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Chavez Elementary · San Diego

Chavez Elementary: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Chavez posts 23% meeting the standard and 7.8% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1404 South 40th Street, 92113 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades TK-5·361 students·96% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 362-3200·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3645
% Exceeded8%21%
% Met+23%43%
Growth+1.6-2.9
Absence40.1%17.9%
Suspension0.9%1.6%
Scope Score
36
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,875 statewide · #95 of 137 in San Diego Unified

Chavez Elementary scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 33rd 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “23% proficient” and call it done. Chavez 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.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 3rd to the 33rd percentile since 2019 — past roughly 1500 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 23% meet the standard today, versus 28% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 344%21%21%23%28%
Grade 429%23%31%14%21%
Grade 522%36%24%32%38%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 330%26%14%21%21%
Grade 433%6%22%14%16%
Grade 57%19%5%20%14%

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.

13%
15%
72%
Grade 3 · 28% proficient
11%
11%
78%
Grade 4 · 22% proficient
31%
62%
Grade 5 · 38% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.7pp across grades; the floor rises 10.4pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
7.8%
State 21.3%
13.5pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+1.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
23.2%
State 42.7%
19.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
40.1%
State 17.9%
22.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 1.6%
0.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.2%
State 18.0%
2.8pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Chavez Elementary in San Diego, 28.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chavez Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 14.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (30.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 159 students tested.

All students at this school: 23% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 23%, district —, state 43%23%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 23%, district 36%, state 32%23% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 24%, district 35%, state 32%24% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 20%, district 50%, state 42%20% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 28%, district 51%, state 44%28% · +5 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 8%, district 10%, state 11%8% · −15 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 17%, district 23%, state 22%17% · −6 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 6%, district 21%, state 15%6% · −17 vs school

6 of 14 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 9.1pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +5.6pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 40.1%, district 20.8%, state 17.9%40.1% · +22.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.9%, district —, state 1.6%0.9% · −0.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–636.4%
TK/K50.5%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Chavez Elementary
36/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff19 teachers
Avg. experience21.3 years
Fully credentialed96%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$55,375 – $124,275
Principal salary$0 – $187,294
Superintendent salary$300,404

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $22,839, CA average $14,815$22,839 · spent at this school
Federal share$2,254 per student

$2,254 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,967 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction63%
Instruction support12%
Student services12%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance7%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$15,976 per pupil
2019$14,540 per pupil
2018$14,457 per pupil
2017$11,416 per pupil
2016$11,708 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic94.7%
District 47.0% · CA 56.1%
Black2.2%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Other1.7%
District 13.8% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.1%
District 8.7% · CA 10.2%
White0.3%
District 22.9% · CA 19.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 96.4% (33pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$62K · CA $85K
Median home value$614K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+12% · CA 35%
ZIP population48,215
Median age33 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 11% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chavez Elementary a good elementary school?

Chavez Elementary has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 33rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,875 statewide. 7.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.5 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Chavez Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 23.2% of students at Chavez Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 7.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 7.8% 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. 333 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Chavez Elementary rank in California?

Chavez Elementary ranks #3,875 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 33rd 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 Chavez Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Chavez Elementary increases by 1.6 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 Chavez Elementary?

40.1% of students at Chavez Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.9%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Chavez Elementary compare to other schools in San Diego?

Chavez Elementary scores 36/100 (33rd 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 361 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Chavez Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Chavez Elementary in San Diego, 28.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chavez Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 14.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (30.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 159 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.

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.


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%
7.8%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 37th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+1.6pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 62th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
23.2%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 35th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
40.1%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 14th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.2%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 47th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35413%15%30%43%28%−16
Grade 45611%11%16%63%21%−23
Grade 5557%31%20%42%38%−10
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3569%13%27%52%21%−24
Grade 4565%11%32%52%16%−26
Grade 5562%13%29%57%14%−21
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11560%11%50%39%

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 Disadvantaged15928.3%−14−10
Hispanic/Latino15530.3%−11−9
English Learners5411.1%+3+1
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Chavez Elementary ←367.8%23.2%+1.60.9%
Nye Elementary2.2 mi6435.2%69.8%+7.21.1%
Rowan Elementary2.2 mi6023.3%46.2%−7.40.7%
John A. Otis Elementary1.7 mi4914.6%30.9%+18.31.3%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
2019203#53508.7%27.6%23.0%1.1%-22.2pp
20222929#40677.6%22.0%68.8%0.6%+3.8pp
20232718#47045.4%19.5%48.4%1.6%-2.9pp
20243223#44345.5%20.7%44.1%1.6%+4.6pp
20253633#38757.8%23.2%40.1%0.9%+1.6pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female25.6%42.9%+17.3pp
Male21.1%41.5%+20.4pp
Black/African American0.0%
Hispanic/Latino23.7%42.4%+18.7pp
Students with Disabilities24.3%41.5%+17.2pp
English Learners25.3%42.9%+17.6pp
Homeless21.5%50.0%+28.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged24.1%43.1%+19.0pp
All Students23.3%42.1%+18.8pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction