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School Profile · San Diego

America's Finest Charter: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

America's Finest Charter posts low test scores — and grade 5 tests above grade 3 here this year, by 3.8pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

730 45th Street, 92102 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades TK-12·396 students·95% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 694-4809·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
19
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #5,607 statewide · #134 of 137 in San Diego Unified

America's Finest Charter scores 19 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 2nd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

Most rating sites would stop at “11% proficient” and call it done. America's Finest Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

As a charter, America's Finest Charter enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

11%
83%
Grade 3 · 17% proficient
88%
Grade 4 · 12% proficient
25%
75%
Grade 5 · 25% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
2.1%
State 21.3%
19.2pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+3.8pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
11.1%
State 42.7%
31.6pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
38.7%
State 17.9%
20.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
6.7%
State 1.6%
5.1pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Path

America's Finest Charter serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic76.5%
White2.3%
Asian1.8%
Black14.4%
Other5.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 95.5% (32pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
396
804 below CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
17 TK students
5% of a 334-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
6 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,976
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$55,375 – $124,275
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At America's Finest Charter in San Diego, 19.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. America's Finest Charter trails its district average for low-income students by 23.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (4.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (17.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 216 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−8.9pp
11.3% vs 20.3% overall · n=57
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−5.9pp
0.0% vs 5.9% overall · n=57
Math · English Learner−3.6pp
2.1% vs 5.6% overall · n=57

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income216 tested
ELA 19.0%·Math 4.7%· -23.6pp vs district
Hispanic181 tested
ELA 17.1%·Math 3.9%· -23.9pp vs district
English Learner83 tested
ELA 7.2%·Math 6.0%· -1.2pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 7.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +5.6pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 60%Support 36%Other 4%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$77K
$8K below CA median
Median Home Value
$750K
$91K above CA median
Bachelor's+
30%
5pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
6.1 years avg experience
27 teachers · 26% first-year · 22% second-year
Teacher Credentials
80% fully credentialed
3.6% on intern/emergency permit

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →

Frequently asked questions

Is America's Finest Charter a good elementary school?
America's Finest Charter has a Scope Score of 19 out of 100, placing it in the 2nd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,607 statewide. 2.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 19.2 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are America's Finest Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 11.1% of students at America's Finest Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 8.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.1% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 234 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does America's Finest Charter rank in California?
America's Finest Charter ranks #5,607 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 2nd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is America's Finest Charter getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at America's Finest Charter increases by 3.8 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at America's Finest Charter?
38.7% of students at America's Finest Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 6.7%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does America's Finest Charter compare to other schools in San Diego?
America's Finest Charter scores 19/100 (2nd percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 396 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does America's Finest Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At America's Finest Charter in San Diego, 19.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. America's Finest Charter trails its district average for low-income students by 23.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (4.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (17.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 216 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
2.1%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 31th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+3.8pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 43th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
11.1%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 26th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
38.7%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 16th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.7%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 8th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3356%11%26%57%17%−26
Grade 4427%5%17%71%12%−33
Grade 5400%25%23%53%25%−23
Grade 6258%4%40%48%12%−35
Grade 7260%23%38%38%23%−25
Grade 8393%10%31%56%13%−33
Grade 112218%23%23%36%41%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3350%3%34%63%3%−43
Grade 4420%7%21%71%7%−34
Grade 5400%3%28%70%3%−33
Grade 6250%8%28%64%8%−27
Grade 7260%4%19%77%4%−30
Grade 8395%5%18%72%10%−22
Grade 11210%5%5%90%5%−19
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111000%10%54%36%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged21619.0%−24−19
Hispanic/Latino18117.1%−24−22
English Learners837.2%−1−3
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
America's Finest Charter ←192.1%11.1%+3.86.7%
McKinley Elementary2.2 mi7752.0%80.9%+2.50.3%
Nye Elementary2 mi6435.2%69.8%+7.21.1%
Rowan Elementary1.1 mi6023.3%46.2%−7.40.7%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
32%19%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #4253 → #4696 → #5438 → #5733 → #5607
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 19 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue