Hawking S.t.e.a.m. Charter, Chula Vista CA

Original Research by School Decision on Hawking S.t.e.a.m. Charter

Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter is a kindergarten through eighth-grade charter school in Chula Vista serving a student population that is predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is authorized by Sweetwater Union High School District, which underwent a charter renewal review in December 2024—a consequential process that determines whether the school may continue operating. This is a foundational consideration for any family enrolling children at a single-charter-school entity like this one.

The school's academic performance shows weaknesses across both mathematics and English language arts. In mathematics, proficiency rates are low across all tested grades, ranging from the low twenties to the low forties. English language arts shows somewhat better results in the upper middle grades (grades seven and eight), where a little more than half of students demonstrate proficiency, but earlier grades report substantially lower proficiency. Science assessment data is available only for grades five and eight, where about a third of students meet proficiency benchmarks. Across the tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index positions it below the midpoint relative to other districts in San Diego County. The school has only one year of state assessment data in the payload, so trends cannot be determined.

Hawking serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade only, which explains why there is no graduation rate. The school does not report the rate of students with individualized education plans or the count of English learners, so the scope of special-population support cannot be characterized from the available data.

The school's design centers on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Beyond that curricular framing, the data provided does not describe course scope, advanced offerings, arts programming, or other specific academic pathways. A parent may want to look into the school's course catalog and instructional approach directly with the school to understand how the S.T.E.A.M. model translates into day-to-day instruction and whether it aligns with their child's learning needs.

Chula Vista itself is the second-largest city in San Diego County and is expanding rapidly through master-planned communities to the east, including Millenia and Otay Ranch developments, alongside an older residential core centered on downtown. The housing market in the area is above the state average, with significant rental growth as well. Publicly reported, the city's largest employment sectors are health care, retail trade, and education, supported by employers such as Sharp HealthCare, Sony Electronics, and Southwestern College.

The school's location in downtown Chula Vista positions it within the established western neighborhoods, near the historic Civic Center and within a transit-served area that includes San Diego Trolley Blue Line access a short distance away. This differs from the newer master-planned eastern communities, which operate on a campus-style pattern with their own civic anchors.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 830%

School 30% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · district not reported

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 854%

School 54% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income48%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income50%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income55%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income60%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income61%11 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income66%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income48%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income22%Higher-income52%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income21%Higher-income45%24 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income36%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income39%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income46%25 pp gap