Summary:
ZIP code 95224 has two K–5 elementary schools—Albert A. Michelson Elementary and Hazel Fischer Elementary—both in Vallecito Union School District. Together, their 2025–26 all-grades proficiency averaged 53% in ELA, 48% in math and 35% in science, compared with state results of 49%, 38% and 36%. The average was strongest versus the state in math, but those combined figures hide a clear school-to-school divide: Michelson led Hazel in every subject, with its largest advantage in science.
Michelson is the all-grades achievement standout: it scored 62% in ELA, 54% in math and 48% in science, leading Hazel Fischer by 19, 11 and 25 percentage points, respectively. Michelson was also above the state in all three subjects; Hazel’s 43% in ELA and 23% in science were below state results, while its 43% in math was above. Hazel has a notable exception in fourth-grade math, where its 59% exceeded Michelson’s 57% and the state’s 42%. SchoolDigger ranked Michelson 1,323rd of 5,804 schools, at the 77th percentile with four stars; Hazel ranked 2,769th, at the 52nd percentile with three stars.
Recent results diverged in ELA and science: from 2024–25 to 2025–26, Michelson rose 5 percentage points in ELA and 6 in science, while Hazel fell 15 and 13 points. Hazel’s math was an exception, improving 9 points to 43%. SchoolDigger’s three-year percentile history also differs: Michelson was at 77, 73 and 77, while Hazel moved from 66 to 61 to 52. Other reported context measures also differ: the 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 47% at Michelson and 45% at Hazel; 2024–25 student–teacher ratios were 18.8 and 22.6, and 2025–26 chronic absenteeism was 18% and 23%, respectively. These figures describe differences between the schools, not what explains them.
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