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Pepper Drive Elementary

Q: Is Pepper Drive Elementary a good school?

Pepper Drive Elementary ranks 2119 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

2119^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of California elementary schools

Summary

Pepper Drive Elementary is a K-8 public school serving 661 students in El Cajon, California, operating as a solidly performing school within the highly-regarded Santee School District.

Academically, Pepper Drive consistently scores above the California state average in English, math, and science, but it trails behind other schools in its own district, such as the higher-performing Hill Creek Elementary. The school has shown exceptional strength in dramatically improving student attendance, cutting chronic absenteeism by over 65% in three years, and it performs particularly well for specific student groups, including English learners and students in special education. However, math scores, especially in middle school grades, remain an area for growth.

The school's performance is best understood in its local context: while it is the lower performer within Santee, it significantly outperforms many geographically close schools in the neighboring Cajon Valley Union district, such as Naranca Elementary and Magnolia Elementary. It also serves a comparable student population to the nearby Kidinnu Academy charter school, which has similar academic results but an even lower absenteeism rate.

661

Students ?

24.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,130

Per pupil spending ?

58.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1935 Marlinda Way
El Cajon, CA 92021-1155

(619) 956-5100

District: Santee

Students who attend Pepper Drive Elementary usually attend:

High:

Santana High

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.6%

Hispanic:

38.9%

Two or more races:

8.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pepper Drive Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 68th percentile in 2015 → 64th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Santee's ranking

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg53%

California avg41%

Elementary school

2,119^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

983^rd of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Santee

305^th of 1,543Santee 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	59.0	2119 of 5857	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	2084 of 5869	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.1	2274 of 5859	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.4	2615 of 5883	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.6	488 of 1417	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.5	3097 of 5789	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.2	2027 of 5662	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.8	2183 of 5692	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.1	1658 of 5614	70.5%	★★★★☆
2015	63.5	1776 of 5611	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	74.2	1367 of 5530	75.3%	★★★★☆
2012	80.1	1028 of 5390	80.9%	★★★★☆
2011	60.8	1974 of 5377	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	77.0	1132 of 5314	78.7%	★★★★☆
2009	72.1	1344 of 5193	74.1%	★★★★☆
2008	65.0	1625 of 5113	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.0	1828 of 5113	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.2	1865 of 4818	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.0	1876 of 4822	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	54.8	1928 of 4809	59.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	60.2	594 of 2227	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	73.0	52 of 293	82.3%	★★★★☆
2019	40.0	1296 of 2585	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.0	772 of 2128	63.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	66.8	549 of 3311	83.4%	★★★★☆
2021	74.7	73 of 602	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	44.7	1509 of 3275	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.8	641 of 3246	80.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.1	1944 of 5597	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	2024 of 5612	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	2066 of 5609	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.1	2570 of 5635	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.7	528 of 1267	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.7	3620 of 5492	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.6	2091 of 5413	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.3	1599 of 5107	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	1567 of 5107	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	2124 of 5087	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.8	2346 of 5084	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.6	3202 of 4963	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	71.8	1051 of 4830	78.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.2	1846 of 5460	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	1592 of 5517	71.1%	★★★★☆
2023	69.8	1240 of 5363	76.9%	★★★★☆
2022	64.0	1472 of 5264	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	76.3	177 of 1110	84.1%	★★★★☆
2019	48.7	2492 of 5173	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.7	1318 of 5084	74.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.3	2224 of 5628	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.6	2081 of 5643	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.8	2406 of 5638	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	2518 of 5663	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.0	380 of 1272	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	50.4	2439 of 5510	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.9	1885 of 5431	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	12.4	405 of 445	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.5	869 of 2847	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	867 of 2635	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.3	817 of 2420	66.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	1759 of 2598	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.5	1718 of 2651	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.9	1800 of 2661	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.7	2155 of 2726	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	2268 of 2834	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.0	1823 of 2737	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.6	983 of 2761	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.5	830 of 2783	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	62.9	819 of 2781	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	56.9	970 of 2740	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.9	260 of 894	70.9%	★★★★☆
2019	61.6	876 of 2715	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.6	834 of 2480	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.8	986 of 2508	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.9	714 of 2497	71.4%	★★★★☆
2015	67.7	693 of 2477	72.0%	★★★★☆
2013	78.3	362 of 2379	84.8%	★★★★☆
2012	77.2	374 of 2259	83.4%	★★★★☆
2011	78.5	326 of 2236	85.4%	★★★★☆
2010	76.4	390 of 2179	82.1%	★★★★☆
2009	65.0	628 of 2063	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.0	761 of 2005	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	58.6	704 of 1999	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.3	736 of 1804	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	56.1	681 of 1777	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.2	657 of 1769	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	60.7	395 of 1531	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	84 of 354	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	58.2	425 of 1491	71.5%	★★★★☆
2018	42.0	650 of 1369	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	972 of 2533	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	983 of 2551	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.6	875 of 2531	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.3	1162 of 2509	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.0	208 of 738	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	59.6	840 of 2380	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.9	791 of 2262	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.4	943 of 2395	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.3	821 of 2388	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.4	596 of 2374	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	47.3	1072 of 2359	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.9	488 of 2213	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	72.3	402 of 2072	80.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	594 of 2542	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	72.2	492 of 2579	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	69.4	527 of 2531	79.2%	★★★★☆
2022	73.4	438 of 2458	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	70.1	150 of 721	79.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.9	543 of 2369	77.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.8	520 of 2230	76.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.3	925 of 2534	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.5	663 of 2552	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.5	702 of 2538	72.3%	★★★★☆
2022	63.7	733 of 2527	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	246 of 763	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.3	772 of 2407	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.0	827 of 2273	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	310 of 1566	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	58.8	418 of 1552	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.1	241 of 1531	84.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	904 of 1520	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.0	845 of 1537	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.4	923 of 1543	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	866 of 1555	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.2	785 of 1602	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.4	842 of 1496	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2022)83rd percentile+28 vs school

