Is Pepper Drive Elementary a good school?

Pepper Drive Elementary ranks 2080 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pepper Drive Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 655 students attended Pepper Drive Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pepper Drive Elementary?

Students at Pepper Drive Elementary are 45% White, 37% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Pepper Drive Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pepper Drive Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Santana High

Pepper Drive Elementary

Summary:

Pepper Drive Elementary is a public K-8 school in El Cajon, California, serving 712 students as part of the Santee School District. While the school generally outperforms nearby schools in the Cajon Valley Union School District, it lags behind schools in the Santee and Lakeside Union Elementary School District.

Pepper Drive Elementary has shown consistent academic performance, with students scoring above the state average in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, the school's performance has declined over the past several years, dropping in its statewide ranking. Additionally, Pepper Drive has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.5% in 2018-2019 to 32.2% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the district and state averages. The school also serves a growing population of students from low-income families, with the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch increasing from 43.38% in 2020-2021 to 55.9% in 2022-2023.

Despite these challenges, Pepper Drive Elementary has shown strong performance for its Hispanic and English Language Learner student populations, ranking in the top 30% and top 20% of California elementary schools, respectively. The school has also performed well for its students with disabilities and low socioeconomic status, ranking in the top 30% and top 40% of California elementary schools, respectively. Addressing the needs of these student groups and implementing targeted interventions to improve overall academic performance and attendance could be key focus areas for the school and district.

Detail:

Public K-8

1935 Marlinda Way
El Cajon, CA 92021-1155

(619) 956-5100

District: Santee

SchoolDigger Rank:
2080^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,182

Students who attend Pepper Drive Elementary usually attend:

High:

Santana High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.1

Number of students: 655

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.3%

Hispanic:

36.6%

Two or more races:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Pepper Drive Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pepper Drive Elementary ranks better than 64.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 8^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Santee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.61. (See more...)

Compare Details Pepper Drive Elementary ranks better than 70.2% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.49. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (45.3%), Hispanic (36.6%), two or more races (8.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pepper Drive Elementary is 25.1. 9 elementary schools in the Santee School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Pepper Drive Elementary employs 26 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pepper Drive Elementary is $9,182. 9 elementary schools in the Santee School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pepper Drive Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pepper Drive Elementary 2080^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Pepper Drive Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Pepper Drive Elementary 827^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Pepper Drive Elementary in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Santee:

SchoolDigger ranks Santee 311^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Pepper Drive Elementary

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	54.81	1928^th	4809	59.9%
2005	57.05	1876^th	4822	61.1%
2006	57.20	1865^th	4818	61.3%
2007	60.01	1828^th	5113	64.2%
2008	65.04	1625^th	5113	68.2%
2009	72.11	1344^th	5193	74.1%
2010	76.96	1132^nd	5314	78.7%
2011	60.77	1974^th	5377	63.3%
2012	80.08	1028^th	5390	80.9%
2013	74.18	1367^th	5530	75.3%
2015	63.48	1776^th	5611	68.3%
2016	67.12	1658^th	5614	70.5%
2017	56.84	2183^rd	5692	61.6%
2018	60.25	2027^th	5662	64.2%
2019	41.51	3097^th	5789	46.5%
2021	61.65	488^th	1417	65.6%
2022	48.42	2615^th	5883	55.5%
2023	55.13	2277^th	5874	61.2%
2024	59.61	2080^th	5862	64.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	12.36	405^th	445	9.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.82	641^st	3246	80.3%
2019	44.72	1509^th	3275	53.9%
2021	74.66	73^rd	602	87.9%
2022	66.83	549^th	3311	83.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.28	817^th	2420	66.2%
2024	53.65	866^th	2634	67.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.69	1318^th	5084	74.1%
2019	48.70	2492^nd	5173	51.8%
2021	76.26	177^th	1110	84.1%
2022	63.96	1472^nd	5264	72.0%
2023	69.85	1241^st	5374	76.9%
2024	63.67	1589^th	5511	71.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	57.58	2091^st	5413	61.4%
2019	32.65	3620^th	5492	34.1%
2021	53.70	528^th	1267	58.3%
2022	47.08	2570^th	5635	54.4%
2023	57.44	2066^th	5617	63.2%
2024	58.38	2020^th	5605	64.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	50.02	772^nd	2128	63.7%
2019	40.02	1296^th	2585	49.9%
2021	73.01	52^nd	293	82.3%
2022	60.22	594^th	2227	73.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	60.87	1885^th	5431	65.3%
2019	50.40	2439^th	5510	55.7%
2021	67.04	380^th	1272	70.1%
2022	48.65	2518^th	5663	55.5%
2023	50.77	2408^th	5650	57.4%
2024	57.61	2078^th	5636	63.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	71.78	1051^st	4830	78.2%
2019	36.61	3202^nd	4963	35.5%
2022	47.79	2346^th	5084	53.9%
2023	51.89	2125^th	5098	58.3%
2024	62.10	1565^th	5102	69.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.97	1823^rd	2737	33.4%
2019	25.22	2268^th	2834	20.0%
2022	24.72	2155^th	2726	20.9%
2023	36.89	1799^th	2662	32.4%
2024	39.54	1715^th	2647	35.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Pepper Drive Elementary

