Santee: Santee schools score 4.9 points above the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 5.3 points.
Santee has 9 ranked schools across elementary levels with an average Scope Score of 49.7/100 — 4.9 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Hill Creek Elementary at 60/100, where 28.6% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $12,087 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 10.8%, below the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Santee's elementary schools average 49.7/100 — 4.9 points above the state average with a −5.3pp declining trajectory.
District Analysis
Santee has 9 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 49.7/100 — 4.9 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
District-wide elementary growth averages -5.3pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 24.6 points — showing notable variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 10.8%, 7.2pp below the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 2.4%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Hill Creek Elementary leads the district at 60 with 28.6% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Santee
Hidden gems: 1 school in Santee is classified as Growth Engine — 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
Santee spends $12,087 per student in current expenditures — $2,727 below 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 Santee
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (9)
Santee has 9 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 49.7 — 4.9 points above the state average of 44.8.
Growth averages -5.3pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Hill Creek Elementary with a Scope Score of 60 and 28.6% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hill Creek Elementary Santee Growth Engine | 28.6% | Solid 60/100 |
| 2 | Carlton Hills Elementary Santee Building Momentum | 32.8% | Solid 58/100 |
| 3 | Sycamore Canyon Elementary Santee Building Momentum | 33.8% | Solid 57/100 |
| 4 | Rio Seco Elementary Santee Building Momentum | 33.3% | Solid 53/100 |
| 5 | PRIDE Academy at Prospect Avenue Santee Building Momentum | 26.0% | Developing 50/100 |
| 6 | Carlton Oaks Elementary Santee Culture First | 28.6% | Developing 46/100 |
| 7 | Chet F. Harritt Elementary Santee Building Momentum | 24.6% | Developing 45/100 |
| 8 | Pepper Drive Elementary Santee Building Momentum | 22.1% | Developing 43/100 |
| 9 | Cajon Park Elementary Santee Building Momentum | 19.2% | Developing 36/100 |
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