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San Elijo Elementary

Q: Is San Elijo Elementary a good school?

San Elijo Elementary ranks 596 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

596^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 90% of California elementary schools

Summary

San Elijo Elementary is a highly-regarded K-5 public school serving 834 students in the San Marcos Unified district, consistently ranking among the top schools in California with a 90th percentile statewide ranking and strong test scores in English, Math, and Science.

The school stands out for its balanced academic excellence and stable, high performance over many years, effectively supporting all student groups, including those with special needs. It operates efficiently, spending less per student than some nearby high-performing schools like Discovery Elementary, yet achieving excellent results. While serving a community with relatively low economic need, its success is part of a broader pattern in the area where schools like Poinsettia Elementary in Carlsbad Unified also excel, showing that district practices can influence outcomes.

An interesting point for the school community is the recent performance dip for Hispanic students, which contrasts with its otherwise stable record and is an area for potential focus. Furthermore, the school's low chronic absenteeism rate of 10.2% aligns with a strong trend seen across the region, where better attendance correlates strongly with higher academic achievement at schools like Carrillo Elementary and La Costa Meadows Elementary.

834

Students ?

22.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,284

Per pupil spending ?

15.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1615 Schoolhouse Way
San Marcos, CA 92078-1080

(760) 290-2600

District: San Marcos Unified

Students who attend San Elijo Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	San Elijo Middle
High:	San Marcos High

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.2%

Hispanic:

19.5%

Two or more races:

10.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare San Elijo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2013 → 90th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (69% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2013

!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 school69%

District avg50%

California avg41%

596^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 5% (2015) to top 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.2	596 of 5857	89.8%	★★★★☆
2024	92.0	572 of 5869	90.3%	★★★★★
2023	89.5	736 of 5859	87.4%	★★★★☆
2022	92.0	597 of 5883	89.9%	★★★★☆
2019	93.2	417 of 5789	92.8%	★★★★★
2018	93.7	397 of 5662	93.0%	★★★★★
2017	94.8	345 of 5692	93.9%	★★★★★
2016	95.1	308 of 5614	94.5%	★★★★★
2015	95.3	305 of 5611	94.6%	★★★★★
2013	93.0	260 of 5530	95.3%	★★★★★
2012	92.7	229 of 5390	95.8%	★★★★★
2011	92.5	287 of 5377	94.7%	★★★★★
2010	93.3	246 of 5314	95.4%	★★★★★
2009	92.6	323 of 5193	93.8%	★★★★★
2008	88.3	570 of 5113	88.9%	★★★★☆
2007	88.9	570 of 5113	88.9%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.0	677 of 1203	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.3	491 of 1190	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.9	356 of 1149	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	85.2	28 of 1071	97.4%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	72.2	395 of 2227	82.3%	★★★★☆
2019	82.8	294 of 2585	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	399 of 2128	81.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	78.1	345 of 3275	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	68.9	579 of 3246	82.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.2	508 of 5597	90.9%	★★★★★
2024	92.0	498 of 5612	91.1%	★★★★★
2023	88.0	742 of 5609	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	91.8	525 of 5635	90.7%	★★★★★
2019	89.9	565 of 5492	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	90.5	548 of 5413	89.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.9	822 of 5107	83.9%	★★★★☆
2024	93.2	236 of 5107	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	90.5	331 of 5087	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	92.7	266 of 5084	94.8%	★★★★★
2019	86.2	458 of 4963	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	86.6	430 of 4830	91.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.1	1960 of 5460	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.6	1326 of 5517	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	86.7	509 of 5363	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	60.7	1642 of 5264	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.5	871 of 5173	83.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.7	785 of 5084	84.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.4	669 of 5628	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	90.1	597 of 5643	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	88.6	693 of 5638	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	90.3	609 of 5663	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	94.0	309 of 5510	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	94.4	293 of 5431	94.6%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.3	298 of 718	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.9	123 of 670	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	48.3	398 of 669	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.0	272 of 610	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.5	457 of 2847	83.9%	★★★★☆
2024	75.9	413 of 2635	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	404 of 2420	83.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	79.4	435 of 2598	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	76.1	586 of 2651	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.5	636 of 2661	76.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	480 of 2726	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.4	330 of 2834	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	84.6	267 of 2737	90.2%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2025)91st percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2019)89th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)88th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)84th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)84th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)83rd percentile-7 vs school

