Summary:
Four elementary schools in Imperial Beach’s 91932 ZIP code are part of South Bay Union: three serve kindergarten through grade 6, while Imperial Beach Charter serves kindergarten through grade 8. In 2025–26, the schools’ average proficiency was 34% in ELA, 21% in math and 19% in science, compared with 49%, 38% and 36% statewide. Every school was below the state in all three all-grade subjects, making the statewide gap the most important takeaway.
Imperial Beach Charter led all-grade results in every subject, with 44% proficient in ELA, 23% in math and 23% in science. Its ELA result was 6 percentage points above the next-highest school, Oneonta Elementary at 38%; in math, the two were nearly even at 23.5% and 23.1%. Central Elementary was lowest in ELA (22%) and math (15%), but ranked second in science at 21%, about 2 points below the leader. Oneonta also stood out among the K–6 schools in ELA and math, while its 14% science result was the lowest of all four.
Group averages rose from 2024–25 to 2025–26 by 3 percentage points in ELA, 2 in math and 5 in science, but not every school improved: Bayside STEAM Academy declined in all three subjects, while Imperial Beach Charter and Central improved in all three. SchoolDigger’s percentile rankings rose 3 points for Imperial Beach Charter and Oneonta over three years, while Bayside and Central were unchanged. Choice factors also differ: Oneonta had the lowest student–teacher ratio (22.8:1) and, among K–6 schools, the highest ELA and math results, despite 36% chronic absenteeism; Central had 31% absenteeism but a stronger science result than its ELA and math results suggest. The schools’ 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligible shares ranged from 63% to 74%; these figures are context, not an explanation for achievement. All-grade comparisons are not perfectly like-for-like because Imperial Beach Charter serves two additional grades.
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