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Rank History for all middle school students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	56.20	657^th	1769	62.9%
2005	56.11	681^st	1777	61.7%
2006	54.27	736^th	1804	59.2%
2007	58.62	704^th	1999	64.8%
2008	56.96	761^st	2005	62.0%
2009	65.01	628^th	2063	69.6%
2010	76.44	390^th	2179	82.1%
2011	78.45	326^th	2236	85.4%
2012	77.16	374^th	2259	83.4%
2013	78.34	362^nd	2379	84.8%
2015	67.69	693^rd	2477	72.0%
2016	66.90	714^th	2497	71.4%
2017	54.85	986^th	2508	60.7%
2018	60.57	834^th	2480	66.4%
2019	61.63	876^th	2715	67.7%
2021	65.87	260^th	894	70.9%
2022	56.92	970^th	2740	64.6%
2023	62.87	823^rd	2802	70.6%
2024	62.49	827^th	2777	70.2%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.12	242^nd	1538	84.3%
2024	58.80	417^th	1550	73.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	67.84	520^th	2230	76.7%
2019	67.92	543^rd	2369	77.1%
2021	70.07	150^th	721	79.2%
2022	73.43	438^th	2458	82.2%
2023	69.39	530^th	2549	79.2%
2024	72.23	491^st	2575	80.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.85	791^st	2262	65.0%
2019	59.63	840^th	2380	64.7%
2021	67.03	208^th	738	71.8%
2022	46.31	1162^nd	2509	53.7%
2023	57.63	878^th	2547	65.5%
2024	53.11	980^th	2546	61.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.98	650^th	1369	52.5%
2019	58.17	425^th	1491	71.5%
2021	60.41	84^th	354	76.3%
2022	60.68	395^th	1531	74.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	57.95	827^th	2273	63.6%
2019	61.30	772^nd	2407	67.9%
2021	63.63	246^th	763	67.8%
2022	63.72	733^rd	2527	71.0%
2023	65.45	705^th	2558	72.4%
2024	68.51	660^th	2547	74.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.34	402^nd	2072	80.6%
2019	69.91	488^th	2213	77.9%
2022	47.27	1072^nd	2359	54.6%
2023	66.39	599^th	2391	74.9%
2024	56.28	819^th	2383	65.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Pepper Drive Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.36	842^nd	1496	43.7%
2019	50.20	785^th	1602	51.0%
2022	43.03	866^th	1555	44.3%
2023	39.40	926^th	1552	40.3%
2024	42.95	844^th	1535	45.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, March 23, 2019

alcohol served at father daughter dance, teachers who call your kid a "jerk" and nothing is done but they write my kid up for litterally everything!lol joke of a school Close Quote

