Public schools in La Mesa, CA
La Mesa has 16 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 high, 2 middle, 10 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 11,963 students. They are run by 8 districts and agencies; La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools runs 9 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 8 districts and agencies that run La Mesa's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in La Mesa | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools | 9 | 10,745 | $16,770 |
| Helix High School | 1 | 2,502 | $14,194 |
| Grossmont Union High | 1 | 16,738 | $18,330 |
| Cajon Valley Union | 1 | 15,337 | $17,631 |
| Lemon Grove | 1 | 3,171 | $19,109 |
| The Learning Choice Academy - East County District | 1 | 407 | $15,133 |
| JCS - Manzanita District | 1 | 228 | $14,180 |
| Sparrow Academy | 1 | 399 | $12,654 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 high schools in La Mesa, 4,726 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix High | 2,554 | 23.2 | 27.4% | Helix High School |
| Grossmont High | 2,172 | 24.3 | 39.9% | Grossmont Union High |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 middle schools in La Mesa, 1,956 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa Arts Academy | 1,059 | 20.7 | 33.3% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Parkway Sports and Health Science Academy | 897 | 18.1 | 36.8% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
10 elementary schools in La Mesa, 4,591 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murdock Elementary | 608 | 24.3 | 31.9% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Avocado Elementary | 573 | 25.1 | 53.9% | Cajon Valley Union |
| Murray Manor Elementary | 530 | 25.2 | 36.6% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Vista La Mesa Academy | 518 | 24.3 | 63.5% | Lemon Grove |
| Lemon Avenue Elementary | 502 | 27.9 | 34.7% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| La Mesa Dale Elementary | 460 | 26.3 | 53.5% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Maryland Avenue Elementary | 451 | 23.7 | 46.8% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Northmont Elementary | 422 | 24.8 | 45.7% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Rolando Elementary | 371 | 28.5 | 56.3% | La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools |
| Sparrow Academy | 156 | 22.3 | 30.8% | Sparrow Academy |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 other schools in La Mesa, 690 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Learning Choice Academy - East County | 466 | 21.1 | 52.6% | The Learning Choice Academy - East County District |
| JCS - Manzanita | 224 | 14.8 | 42.0% | JCS - Manzanita District |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How La Mesa's public schools compare with California's
The median La Mesa school has 24.3 students per full-time teacher, more than the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 510 students (state 471).
| La Mesa | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 24.3 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 510 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 88% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 25% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 16 La Mesa schools and the 9,918 California schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in La Mesa
- La Mesa-Spring Valley SchoolsRuns 9 of La Mesa's 16 public schools and spent $16,770 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,770
- Helix High, the largest high school in La Mesa2,554 students in 2024-25, 23.2 per teacher.2,554
- Compare La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools with Helix High SchoolLa Mesa's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in CaliforniaCalifornia's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a La Mesa addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in California
- Los Angeles564 schools
- San Diego283 schools
- San Jose232 schools
- Sacramento197 schools
- Fresno179 schools
- Bakersfield146 schools
- San Francisco123 schools
- Stockton122 schools
Questions about schools in La Mesa
How many public schools are in La Mesa, CA?
16 public schools with an address in La Mesa were open in 2024-25: 2 high, 2 middle, 10 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 11,963 students. 4 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in La Mesa?
Helix High, with 2,554 students in 2024-25 (Helix High School).Which districts run La Mesa's schools?
La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools (9 schools), Helix High School (1 school), Grossmont Union High (1 school), Cajon Valley Union (1 school), and 4 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25