Disabled (2022)73rd percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2025)69th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)69th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)66th percentile~ school

Female (2025)65th percentile~ school

Male (2025)60th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)32nd percentile-32 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)9th percentile-38 vs school

Middle school

Special Education (2025)80th percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)77th percentile+12 vs school

Disabled (2022)74th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)62nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)61st percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)41st percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy54%+5 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

Science36%+3 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 23, 2019

alcohol served at father daughter dance, teachers who call your kid a "jerk" and nothing is done but they write my kid up for litterally everything!lol joke of a school Close Quote

Schools Near Pepper Drive 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
Pepper Drive Elementary	Public	K-8	1935 Marlinda Way	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Santee	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-5100	661	27	24.5	58.2%	288 (43.6%)	29 (4.4%)	257 (38.9%)	31 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (8.2%)	59	2119^th of 5857 public elementary schools	63.8%		59.6	2084^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.5%	35	42.3	31.3	35.6	53.5	52.6	59.6	46.9	55.8	57.5	54.0	46.6	51.3	28.9	32.1	32.6	36.3	37.9							$14,130	$13,196	$934
Magnolia Elementary	Public	K-5	650 Greenfield Dr.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3080	703	27	26.2	91.0%	146 (20.8%)	98 (13.9%)	309 (44.0%)	85 (12.1%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.3%)	55 (7.8%)	6.8	5787^th of 5857 public elementary schools	1.2%		7.9	5782^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	1.5%	5	10.0		10.0	11.7	10.1	17.8				12.9	12.2	0.9	6.7				6.7							$21,776	$20,084	$1,692
Winter Gardens Elementary	Public	K-1	8501 Pueblo Rd.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2687	269	12	22.4	30.1%	90 (33.5%)	2 (0.7%)	141 (52.4%)	11 (4.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)								(n/a)																		97.8		97.8		97.8		$21,346	$20,798	$548
W. D. Hall Elementary	Public	K-5	1376 Pepper Dr.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3136	579	23	24.9	90.2%	247 (42.7%)	36 (6.2%)	200 (34.5%)	52 (9.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.6%)	34 (5.9%)	12.8	5438^th of 5857 public elementary schools	7.2%		15.6	5244^th of 5869 public elementary schools	10.6%	194	10.3		10.3	17.3	24.5	19.6				20.3	21.2	22.3	7.2				17.0							$25,473	$23,784	$1,689
Naranca Elementary	Public	K-6	1030 Naranca Ave.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3087	985	36	27.3	96.1%	333 (33.8%)	71 (7.2%)	265 (26.9%)	274 (27.8%)	3 (0.3%)	7 (0.7%)	32 (3.2%)	7.7	5752^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	1.8%		8.9	5731^st of 5869 public elementary schools	2.4%	21	8.8		8.8	6.3	11.5	15.8	14.9			12.1	6.8	7.1	8.1	14.8			8.6	91.9		98.2	97.3	98.2	98.2	$18,927	$17,130	$1,797