Enrollment information for Pepper Drive Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	604	15	11	40	1	n/a	n/a	0	671
1989	622	9	12	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	684
1990	654	12	14	42	1	n/a	n/a	0	723
1991	638	20	11	49	1	n/a	n/a	0	719
1992	661	15	16	60	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
1993	705	19	20	78	5	n/a	n/a	0	827
1994	719	9	17	81	7	n/a	n/a	0	833
1995	707	14	16	79	2	n/a	n/a	0	818
1996	707	14	16	79	2	n/a	n/a	0	818
1997	664	18	8	83	5	n/a	n/a	0	778
1998	705	16	15	96	6	n/a	n/a	0	838
1999	651	16	16	80	3	n/a	n/a	0	766
2000	631	11	14	90	2	n/a	n/a	0	748
2001	610	14	16	85	4	n/a	n/a	0	729
2002	573	15	13	90	5	n/a	n/a	0	696
2003	573	15	13	90	5	n/a	n/a	0	696
2004	584	13	12	129	5	n/a	n/a	1	744
2005	504	26	16	158	0	n/a	n/a	12	716
2006	464	22	19	169	1	n/a	n/a	44	719
2007	424	19	22	177	1	n/a	n/a	63	706
2008	395	12	22	151	2	n/a	n/a	0	582
2009	416	11	13	143	2	6	130	0	721
2010	388	25	10	237	3	5	62	0	730
2011	396	13	9	228	2	2	63	0	713
2012	381	16	20	264	3	6	72	0	762
2013	368	24	19	277	4	4	78	0	774
2014	387	23	27	287	4	2	76	0	806
2015	377	28	29	303	4	5	82	0	828
2016	414	25	41	328	5	7	103	0	923
2017	461	28	44	348	2	4	84	0	971
2018	461	29	45	352	1	3	87	0	978
2019	447	25	42	350	1	3	100	0	968
2020	428	26	40	329	1	1	84	0	909
2021	412	27	30	295	2	1	72	0	839
2022	376	22	34	275	0	1	58	0	766
2023	328	21	30	266	0	1	66	0	712
2024	297	23	35	240	0	2	58	0	655

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pepper Drive Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	671	26.9	24.9	n/a
1989	684	25.1	27.2	n/a
1990	723	25.8	28.0	n/a
1991	719	27.1	26.5	n/a
1992	753	27.5	27.3	22.7
1993	827	29.5	28.0	25.9
1994	833	29.5	28.2	30.1
1995	818	27.5	29.7	28.6
1996	818	27.5	29.7	28.6
1997	778	33.0	23.6	29.7
1998	838	35.0	23.9	27.7
1999	766	32.0	23.9	26.2
2000	748	32.0	23.4	21.9
2001	729	33.0	22.1	23.9
2002	696	33.0	21.1	27.3
2003	696	33.0	21.1	27.3
2004	744	32.8	22.7	33.6
2005	716	33.5	21.4	38.8
2006	719	35.7	20.1	37.8
2007	706	37.3	18.9	42.6
2008	582	40.0	14.6	44.8
2009	721	33.7	19.1	41.7
2010	730	34.0	21.4	46.7
2011	713	n/a	n/a	50.2
2012	762	32.7	23.2	n/a
2013	774	32.0	24.1	57.1
2014	806	31.0	26.0	59.9
2015	828	31.0	26.7	55.8
2016	923	34.0	27.1	59
2017	971	36.0	26.9	60.6
2018	978	36.0	27.1	58.7
2019	968	36.0	26.8	59.8
2020	909	n/a	n/a	56.9
2021	839	34.5	24.3	43.4
2022	766	33.6	22.7	52.2
2023	712	28.0	25.4	55.9
2024	655	26.0	25.1	50.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pepper Drive Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	671	26.9	24.9	n/a
1989	684	25.1	27.2	n/a
1990	723	25.8	28.0	n/a
1991	719	27.1	26.5	n/a
1992	753	27.5	27.3	22.7
1993	827	29.5	28.0	25.9
1994	833	29.5	28.2	30.1
1995	818	27.5	29.7	28.6
1996	818	27.5	29.7	28.6
1997	778	33.0	23.6	29.7
1998	838	35.0	23.9	27.7
1999	766	32.0	23.9	26.2
2000	748	32.0	23.4	21.9
2001	729	33.0	22.1	23.9
2002	696	33.0	21.1	27.3
2003	696	33.0	21.1	27.3
2004	744	32.8	22.7	33.6
2005	716	33.5	21.4	38.8
2006	719	35.7	20.1	37.8
2007	706	37.3	18.9	42.6
2008	582	40.0	14.6	44.8
2009	721	33.7	19.1	41.7
2010	730	34.0	21.4	46.7
2011	713	n/a	n/a	50.2
2012	762	32.7	23.2	n/a
2013	774	32.0	24.1	57.1
2014	806	31.0	26.0	59.9
2015	828	31.0	26.7	55.8
2016	923	34.0	27.1	59
2017	971	36.0	26.9	60.6
2018	978	36.0	27.1	58.7
2019	968	36.0	26.8	59.8
2020	909	n/a	n/a	56.9
2021	839	34.5	24.3	43.4
2022	766	33.6	22.7	52.2
2023	712	28.0	25.4	55.9
2024	655	26.0	25.1	50.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates