Lemon Grove: Lemon Grove schools score 9.3 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 11.2 points.
Lemon Grove has 6 ranked schools across elementary levels with an average Scope Score of 35.5/100 — 9.3 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Monterey Heights Elementary at 47/100, where 23.6% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,559 per student (above the state average of $14,815). Chronic absenteeism averages 22.6%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Lemon Grove's elementary schools average 35.5/100 — 9.3 points below the state average with a −11.2pp declining trajectory.
District Analysis
Lemon Grove has 6 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 35.5/100 — 9.3 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
District-wide elementary growth averages -11.2pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 22.9 points — showing notable variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 22.6%, 4.6pp above the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 3.2%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Monterey Heights Elementary leads the district at 47 with 23.6% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Lemon Grove
Hidden gems: 2 schools in Lemon Grove are classified as On the Rise (2) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Lemon Grove spends $15,559 per student in current expenditures — $745 above the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Lemon Grove
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (6)
Lemon Grove has 6 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 35.5 — 9.3 points below the state average of 44.8.
Growth averages -11.2pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Monterey Heights Elementary with a Scope Score of 47 and 23.6% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterey Heights Elementary Lemon Grove Building Momentum | 23.6% | Developing 47/100 |
| 2 | Mt. Vernon Lemon Grove Building Momentum | 20.6% | Developing 44/100 |
| 3 | San Altos Elementary Lemon Grove On the Rise | 13.1% | Developing 37/100 |
| 4 | San Miguel Elementary Lemon Grove Building Momentum | 11.0% | Developing 31/100 |
| 5 | Lemon Grove Academy Elementary Lemon Grove On the Rise | 12.3% | Developing 30/100 |
| 6 | Vista La Mesa Academy Lemon Grove Building Momentum | 9.8% | Needs Support 24/100 |
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology