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Morning Creek Elementary · San Diego

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

Morning Creek posts 68% meeting the standard, and 40.6% 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.

10925 Morning Creek Drive, South, 92128 (opens in new tab)·Poway Unified·San Diego·Grades TK-5·531 students·21% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(858) 748-4334·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5845
% Exceeded41%21%
% Met+68%43%
Growth-0.8-2.9
Absence9.2%17.9%
Suspension0.6%1.6%
Scope Score
58
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #1,169 statewide · #23 of 26 in Poway Unified

Morning Creek Elementary scores 58 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 80th 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 →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

Most rating sites would stop at “68% proficient” and call it done. Morning Creek deserves a closer read. It sits at the 80th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 9.2% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 89th to the 80th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 68% meet the standard today, versus 72% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 368%70%79%72%61%
Grade 474%83%77%74%78%
Grade 571%63%80%76%71%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 371%80%76%68%69%
Grade 482%76%75%68%73%
Grade 567%54%67%59%57%

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.

40%
22%
38%
Grade 3 · 62% proficient
44%
34%
22%
Grade 4 · 78% proficient
46%
26%
28%
Grade 5 · 72% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 5.8pp across grades; the floor rises 9.8pp. 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
40.6%
State 21.3%
19.3pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-0.8pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
68.2%
State 42.7%
25.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
9.2%
State 17.9%
8.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.6%
State 1.6%
1.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.2%
State 18.0%
9.8pp 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 Morning Creek Elementary in San Diego, 46.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 50.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Morning Creek Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 4.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (44.3% Math proficient); White students (66.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 60 students tested.

All students at this school: 68% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 68%, district —, state 43%68%
MaleMale: this school 70%, district 70%, state 42%70% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 66%, district 70%, state 44%66% · −2 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 65%, district 68%, state 56%65% · −3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 46%, state 32%45% · −23 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 58%, district 50%, state 32%58% · −11 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 84%, district 87%, state 72%84% · +16 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 28%, district 34%, state 15%28% · −40 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 75%, district 71%, state 56%75% · +7 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 27%, district 23%, state 11%27% · −41 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: 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 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 9.2%, district 9.7%, state 17.9%9.2% · −8.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.6%, district —, state 1.6%0.6% · −1.1pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (12.0% vs 6.5%). 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 4–66.5%
TK/K12.0%

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 23:122:1
Teaching staff29 teachers
Avg. experience20.2 years
Fully credentialed84%
First-year teachers3%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$58,959 – $127,725
Principal salary$160,698 – $181,289
Superintendent salary$362,500

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,932, CA average $14,815$19,932 · spent at this school
Federal share$284 per student

$284 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$15,880 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support12%
Student services8%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$12,246 per pupil
2019$11,959 per pupil
2018$12,266 per pupil
2017$11,181 per pupil
2016$10,952 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White35.6%
District 37.6% · CA 19.9%
Asian22.0%
District 25.5% · CA 10.2%
Hispanic19.8%
District 17.4% · CA 56.1%
Other18.3%
District 17.8% · CA 9.0%
Black4.3%
District 1.6% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 21.1% (43pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$131K · CA $85K
Median home value$927K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+64% · CA 35%
ZIP population48,992
Median age44 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), 57% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Morning Creek Elementary a good elementary school?

Morning Creek Elementary has a Scope Score of 58 out of 100, placing it in the 80th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,169 statewide. 40.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 19.3 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 Morning Creek Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 68.2% of students at Morning Creek Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 40.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 40.6% 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. 530 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Morning Creek Elementary rank in California?

Morning Creek Elementary ranks #1,169 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 80th 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 Morning Creek Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Morning Creek Elementary decreases by 0.8 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 Morning Creek Elementary?

9.2% of students at Morning Creek 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 0.6%, 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 Morning Creek Elementary compare to other schools in San Diego?

Morning Creek Elementary scores 58/100 (80th 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 531 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Morning Creek Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Morning Creek Elementary in San Diego, 46.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 50.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Morning Creek Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 4.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (44.3% Math proficient); White students (66.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 20.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 60 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%
40.6%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 69th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-0.8pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 43th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
68.2%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 70th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
9.2%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 64th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.6%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 59th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.2%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 37th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38840%22%18%20%61%+18
Grade 48644%34%12%10%78%+33
Grade 59046%26%17%12%71%+23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38936%33%12%19%69%+23
Grade 48643%30%21%6%73%+32
Grade 59135%22%18%25%57%+22
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/119126%31%35%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 Disadvantaged6046.7%−4+8
White9966.7%−6+5
Hispanic/Latino5657.1%+1+18
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Morning Creek Elementary ←5840.6%68.2%−0.80.6%
Rolling Hills Elementary2.5 mi8258.4%78.3%+13.41.5%
Dingeman Elementary1.4 mi8168.8%85.8%−7.80.1%
Scripps Elementary1.8 mi8062.0%86.4%−6.70.2%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196989#58645.5%72.1%5.2%1.7%-1.0pp
20225683#95148.5%71.2%15.2%0.5%-16.2pp
20237093#42346.1%75.7%17.7%0.5%-4.0pp
20245981#111439.5%69.3%11.1%0.8%-2.4pp
20255880#116940.6%68.2%9.2%0.6%-0.8pp
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
Female4.4%8.8%+4.4pp
Male5.8%8.7%+2.9pp
Asian3.8%4.2%+0.4pp
Black/African American8.3%23.1%+14.8pp
Filipino0.0%
White0.0%0.0%+0.0pp
Hispanic/Latino5.5%12.5%+7.0pp
Two or More Races6.6%8.1%+1.5pp
Students with Disabilities10.1%20.0%+9.9pp
English Learners9.3%10.6%+1.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.0%17.2%+8.2pp
All Students5.1%8.7%+3.6pp
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