School Profile · San Diego
Holly Drive Leadership Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Holly Drive Leadership Academy posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
4801 Elm Street, 92102 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades TK-8·108 students·84% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 266-7333·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
24
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #5,346 statewide · #131 of 137 in San Diego Unified
Holly Drive Leadership Academy scores 24 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 7th 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 “22% proficient” and call it done. Holly Drive Leadership Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where four in five 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, Holly Drive Leadership Academy enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The 4 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
4.4%
State 21.3%
16.9pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
22.1%
State 42.7%
20.6pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
25.8%
State 17.9%
7.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.2%
State 1.6%
0.5pp 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.
Planning ahead? 8 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 67
McKinley Elementary
San Diego Unified · 1.9 mi
Strong
77/100
Nye Elementary
San Diego Unified · 2.3 mi
Solid
64/100
Rowan Elementary
San Diego Unified · 1.2 mi
Solid
60/100
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 ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic36.1%
Black56.5%
Other7.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 84.3% (20pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
108
512 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
3 TK students
3% of a 115-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
3 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 Holly Drive Leadership Academy in San Diego, 21.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Holly Drive Leadership Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 21.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.3% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 28 students tested.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income28 tested
ELA 21.4%·Math 14.3%· -21.1pp 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.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding 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
12.4 years avg experience
7 teachers · 14% first-year · 14% second-year
Teacher Credentials
93% fully credentialed
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 Holly Drive Leadership Academy a good elementary school?
Holly Drive Leadership Academy has a Scope Score of 24 out of 100, placing it in the 7th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,346 statewide. 4.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 16.9 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 Holly Drive Leadership Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 22.1% of students at Holly Drive Leadership Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.4% 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. 66 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Holly Drive Leadership Academy rank in California?
Holly Drive Leadership Academy ranks #5,346 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 7th 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Holly Drive Leadership Academy?
25.8% of students at Holly Drive Leadership Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.2%. 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 Holly Drive Leadership Academy compare to other schools in San Diego?
Holly Drive Leadership Academy scores 24/100 (7th 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 108 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Holly Drive Leadership Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Holly Drive Leadership Academy in San Diego, 21.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Holly Drive Leadership Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 21.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.3% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 28 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.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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%
4.4%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 34th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
22.1%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 34th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
25.8%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 37th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.2%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 14 | 7% | 21% | 29% | 43% | 29% | −15 |
| Grade 4 | 19 | 11% | 16% | 37% | 37% | 26% | −18 |
| Grade 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 14 | 0% | 7% | 50% | 43% | 7% | −39 |
| Grade 4 | 19 | 0% | 26% | 32% | 42% | 26% | −15 |
| Grade 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 6 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 17 | 12% | 12% | 76% | 0% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 28 | 21.4% | −21 | −17 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Drive Leadership Academy ← | — | 24 | 4.4% | 22.1% | — | 2.2% |
| McKinley Elementary | 1.9 mi | 77 | 52.0% | 80.9% | +2.5 | 0.3% |
| Nye Elementary | 2.3 mi | 64 | 35.2% | 69.8% | +7.2 | 1.1% |
| Rowan Elementary | 1.2 mi | 60 | 23.3% | 46.2% | −7.4 | 0.7% |
| California average | — | 45 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #5171 → #5704 → #4956 → #5346
What we can't show
- — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
- — 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 17 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