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Lemon Grove, California - 8 schools
An equity score of 57/100 ranks Lemon Grove #573 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,124 per pupil, Lemon Grove ranks #513 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,171
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$17,124
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Lemon Grove operates 8 public schools serving 3,171 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in San Diego County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,124 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 26.1% local, 58.9% state, and 14.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 57/100, ranked #573 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 516:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 56.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% African American, 7.5% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Vista La Mesa Academy, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
Vista La Mesa Academy accounts for 16.3% of all Lemon Grove student enrollment
That concentration means Lemon Grove-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Lemon Grove school enrollment varies 3.6× across entities
Lemon Grove school enrollment ranges from 142 students (lowest) to 518 students (highest), a spread of 376 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Lemon Grove has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Lemon Grove student-counselor ratio is 516:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Lemon Grove chronic absenteeism rate is 56.2% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Lemon Grove has 8 schools, including 7 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 3,171 students.
How much does Lemon Grove spend per student?
Lemon Grove spends $17,124 per student. The district has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #573 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Lemon Grove?
Lemon Grove students are 69.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% African American, 7.5% White, 5.7% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lemon Grove?
Lemon Grove has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #573 out of 1517 districts in California.