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Gage Elementary · San Diego

Gage Elementary: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Gage posts 56% meeting the standard, and 28.0% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

6811 Bisby Lake Avenue, 92119 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades TK-5·698 students·37% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(858) 988-2100·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5345
% Exceeded28%21%
% Met+56%43%
Growth+2.2-2.9
Absence12.9%17.9%
Suspension0.5%1.6%
Scope Score
53
🤝 Culture First · Solid
ranked #1,568 statewide · #45 of 137 in San Diego Unified

Gage Elementary scores 53 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 73rd 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “56% proficient” and call it done. Gage deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where one in three 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

Has stayed near the 73rd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 56% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 353%55%58%50%49%
Grade 449%54%57%57%64%
Grade 565%48%50%62%60%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 363%62%59%59%60%
Grade 449%59%59%61%51%
Grade 541%34%41%42%53%

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.

22%
27%
51%
Grade 3 · 49% proficient
33%
32%
35%
Grade 4 · 65% proficient
37%
23%
40%
Grade 5 · 60% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 14.4pp across grades; the floor rises 11.1pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
28.0%
State 21.3%
6.7pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+2.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
56.1%
State 42.7%
13.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.9%
State 17.9%
5.0pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 1.6%
1.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.1%
State 18.0%
0.9pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • 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 Gage Elementary in San Diego, 41.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Gage Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 0.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (37.2% Math proficient); White students (61.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 15.1 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 129 students tested.

All students at this school: 56% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 56%, district —, state 43%56%
FemaleFemale: this school 59%, district 51%, state 44%59% · +3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 53%, district 50%, state 42%53% · −3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 62%, district 71%, state 56%62% · +6 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 40%, district 36%, state 32%40% · −17 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 54%, district 35%, state 32%54% · −2 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 12%, district 21%, state 15%12% · −44 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 69%, district 63%, state 56%69% · +13 vs school

8 of 16 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 9.9pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +5.6pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 12.9%, district 20.8%, state 17.9%12.9% · −5.0pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.5%, district —, state 1.6%0.5% · −1.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–612.9%
TK/K12.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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 25:1, district 23:125:1
Teaching staff32 teachers
Avg. experience18.9 years
Fully credentialed97%
Intern / emergency permit2.9%
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: $18,579, CA average $14,815$18,579 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$476 per student

$476 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

White42.7%
District 22.9% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic36.5%
District 47.0% · CA 56.1%
Other11.8%
District 13.8% · CA 9.0%
Black5.4%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Asian3.6%
District 8.7% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 37.0% (27pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$113K · CA $85K
Median home value$879K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+56% · CA 35%
ZIP population24,456
Median age43 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), 45% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gage Elementary a good elementary school?

Gage Elementary has a Scope Score of 53 out of 100, placing it in the 73rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,568 statewide. 28.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.7 percentage points above 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 Gage Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 56.1% of students at Gage Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 28.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 28.0% 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. 665 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Gage Elementary rank in California?

Gage Elementary ranks #1,568 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 73rd 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 Gage Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Gage Elementary increases by 2.2 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 Gage Elementary?

12.9% of students at Gage Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 Gage Elementary compare to other schools in San Diego?

Gage Elementary scores 53/100 (73rd 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 698 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Gage Elementary in San Diego, 41.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Gage Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 0.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (37.2% Math proficient); White students (61.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 15.1 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 129 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%
28.0%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 56th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+2.2pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
56.1%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 60th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.9%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 58th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 60th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.1%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 49th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 311722%27%21%30%49%+5
Grade 410433%32%14%21%64%+20
Grade 511237%23%20%21%60%+12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 311723%37%19%21%60%+14
Grade 410419%32%30%19%51%+9
Grade 511134%19%23%24%53%+18
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1111118%27%47%8%

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 Disadvantaged12941.9%−1+4
White14661.6%−14−0
Hispanic/Latino12257.4%+16+19
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Gage Elementary ←5328.0%56.1%+2.20.5%
Dailard Elementary2.3 mi7247.1%76.2%−5.90.4%
Green Elementary1.9 mi7149.0%77.2%+8.10.3%
Benchley/Weinberger Elementary1.3 mi6645.2%73.2%−6.60.3%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195066#185627.4%53.2%8.3%0.2%-5.4pp
20223856#250623.2%52.1%27.3%0.1%-17.5pp
20234665#198626.2%54.2%20.1%0.4%-12.8pp
20245170#170026.6%55.3%14.1%0.2%-2.7pp
20255373#156828.0%56.1%12.9%0.5%+2.2pp
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
Female8.6%11.1%+2.5pp
Male7.6%14.2%+6.6pp
Asian0.0%4.0%+4.0pp
Black/African American9.3%26.3%+17.0pp
Filipino8.3%
Hispanic/Latino10.6%17.1%+6.5pp
Two or More Races9.0%11.1%+2.1pp
Students with Disabilities18.8%22.4%+3.6pp
English Learners8.0%37.2%+29.2pp
Homeless0.0%33.3%+33.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged14.2%25.5%+11.3pp
All Students8.2%12.7%+4.5pp
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