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Public elementary school · San Diego Unified · San Diego, California

Carson Elementary

Carson Elementary rates 7.5, above the middle of San Diego Unified's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.6.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.5this school

7.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the San Diego Unified median is 6.6.

#2,315 of 9,557 schools in California · San Diego Unified: 119 elementary schools rated, median 6.6

The brief

A San Diego Unified elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 5th.

Students at Carson Elementary score 27% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 26%).

It ranks 2,315 of 9,557 schools in California and 51 of 174 in San Diego Unified.

Math27%14 points below the California average of 41%2025 CAASPP
Reading27%20 points below the California average of 47%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 5 points since 2019, to 27% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 38 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.5
50% of the rating
Academics
5.5
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.8
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 92111; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Carson Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$95,081
Median home value
$754,300
Median rent
$2,049/mo
College educated
43.4%
Homeownership
53.1%
Poverty rate
10.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92111; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
51
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
50
Good Transit
Bike Score
57
Bikeable
City reported crime
1,920/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for San Diego. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (San Diego), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
89%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.9Compare →
  2. 8.8Compare →
  3. Empower Language Academy0.6 mi · charter
    8.5Compare →
  4. 8.4Compare →
  5. Carson Elementarythis school
    7.5
  6. 7.1Compare →
  7. 6.1Compare →
  8. 5.2Compare →
  9. 4.3Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Carson Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Carson Elementary serve?

Carson Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Carson Elementary?

Carson Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 345 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Carson Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Carson Elementary is 20.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Carson Elementary rank in CA?

Carson Elementary ranks #2,315 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Carson Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Carson Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Carson Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Carson Elementary has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 32% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Carson Elementary a charter school?

No, Carson Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Carson Elementary a Title I school?

No, Carson Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Carson Elementary?

89.0% of students at Carson Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
345
Student-teacher ratio
20.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
17
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
San Diego County
Rank in district
#51 of 174
Schools in district
175
District spending per student
$20,828
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
11.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92111)
45,888
Area average commute
22.4 min
Area median age
37.9

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.