of 5859	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.3	3005 of 5883	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.0	3773 of 5789	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.3	3800 of 5662	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	23.8	4355 of 5692	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.8	4881 of 5614	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.6	4778 of 5611	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.8	4820 of 5530	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	34.8	3605 of 5390	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.7	2972 of 5377	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.1	2741 of 5314	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	39.0	3110 of 5193	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	39.8	2956 of 5113	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.2	3151 of 5113	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.8	2202 of 4818	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	45.1	2437 of 4822	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	38.2	2736 of 4809	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	42.3	1007 of 2227	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.5	1874 of 2585	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.0	1343 of 2128	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	49.4	1213 of 3162	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.5	1317 of 3245	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	642 of 3311	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	51.5	1171 of 3275	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.9	1399 of 3246	56.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	4249 of 5597	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	3531 of 5612	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	2887 of 5609	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	3107 of 5635	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.5	3542 of 5492	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.8	3421 of 5413	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	31.8	3628 of 5107	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.1	3112 of 5107	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.7	2198 of 5087	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.8	1909 of 5084	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.5	2853 of 4963	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.6	3169 of 4830	34.4%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	19.6	333 of 364	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.6	4171 of 5460	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	3699 of 5517	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.3	2279 of 5363	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.4	2369 of 5264	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.5	3539 of 5173	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	3129 of 5084	38.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	28.6	3966 of 5628	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.3	3719 of 5643	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.2	3058 of 5638	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.9	2778 of 5663	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.5	3765 of 5510	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.6	4051 of 5431	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	1224 of 2847	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.6	1673 of 2635	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	1291 of 2420	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2018	47.2	1604 of 2737	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	13.6	2496 of 2761	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	2382 of 2783	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.0	2257 of 2781	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.8	2140 of 2740	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	2586 of 2715	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	26.6	1200 of 1531	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.1	1204 of 1491	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	44.9	572 of 1478	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.6	902 of 1521	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	748 of 1540	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.0	1429 of 1442	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.8	2375 of 2533	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	2251 of 2551	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	2165 of 2531	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	2006 of 2509	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.5	2302 of 2380	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	13.1	2226 of 2395	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	2047 of 2388	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	1891 of 2374	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	1798 of 2359	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	2123 of 2213	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	10.9	388 of 394	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	2324 of 2542	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.4	2246 of 2579	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	2080 of 2531	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.9	2029 of 2458	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.3	2283 of 2369	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.7	2232 of 2534	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.3	2163 of 2552	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	1950 of 2538	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.4	1918 of 2527	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.3	2313 of 2407	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	18.6	1505 of 1566	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.6	1075 of 1552	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.6	1363 of 1531	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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

English Language Learner (2024)62nd percentile+26 vs school

Special Education (2025)57th percentile+30 vs school

Disabled (2022)55th percentile+6 vs school

White (2018)41st percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)30th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)29th percentile~ school

Female (2025)24th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile-4 vs school

Homeless (2024)9th percentile-27 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2024)61st percentile+47 vs school

Disabled (2022)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)7th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)6th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2025)4th percentile-6 vs school

Homeless (2024)2nd percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy29%-20 vs state

Mathematics18%-20 vs state

Science16%-17 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, August 31, 2018

Alvin Dunn, now La Mirada Academy is simply an amazing school.
The teachers are awesome and helpful, the class sizes are small.
They follow the International Baccalaureate program.
I feel like my kids are getting a comparable charter school experience for free. Close Quote

