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Public elementary school · Santee · EL Cajon, California

Pepper Drive Elementary

Pepper Drive Elementary rates 6.1, right at the middle of Santee's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.0.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.1this school

6.1 on a one-to-ten scale; the Santee median is 6.0.

#5,552 of 9,557 schools in California · Santee: 9 elementary schools rated, median 6.0

The brief

A Santee elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 8th.

Students at Pepper Drive Elementary score 46% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 48%).

It ranks 5,552 of 9,557 schools in California and 4 of 9 in Santee.

Math38%Level with the California average of 38%2025 CAASPP
Reading54%6 points above the California average of 48%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency is down 25 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 46% recently.2025 CAASPP; 54 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.9
50% of the rating
Academics
7.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.8
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 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 55% (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 92020; 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.
Pepper Drive 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
$72,822
Median home value
$741,600
Median rent
$1,793/mo
College educated
26%
Homeownership
43.1%
Poverty rate
16.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92020; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
20
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
25
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
1,676/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for EL Cajon. 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 (EL Cajon), 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
50.5%
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. 8.2Compare →
  2. 8.0Compare →
  3. Pepper Drive Elementarythis school
    6.1
  4. Kidinnu Academy1.6 mi · charter
    6.0Compare →
  5. 4.6Compare →
  6. Bostonia Global1.8 mi · charter
    4.2Compare →
  7. 4.1Compare →
  8. 3.9Compare →
  9. 3.8Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than Pepper Drive 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.

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

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

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Pepper Drive Elementary serve?

Pepper Drive Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 8th.

How many students attend Pepper Drive Elementary?

Pepper Drive Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 655 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pepper Drive Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Pepper Drive Elementary is 25.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Pepper Drive Elementary rank in CA?

Pepper Drive Elementary ranks #5,552 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Pepper Drive Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Pepper Drive Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.1 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 Pepper Drive Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Pepper Drive Elementary has 45% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 55% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Pepper Drive Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Pepper Drive Elementary a Title I school?

No, Pepper Drive Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

50.5% of students at Pepper Drive 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 – 8th
Enrollment
655
Student-teacher ratio
25.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
26
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
San Diego County
Rank in district
#4 of 9
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$14,555
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92020)
58,490
Area average commute
24.6 min
Area median age
36.3

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.