Disabled (2022)82nd percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile-26 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)58th percentile-31 vs school

Asian (2025)44th percentile-46 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy74%+25 vs state

Mathematics70%+33 vs state

Science56%+23 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, May 24, 2014

This school is VERY large but what makes up for it is the skilled teachers, PTO, nice families and top notch technology woven curriculum. We have been very happy at this school and the kids love it! Close Quote

Schools Near San Elijo Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)
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
San Elijo Elementary	Public	K-5	1615 Schoolhouse Way	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2600	834	38	22.1	15.9%	510 (61.2%)	7 (0.8%)	163 (19.5%)	64 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (10.7%)	91.2	596^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.8%		92	572^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	90.3%	24	55.6		55.6	71.1	75.2	74.5				73.6	74.1	69.6	67.3				70.2	95.4	98.5	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	$28,284	$27,708	$576
Double Peak	Public	K-8	111 San Elijo Rd.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2340	1,171	51	23.1	21.0%	576 (49.2%)	20 (1.7%)	280 (23.9%)	166 (14.2%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	125 (10.7%)	93	471^st of 5857 public elementary schools	92.0%		91.8	584^th of 5869 public elementary schools	90.0%	113	66.4	43.0	53.4	69.6	74.1	79.0	73.2	72.6	66.0	72.2	72.0	72.5	73.1	68.0	70.3	55.4	68.1	97.1	97.8		97.8	97.8		$24,167	$23,586	$581
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							$22,240	$21,664	$576
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				$30,292	$29,234	$1,058
La Costa Meadows Elementary	Public	K-5	6889 El Fuerte St.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2121	725	31	23.6	17.1%	470 (64.8%)	2 (0.3%)	131 (18.1%)	41 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	80 (11.0%)	91.4	586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.0%		91.3	622^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	89.4%	36	61.3		61.3	71.0	68.6	74.5				71.4	78.0	66.7	69.5				71.4	95.6				97.1		$24,852	$24,276	$576
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	$24,692	$24,116	$576
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							$26,078	$24,938	$1,140
La Costa Heights Elementary	Public	K-6	3035 Levante St.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	Encinitas Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 944-4375	552	23	24.0	14.5%	369 (66.8%)	2 (0.4%)	82 (14.9%)	21 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (14.1%)	94.7	360^th of 5857 public elementary schools	93.9%		95.4	311^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.7%	49	66.7		66.7	75.0	79.6	77.7	85.2			79.6	69.2	71.3	73.8	82.5			74.3							$24,419	$23,620	$799
Mission Estancia Elementary	Public	K-6	3330 Calle Barcelona	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	Encinitas Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 943-2004	355	16	22.1	12.7%	239 (67.3%)	5 (1.4%)	40 (11.3%)	30 (8.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (11.3%)	90	657^th of 5857 public elementary schools	88.8%		91.4	616^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.5%	41	55.2		55.2	70.8	83.9	72.4	74.5			75.8	79.2	72.6	51.7	57.5			65.1							$28,278	$27,656	$622
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							$30,721	$29,524	$1,197

Frequently Asked Questions about San Elijo Elementary

What is the racial makeup of San Elijo Elementary?

Students at San Elijo Elementary are 61% White, 20% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 8% Asian.

How many students attend San Elijo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 834 students attended San Elijo Elementary.

What schools do graduates of San Elijo Elementary attend?

Students who attend San Elijo Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : San Elijo Middle
High : San Marcos High

What district is San Elijo Elementary in?

San Marcos Unified

Is San Elijo Elementary a good school?

San Elijo Elementary ranks 596^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate San Elijo Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.