Kidinnu Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1025 North Second St.	El Cajon	92021	San Diego County	Kidinnu Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 938-4864	433	17	25.4	89.8%	426 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.5	2394^th of 5857 public elementary schools	59.1%		53.3	2380^th of 5869 public elementary schools	59.4%	14	24.5		24.5	58.8	53.9	49.1	42.9	55.0		51.6	58.8	48.1	32.1	18.4	30.0		38.7							$32,024	$31,296	$728
Hill Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	9665 Jeremy St.	Santee	92071	San Diego County	Santee	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 956-5000	695	29	23.8	47.3%	364 (52.4%)	5 (0.7%)	219 (31.5%)	29 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (11.2%)	74.7	1385^th of 5857 public elementary schools	76.4%		67.6	1700^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.0%	315	54.1	44.4	49.6	51.3	69.0	62.2	72.9	66.2	82.5	66.6	50.0	60.6	54.1	30.0	36.4	44.4	46.6							$13,326	$12,516	$810
Riverview Elementary	Public	2-5	9308 Winter Gardens Blvd.	Lakeside	92040	San Diego County	Lakeside Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 390-2662	469	20	23.4	25.2%	184 (39.2%)	8 (1.7%)	208 (44.3%)	17 (3.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (10.2%)	83.9	970^th of 5857 public elementary schools	83.4%		78.9	1200^th of 5869 public elementary schools	79.6%	230	55.0		55.0	60.7	70.5	76.5				69.1	64.8	61.3	47.9				58.0							$18,646	$18,096	$550
Flying Hills School of Arts	Public	K-8	1251 Finch St.	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3132	742	27	28.0	74.7%	244 (32.9%)	63 (8.5%)	331 (44.6%)	22 (3.0%)	3 (0.4%)	6 (0.8%)	70 (9.4%)	21.2	4724^th of 5857 public elementary schools	19.3%		20.2	4852^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	17.3%	128	22.7	23.1	22.9	23.1	27.3	39.1	32.1	33.8	47.4	33.9	19.5	19.5	15.9	14.3	16.7	19.2	17.5							$24,993	$23,400	$1,593
Johnson Elementary	Public	K-5	500 West Madison	El Cajon	92020	San Diego County	Cajon Valley Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(619) 588-3139	766	31	24.7	95.0%	180 (23.5%)	96 (12.5%)	337 (44.0%)	131 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	17 (2.2%)	19.1	4911^th of 5857 public elementary schools	16.2%		18	5028^th of 5869 public elementary schools	14.3%	117	9.5		9.5	23.0	31.8	27.1				27.2	19.8	22.7	25.0				22.5	92.3	98.5	97.7		93.1		$22,627	$20,906	$1,721

Frequently Asked Questions about Pepper Drive Elementary

Is Pepper Drive Elementary a good school?

Pepper Drive Elementary ranks 2119^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pepper Drive Elementary?

Students at Pepper Drive Elementary are 44% White, 39% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 4% African American.

What district is Pepper Drive Elementary in?

Santee

How many students attend Pepper Drive Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 661 students attended Pepper Drive Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Pepper Drive Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pepper Drive Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Santana High

Rate Pepper Drive 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.