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Lewis Middle · San Diego

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

Lewis posts 59% meeting the standard, and 31.6% 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.

5170 Greenbrier Avenue, 92120 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades 6-8·1,013 students·48% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 510-4300·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5843
% Exceeded32%17%
% Met+59%39%
Growth+10.3+1.5
Absence9.7%18.5%
Suspension3.2%3.7%
Scope Score
58
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #360 statewide · #16 of 58 in San Diego Unified

Lewis Middle scores 58 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 84th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

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

🚀 Growth Engine — Ask how the school tracks each kid's growth year to year, and what happens when a kid stalls instead of gaining.

Most rating sites would stop at “59% proficient” and call it done. Lewis deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 9.7% chronic absenteeism — versus 18.5% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has held the 84th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 59% meet the standard today, versus 65% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 670%55%62%61%57%
Grade 762%63%64%71%59%
Grade 866%63%64%64%71%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 667%49%60%54%53%
Grade 762%50%51%65%55%
Grade 862%50%53%49%60%

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%
30%
43%
Grade 6 · 57% proficient
27%
32%
41%
Grade 7 · 59% proficient
33%
37%
30%
Grade 8 · 70% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 6.2pp across grades; the floor rises 13.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp 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
31.6%
State 16.8%
14.8pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+10.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
59.1%
State 39.3%
19.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
9.7%
State 18.5%
8.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.2%
State 3.7%
0.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
24.5%
State 18.0%
6.5pp 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 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 Lewis Middle in San Diego, 47.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Lewis Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.0% Math proficient); White students (73.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 464 students tested.

All students at this school: 59% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 59%, district —, state 39%59%
MaleMale: this school 57%, district 50%, state 42%57% · −3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 43%, district 36%, state 32%43% · −16 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 62%, district 51%, state 44%62% · +3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 72%, district 71%, state 56%72% · +12 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 46%, district 35%, state 32%46% · −13 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 66%, district 72%, state 72%66% · +7 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 21%, district 21%, state 15%21% · −38 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 65%, district 63%, state 56%65% · +6 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 24%, district 27%, state 26%24% · −35 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 20%, district 23%, state 22%20% · −39 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 67%, district 55%, state 46%67% · +7 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 3%, district 10%, state 11%3% · −56 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
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 17.9pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +0.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 9.7%, district 20.8%, state 18.5%9.7% · −8.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.2%, district —, state 3.7%3.2% · −0.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–610.0%
Grades 7–89.4%

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 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff48 teachers
Avg. experience17.1 years
Fully credentialed92%
First-year teachers2%
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: $18,261, CA average $14,815$18,261 · 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$527 per student

$527 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

White34.3%
District 22.9% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic31.2%
District 47.0% · CA 56.1%
Asian14.3%
District 8.7% · CA 10.2%
Other13.7%
District 13.8% · CA 9.0%
Black6.5%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 48.5% (15pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$121K · CA $85K
Median home value$925K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+60% · CA 35%
ZIP population31,915
Median age37 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 54% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lewis Middle a good middle school?

Lewis Middle has a Scope Score of 58 out of 100, placing it in the 84th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #360 statewide. 31.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.8 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 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 Lewis Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 59.1% of students at Lewis Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 31.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 31.6% 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. 1,946 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Lewis Middle rank in California?

Lewis Middle ranks #360 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 84th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 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 Lewis Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Lewis Middle increases by 10.3 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 middle 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 Lewis Middle?

9.7% of students at Lewis Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 3.2%. 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 Lewis Middle compare to other schools in San Diego?

Lewis Middle scores 58/100 (84th percentile) among California middle 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 1,013 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Lewis Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Lewis Middle in San Diego, 47.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Lewis Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.0% Math proficient); White students (73.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 464 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%
31.6%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 66th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+10.3pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
59.1%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 66th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
9.7%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 62th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.2%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 52th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
24.5%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 632527%30%22%20%57%+11
Grade 730627%32%19%22%59%+11
Grade 834033%37%19%10%71%+25
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 632425%28%26%22%53%+18
Grade 731038%16%24%22%55%+21
Grade 834140%20%21%19%60%+28
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1134124%30%42%5%

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 Disadvantaged46447.4%+5+9
White34673.4%−2+12
Hispanic/Latino29552.2%+11+13
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Lewis Middle ←5831.6%59.1%+10.33.2%
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego0.5 mi6636.6%66.3%+5.72.0%
De Portola Middle2.3 mi6236.5%66.5%−5.93.7%
Farb Middle2 mi4817.8%46.5%+5.78.2%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195581#38935.3%65.0%8.5%3.9%-4.0pp
20225584#35427.4%55.1%20.1%3.3%+4.4pp
20235985#33631.7%58.9%13.9%3.9%-2.7pp
20246389#25034.4%60.7%14.8%4.5%-0.9pp
20255884#36031.6%59.1%9.7%3.2%+10.3pp
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
Female9.0%10.9%+1.9pp
Male8.0%8.4%+0.4pp
Asian0.5%6.2%+5.7pp
Black/African American8.6%13.2%+4.6pp
White0.0%8.3%+8.3pp
Hispanic/Latino11.5%13.3%+1.8pp
Two or More Races11.5%10.3%-1.2pp
Students with Disabilities23.8%17.4%-6.4pp
English Learners12.7%10.5%-2.2pp
Homeless33.3%25.0%-8.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.3%14.4%+3.1pp
All Students8.5%9.6%+1.1pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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