Jonas Salk Elementary, San Diego CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jonas Salk Elementary

Jonas Salk Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in a northerly San Diego neighborhood, drawing from a school population that is ethnically diverse, with Asian students making up the largest share, followed by Hispanic, multiracial, and white students. A substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with mixed economic circumstances.

The school's state testing results show solid performance across the board. In English language arts, proficiency sits in the low-to-mid range, holding steady around a comparable level across grades three, four, and five. Math results track similarly, with proficiency comparable to ELA across those same grades. Fifth-grade science proficiency follows the same pattern. When viewed against other schools and districts in San Diego County, Jonas Salk's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among county schools, a meaningful indicator of strength relative to peers in the region.

The enrollment is stable and fairly balanced across grade levels, suggesting steady demand. Kindergarten runs slightly larger than the upper elementary grades; the upper grades are roughly consistent with one another. The school draws from a neighborhood where housing values are well above state benchmarks, though rental costs are moderate relative to those values. The local area sits in an affordability zone where renters spend a meaningful portion of income on housing, while owner-occupants with mortgages face costs substantially higher than renters face.

State assessment data is available only for the current school year, so trend analysis is not possible; a parent would want to ask the school about performance history if continuity is a concern. The school's website was not provided, and details about specific programs, class size, or staffing were not available. Information on the rate of English learner enrollment and special education enrollment is also not in the available data.

San Diego Unified, the parent district, has made two shifts worth knowing about. Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, the district moved secondary schools to standards-based grading, removing late work and behavior from academic grades and placing them instead in a separate citizenship grade; this will affect a student's progression into middle and high school. The district has also made Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement for high school students, beginning with the Class of 2024, a curriculum change that will shape the later secondary experience for students moving up from Jonas Salk. Voters approved a major facilities bond in 2022 intended for repairs, renovations, new construction, and transitional kindergarten expansion across the district.

For a family in this neighborhood, Jonas Salk delivers solid elementary academics with performance that stands well above average within its county context. The community is economically mixed and ethnically diverse, and the school's enrollment and proficiency data reflect that setting.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 55% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 50% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 45% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 53% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 54% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 58% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 42% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income61%Higher-income86%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income81%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income83%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income57%Higher-income84%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income85%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income80%22 pp gap