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Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary · Vista

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Joli Ann Leichtag posts 47% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

653 Poinsettia Avenue, 92081 (opens in new tab)·San Marcos Unified·Vista·Grades TK-5·579 students·69% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 290-2888·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3845
% Exceeded22%21%
% Met+47%43%
Growth-15.7-2.9
Absence15.5%17.9%
Suspension1.8%1.6%
Scope Score
38
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,519 statewide · #11 of 12 in San Marcos Unified

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary scores 38 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 39th 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 “47% proficient” and call it done. Joli Ann Leichtag deserves a closer read. The school sits in Vista, where two-thirds of 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

Slipped from the 72nd to the 39th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased)MathGreen(Maintained)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 47% meet the standard today, versus 54% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 348%50%52%54%48%
Grade 458%38%45%42%46%
Grade 557%44%30%42%36%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 353%57%63%53%59%
Grade 449%39%48%53%49%
Grade 557%42%38%42%41%

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.

27%
22%
51%
Grade 3 · 49% proficient
21%
25%
54%
Grade 4 · 46% proficient
16%
20%
64%
Grade 5 · 36% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 11.0pp across grades; the floor slips 12.8pp. 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
21.7%
State 21.3%
0.4pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-15.7pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
46.5%
State 42.7%
3.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.5%
State 17.9%
2.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.8%
State 1.6%
0.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
21.4%
State 18.0%
3.4pp above 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 what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary in Vista, 38.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (44.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (38.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 215 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 43%46%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 41%, district 34%, state 32%41% · −5 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 42%, district 31%, state 32%42% · −5 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 43%, district 54%, state 44%43% · −3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 50%, district 50%, state 42%50% · +3 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 26%, district 13%, state 11%26% · −20 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 22%, district 19%, state 15%22% · −25 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 60%, district 66%, state 56%60% · +14 vs school

7 of 15 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 falls by 16.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +8.2pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 15.5%, district 16.2%, state 17.9%15.5% · −2.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.8%, district —, state 1.6%1.8% · +0.2pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly three times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (26.2% vs 6.7%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–66.7%
TK/K26.2%

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 22:1, district 24:122:1
Teaching staff28 teachers
Avg. experience14.2 years
Fully credentialed99%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,139 – $124,763
Principal salary$157,825 – $188,091
Superintendent salary$333,925

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,501, CA average $14,815$19,501 · spent at this school
Federal share$740 per student

$740 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,110 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 support10%
Student services10%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other2%

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$13,048 per pupil
2019$12,040 per pupil
2018$11,775 per pupil
2017$11,157 per pupil
2016$10,669 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic73.2%
District 46.1% · CA 56.1%
White17.3%
District 36.6% · CA 19.9%
Other5.0%
District 10.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian3.5%
District 6.0% · CA 10.2%
Black1.0%
District 1.0% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 69.1% (5pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$105K · CA $85K
Median home value$839K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+42% · CA 35%
ZIP population29,002
Median age39 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), 23% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary a good elementary school?

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 39th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,519 statewide. 21.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 46.5% of students at Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 21.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 21.7% 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. 589 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary rank in California?

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary ranks #3,519 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 39th 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 Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary decreases by 15.7 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary?

15.5% of students at Joli Ann Leichtag 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 1.8%, 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 Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary compare to other schools in Vista?

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary scores 38/100 (39th 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 579 students. Use the schools in Vista page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary in Vista, 38.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (44.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (38.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 215 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%
21.7%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 50th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-15.7pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 28th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
46.5%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.5%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 54th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.8%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 49th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
21.4%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 55th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 39327%22%29%23%48%+5
Grade 49921%25%29%24%46%+2
Grade 510116%20%31%34%36%−12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 39325%34%24%17%59%+13
Grade 410219%30%26%25%49%+7
Grade 510123%18%28%32%41%+5
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111016%17%59%18%

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 Disadvantaged21538.6%+1+0
Hispanic/Latino21638.4%−2−0
English Learners9321.5%+8+11
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary ←3821.7%46.5%−15.71.8%
Dual Language Immersion North County1.3 mi8647.6%72.4%+0.50.3%
Discovery Elementary2.2 mi7554.4%79.1%+6.20.8%
Paloma Elementary1.5 mi7245.5%75.2%+3.20.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195472#153422.6%53.6%9.8%0.0%+5.7pp
20223957#245818.8%45.0%40.4%0.0%-10.1pp
20233232#386720.0%45.9%27.2%0.5%-23.3pp
20244249#291421.8%47.6%18.9%1.6%-11.7pp
20253839#351921.7%46.5%15.5%1.8%-15.7pp
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
Female11.0%13.4%+2.4pp
Male8.7%17.4%+8.7pp
Asian0.0%0.0%+0.0pp
Black/African American10.0%
White6.7%
Hispanic/Latino10.0%17.2%+7.2pp
Students with Disabilities12.4%14.0%+1.6pp
English Learners8.8%15.8%+7.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.2%17.8%+6.6pp
All Students9.8%15.4%+5.6pp
Two or More Races5.6%
Homeless20.4%
Military-Connected13.3%
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