Schools Near La Mirada Academy

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
La Mirada Academy	Public	K-8	3697 La Mirada Dr.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2000	868	37	23.3	77.4%	37 (4.3%)	3 (0.3%)	785 (90.4%)	26 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	14 (1.6%)	26.7	4250^th of 5857 public elementary schools	27.4%		32.1	3777^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.6%	473	26.1	8.7	15.9	27.2	23.4	52.3	26.8	24.0	23.0	28.7	25.9	30.5	27.3	11.8	14.9	4.8	17.8							$17,841	$1,747	$16,094
High Technical Elementary North County	Public, Charter	K-5	1480 West San Marcos Blvd.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	High Technical Elementary North County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 759-2785	438	18	24.3	50.2%	112 (25.6%)	10 (2.3%)	230 (52.5%)	65 (14.8%)	5 (1.1%)	7 (1.6%)	9 (2.1%)	28.3	4114^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.8%		40.7	3145^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.4%	969	19.4		19.4	36.5	37.0	34.7				36.1	41.9	16.4	13.9				24.2	97.1		97.1				$14,432	$1,035	$13,397
Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary	Public	K-5	653 Poinsettia Ave.	Vista	92081	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2888	579	26	22.2	69.1%	100 (17.3%)	6 (1.0%)	424 (73.2%)	28 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	18 (3.1%)	52.8	2444^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.3%		59.3	2099^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.2%	345	22.8		22.8	48.4	46.5	35.6				43.3	59.1	49.0	40.6				49.3							$18,029	$1,749	$16,280
Discovery Elementary	Public	K-5	730 Applewilde Dr.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2077	717	28	26.0	17.4%	321 (44.8%)	7 (1.0%)	175 (24.4%)	141 (19.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (10.2%)	95.8	251^st of 5857 public elementary schools	95.7%		93.8	443^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	92.5%	192	69.1		69.1	72.4	82.0	85.5				80.1	77.1	81.1	76.4				78.2							$17,592	$1,032	$16,560
Paloma Elementary	Public	K-5	660 Camino Magnifico	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2199	758	34	22.3	31.4%	253 (33.4%)	13 (1.7%)	283 (37.3%)	128 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	77 (10.2%)	93.6	436^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.6%		93.5	470^th of 5869 public elementary schools	92.0%	34	61.3		61.3	73.6	75.0	83.0				76.9	72.8	76.7	69.8				73.2	97.4				98.3		$15,481	$1,128	$14,353
San Marcos Elementary	Public	K-5	1 Tiger Way	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2430	546	24	22.7	87.2%	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	518 (94.9%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	15.9	5191^st of 5857 public elementary schools	11.4%		19.9	4880^th of 5869 public elementary schools	16.9%	311	11.7		11.7	17.7	17.7	28.7				21.5	30.6	20.8	14.9				21.8							$18,507	$1,976	$16,531
Dual Language Immersion North County	Public, Charter	K-8	2030 University Dr.	Vista	92803	San Diego County	Dual Language Immersion North County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 631-6200	276	16	17.4	44.9%	55 (19.9%)	5 (1.8%)	195 (70.7%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.1%)	89.7	676^th of 5857 public elementary schools	88.5%		78.8	1206^th of 5869 public elementary schools	79.5%	530	50.0	24.0	34.9	69.6	85.7	83.3	91.3	76.5	58.3	77.4	73.9	60.7	61.1	52.2	35.3	28.0	52.2	92.3			92.3			$15,763	$1,045	$14,718
Classical Academy Vista	Public, Charter	K-8	2022 University Dr	Vista	92083	San Diego County	Classical Academy Vista District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 330-9800	651	28	23.2	28.0%	388 (59.6%)	9 (1.4%)	179 (27.5%)	14 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.2%)	79.1	1189^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.7%		82.7	1049^th of 5869 public elementary schools	82.1%	140	49.3	52.2	50.9	64.8	68.0	62.7	66.3	64.1	68.5	65.7	54.9	72.0	44.0	49.4	50.0	46.1	51.3	73.7	73.7	73.7	73.7	73.7	73.7	$12,917	$150	$12,767
Carrillo Elementary	Public	K-5	2875 Poinsettia Ln.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2900	725	29	25.0	22.6%	384 (53.0%)	6 (0.8%)	174 (24.0%)	77 (10.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (11.2%)	90.3	639^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.1%		84.5	972^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	83.4%	333	54.9		54.9	70.6	71.8	69.7				70.7	78.0	70.2	65.6				71.0	93.8	96.1	96.9	95.3	94.5	96.1	$16,375	$1,166	$15,209
Hannalei Elementary	Public	K-5	120 Hannalei Dr.	Vista	92083	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 631-6248	480	22	21.8	73.5%	55 (11.5%)	1 (0.2%)	402 (83.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	12 (2.5%)	17.3	5069^th of 5857 public elementary schools	13.5%		23.7	4497^th of 5869 public elementary schools	23.4%	572	6.9		6.9	25.0	31.3	28.2				28.0	23.4	27.3	8.2				19.4							$19,882	$2,571	$17,311

Frequently Asked Questions about La Mirada Academy

How many students attend La Mirada Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 868 students attended La Mirada Academy.

What schools do graduates of La Mirada Academy attend?

Students who attend La Mirada Academy usually go on to attend:

High : San Marcos High

Is La Mirada Academy a good school?

La Mirada Academy ranks 4250^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is La Mirada Academy in?

San Marcos Unified

What is the racial makeup of La Mirada Academy?

Students at La Mirada Academy are 90% Hispanic, 4% White, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

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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.