The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Juarez Elementary
Juarez Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the northeastern part of San Diego, in a neighborhood with moderate housing costs and a student population that is economically and racially diverse. The school enrolls a small population, with particular concentration in the lower elementary grades. Roughly half of the school's students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the plurality of students identify as Hispanic, with meaningful representation of white, multiracial, Black, and Asian students.
On California's 2024-25 state assessments, Juarez's proficiency results are low across both subjects where they are measured. In English language arts, the school's overall proficiency rate sits below what is typical for elementary schools in San Diego County. Reading performance ranges from the high end of the lower third in grade five down to below that in grades three and four. Math proficiency is similarly weak across all tested grades, with fifth grade showing the lowest rate. Science proficiency in grade five, the only grade where it is assessed, is also below county norms. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the county's elementary and primary schools.
This performance pattern points to systemic academic challenges that parents investigating the school would want to understand more deeply through direct conversation with school leadership. The data does not reveal whether these results reflect recent trends, what interventions the school has in place, what grade-level instruction looks like, or how the school is working with its English learner population and others who may need additional support. None of those details appear in available records, and they would be essential for a family's decision.
The student body reflects San Diego's diversity. More than half of students are Hispanic. About one in six are white, and roughly one in ten are multiracial or Black. A smaller share are Asian. About half the school's families are Spanish-speaking or learning English, though specific counts for English learner enrollment and special education enrollment are not publicly reported at the school level.
The school is part of San Diego Unified, a large urban district that has adopted several district-wide changes in recent years. The district implemented a standards-based grading system across secondary schools, beginning in 2021-22, which removes non-academic factors like late work from the academic grade itself and creates space for students to revise and reassess. While this affects grades six and up, it signals the district's approach to evaluation and student support. San Diego Unified also made an ethnic studies course a high school graduation requirement for the Class of 2024, and voters approved a major bond measure in 2022 that commits property tax dollars to school facilities repairs, new construction, security upgrades, and classroom technology. These moves shape the environment in which Juarez sits.
Housing in the 92123 zip code where Juarez is located is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, though above the state average. Rents have ticked up slightly over the past year. A family making the median household income for the region would spend a substantial share of that income on housing, whether renting or buying with a standard down payment.
Juarez is a small, neighborhood elementary school in an economically and ethnically mixed part of San Diego. The academic data shows performance that lags county peers. A parent considering enrollment would need to speak with the school about its instructional approach, support services, and recent academic direction to make an informed choice.
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