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School Profile · Poway

Tierra Bonita Elementary: More than half of kids exceed the standard. But the zoned next school scores lower.

Tierra Bonita holds its own. Scores drop at the schools it feeds into. Ask where its graduates actually enrol, and whether families stay on the zoned path.

14678 Tierra Bonita Road, 92064 (opens in new tab)·Poway Unified·Poway·Grades TK-5·377 students·8% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(858) 748-8540·Website
Scope Score
72
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #424 statewide · #11 of 26 in Poway Unified

Tierra Bonita Elementary scores 72 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd 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 “78% proficient” and call it done. Tierra Bonita deserves a closer read. It sits at the 93rd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 52.3% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.3%.

The story this school is actually telling

The ceiling · exceeded standard
52.3%

of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.3%.

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring
The next step · the zoned path
24pts

the zoned path continues to Twin Peaks Middle, which scores 24 points lower — a school visit will tell you more than this number.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

45%
24%
31%
Grade 3 · 69% proficient
51%
32%
17%
Grade 4 · 83% proficient
50%
25%
25%
Grade 5 · 75% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 5.2pp across grades; the floor rises 6.3pp. 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
52.3%
State 21.3%
31.0pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
77.7%
State 42.7%
35.1pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+4.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
6.2%
State 17.9%
11.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.4%
State 1.6%
1.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
30.8%
State 18.0%
12.8pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask which schools families here actually choose next — the zoned path is only the default.

Where the path goes

The zoned path continues to Twin Peaks Middle, which scores 24 points lower than this school — worth weighing alongside everything above. Families here often look at charter or magnet options for middle school.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Tierra Bonita Elementary
72/100
This school
High School

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic19.1%
White59.7%
Asian4.0%
Black1.1%
Other16.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 8.2% (56pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
377
103 below CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
39 TK students
10% of a 391-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
3 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,868
District avg: $12,246 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
30.8% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$58,959 – $127,725
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Tierra Bonita Elementary in Poway, 81.1% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 72.4% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Tierra Bonita Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 8.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (86.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (57.1% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 122 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+15.0pp
21.2% vs 6.2% overall · n=33

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
White122 tested
ELA 81.1%·Math 86.0%· +8.7pp vs district
Hispanic36 tested
ELA 57.1%·Math 63.9%· +1.1pp vs district
Two or More Races23 tested
ELA 69.6%·Math 69.6%· -5.3pp 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
Instruction 62%Support 32%Other 6%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$149K
$64K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.03M
$374K above CA median
Bachelor's+
54%
19pp above 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
18.4 years avg experience
18 teachers
Teacher Credentials
94% 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary a good elementary school?
Tierra Bonita Elementary has a Scope Score of 72 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #424 statewide. 52.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 31.0 percentage points above 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 77.7% of students at Tierra Bonita Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 52.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 52.3% 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. 396 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Tierra Bonita Elementary rank in California?
Tierra Bonita Elementary ranks #424 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Tierra Bonita Elementary increases by 4.6 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary?
6.2% of students at Tierra Bonita 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 0.4%, 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 Tierra Bonita Elementary compare to other schools in Poway?
Tierra Bonita Elementary scores 72/100 (93rd 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 377 students. Use the schools in Poway page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Tierra Bonita Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Tierra Bonita Elementary in Poway, 81.1% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 72.4% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Tierra Bonita Elementary outperforms its district average for white students by 8.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (86.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (57.1% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 122 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.

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 · 43%
52.3%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 80th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
77.7%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 77th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+4.6pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 42th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
6.2%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 69th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.4%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 60th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
30.8%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 68th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36745%24%25%6%69%+25
Grade 47951%32%13%5%82%+37
Grade 55250%25%10%15%75%+27
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36751%27%12%10%78%+32
Grade 48059%24%14%4%83%+41
Grade 55159%22%10%10%80%+45
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115248%29%23%0%

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
White12281.1%+9+19
Hispanic/Latino3557.1%+1+18
Two or More Races2369.6%−5+8
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Tierra Bonita Elementary ←7252.3%77.7%+4.60.4%
Painted Rock Elementary2.6 mi6441.0%69.4%−1.30.1%
Pomerado Elementary2.6 mi5835.3%59.2%−14.51.2%
Midland Elementary1.2 mi5837.5%61.8%+1.61.5%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
65%72%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #806 → #658 → #597 → #386 → #424
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue