Marshall Elementary, San Diego CA

Original Research by School Decision on Marshall Elementary

Marshall Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in San Diego. The school's enrollment is small, distributed fairly evenly across grades, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black and Asian populations and smaller shares of other groups. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhood.

The school's recent state assessment results reveal weak proficiency across the core tested subjects. In the latest available data, proficiency in mathematics ranges from the mid-twenties to mid-thirties across grades three, four, and five. In English language arts, results cluster in the mid-twenties to low-forties, with fifth grade performing noticeably better than the lower grades. Science proficiency in fifth grade is substantially lower. When compared against other schools serving elementary grades across San Diego County school districts, Marshall's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of the comparison group. These figures suggest the school faces significant challenges in supporting students toward grade-level mastery of core content.

The neighborhood around Marshall reflects economic pressures common to parts of urban San Diego. Home values in the zip code are above the state median, though monthly ownership costs through mortgage would consume a substantial share of median household income. Rental housing is more affordable relative to ownership, though rent itself remains a meaningful expense. These conditions frame the economic reality many families at Marshall navigate.

San Diego Unified, Marshall's parent district, has undertaken several initiatives that bear on school experience. The district has implemented standards-based grading at the secondary level, removing factors like late work and behavior from academic grades and creating separate space for a citizenship grade. This shift does not directly affect Marshall since it serves only elementary grades, but families should be aware the policy will apply when their children advance to middle and high school. The district also gained voter approval for a major facilities bond to fund building repairs, renovations, new construction, security upgrades, and technology investment across schools. Additionally, San Diego Unified requires all high school students to complete an ethnic studies course as a graduation requirement, effective with the class of 2024.

Marshall's small size and location in an established residential neighborhood make it a neighborhood school in the traditional sense. Data on the school's special education enrollment, English learner population, staff, attendance patterns, and discipline practices were not available, so a parent may want to connect directly with the school to understand these dimensions of daily school life and support services. The school website was not provided in available information, so families seeking details about programs, staff, or how to enroll should contact San Diego Unified's main offices or reach out to the school directly at its address on Altadena Avenue.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 55% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 50% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 45% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 53% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 54% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 58% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Science

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 42% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

This schoolSan Diego Unified, 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.