Paul Ecke-central Elementary, Encinitas CA

Original Research by School Decision on Paul Ecke-central Elementary

Paul Ecke-Central Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Encinitas and sits within the Encinitas Union Elementary School District. The school enrolls a student body that is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller groups of multiracial and Asian students. About a quarter of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure below the state average.

The school's most recent California assessment results show proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects in the low to mid-range. In English language arts, proficiency runs in the low-to-mid-60s across grades three through six. Math proficiency is slightly lower, clustering in the upper 50s to low-60s in those same grades. Science proficiency, tested in grade five, is in the mid-50s. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in San Diego County, though that comparison reflects school-level performance against district-level peers and should be read with that caveat in mind.

The school does not report data on English learner enrollment or special education enrollment, so the makeup of those populations is not available to parents reviewing this profile.

The area around Encinitas has substantially high housing costs. The median home value in the zip code is well above the state and national benchmarks, and rental costs are steep. For a renting family, housing takes a sizable portion of income; for a buying family, the mortgage-to-income ratio is substantially elevated. Unemployment in the region is low and median household income is solid, which provides some economic stability, though the housing-affordability gap remains pronounced.

The district has undergone two recent parent-facing changes. In November 2024, voters approved a local infrastructure bond for campus renovation and modernization across all nine district schools, addressing aging building systems like roofs, plumbing, and HVAC. This decision adds a property-tax cost to families in the district but signals a multi-year commitment to facility upgrades. Separately, following a federal court order in May 2025, the district now provides advance notice and opt-out opportunities to parents when gender identity content is presented in its elementary mentoring programs. The district did not appeal this ruling, and the requirement remains in place.

Paul Ecke-Central is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. It is one option within a district that serves the Encinitas coastal community. Families considering this school should view its solid but not high state assessment results alongside its position in a high-cost housing market and the district's recent capital investments and curriculum-notification procedures.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 69% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 71% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 62% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 659%

School 59% · District 67% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 68% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 73% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 74% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 72% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 58% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolEncinitas Union Elementary, 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-income35%Higher-income79%44 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income71%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income70%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income75%49 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income77%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income64%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income67%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income32%Higher-income68%36 pp gap