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Public school district · California

Santee.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Santee—and look beyond a single district average.

Hill Creek ElementarySycamore Canyon ElementaryCarlton Hills ElementaryRio Seco ElementaryPRIDE Academy at Prospect AvenueCarlton Oaks ElementaryChet F. Harritt ElementaryPepper Drive ElementaryCajon Park ElementarySanteeN ↑
9 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
Elementary schools at a glance
Elementary9 schools
avg 44.6/1005 Solid, 3 Strong, +1 more

Elementary schools are scored on their own scale — never ranked against other levels.

The elementary years

The elementary schools average 44.6/100 — 5.7 points above the state average, with 3 of 9 in the Strong band.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

9 elementary schools span 24 points around an average of 44.6.

The strength

Hill Creek Elementary (54/100) holds the Strong band — 28.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 27.7%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

What these numbers can't see: class sizes, arts, teacher turnover, how a hallway feels at 8 a.m. Strong scores are the start of the question, not the answer.

81st percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100
79th percentile · StrongScope Score 53/100
78th percentile · StrongScope Score 52/100

All 9 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Scores here cluster within 24 points, so the address decides less than it does in most districts. Hill Creek Elementary tops the list at 54/100 — still worth confirming the exact zone before you commit.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 2 campuses here rank as Growth Engine (1) or On the Rise (1), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring campus:

Hill Creek Elementary 81st percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100

The top scorer district-wide — confirm enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Santee has 9 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

9 comparable schools · average 44.6/100 · range 30.1–54.0

Explore Santee by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Santeethis district44.6 / 1009Hill Creek Elementary—
Grossmont Union High51.3 / 10014Grossmont Middle College High4.0 mi
Lakeside Union Elementary37.3 / 10010River Valley Charter4.1 mi
San Diego County Office of Education36.1 / 1003Literacy First Charter5.2 mi
San Diego Unified39.0 / 10097Scripps Ranch High8.1 mi
Poway Unified59.2 / 10020Rolling Hills Elementary9.9 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Santee

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Santee · 9 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Hill Creek Elementary
Santee Growth Engine
28.6%81st percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100
Sycamore Canyon Elementary
Santee Building Momentum
33.8%79th percentile · StrongScope Score 53/100
Carlton Hills Elementary
Santee On the Rise
32.8%78th percentile · StrongScope Score 52/100
Rio Seco Elementary
Santee Building Momentum
33.3%75th percentile · SolidScope Score 49/100
PRIDE Academy at Prospect Avenue
Santee Building Momentum
26.0%69th percentile · SolidScope Score 45/100
Carlton Oaks Elementary
Santee Culture First
28.6%64th percentile · SolidScope Score 42/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Santee spent $16,078 per student in FY 2024–25 — $4,413 less than the median California district ($20,491), about 22% lower. About 67 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction67%
  • Instruction support9%
  • Student services8%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance9%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$62,055–$125,980
Teaching staff347 · FTE
District enrollment6,482 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 33.1% · White 49.2% · Black 1.4% · Asian 2.6% · Other 13.7%
Free/reduced lunch47% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Santee?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

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.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 9 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Santee?
This SchoolScope directory lists 9 public schools in Santee with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Santee?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Hill Creek Elementary (54/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Santee guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.

Find the school worth a closer look.

Explore Santee schools →Open the local map →