La Mesa Arts Academy is a 5-8 school.
It serves grades 5-8 (California Department of Education school directory), so it has no graduating class and there is nothing to measure for UC admissions. Its enrollment, student body and state test results are below.
La Mesa Arts Academy
La Mesa · San Diego County · La Mesa-Spring Valley · Public
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Most similar nearby schools
Language Academy → Parkway Sports And Health Science Academy → Discovery Charter → Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, And Math Academy At La Presa → Feaster (mae L.) Charter → Compare all similar →At a glance
- Gifted & talented program
- AP rigor: Bottom 14% of US high schools
Composed from federal CRDC offerings, and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
How La Mesa Arts Academy compares for families
What families should know about La Mesa Arts Academy.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsThe closest comparables nearby: Language Academy, Parkway Sports And Health Science Academy, Discovery Charter and 2 more. See the sidebar to compare side-by-side.
For Parents
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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.
SAT / ACT participation
CRDC federal data · 2020-21Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). Volume — not score — is what's reported here. A higher count means more students at this school are entering the college admissions pipeline. Note: 2020-21 was COVID-disrupted; some districts (especially those that stayed remote longer) report unusually low or zero takers.
College readiness
Getting ready for college
These come from the state and federal files, not from UC — so they are here whether or not La Mesa Arts Academy has a UC admissions record.
Chronic absenteeism — 2024-25
Share of students missing 10% or more of expected attendance — the leading indicator that often precedes the demand decline shown above. Families disengaging tend to raise absenteeism first, then formally leave. Basis: total enrollment.
Absenteeism is up 8.7 pp since 2016-17. A rising absenteeism trend often precedes formal departure — worth investigating which subgroups are driving it.
Source: California Department of Education, Chronic Absenteeism 2024-25. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥100 eligible students. CDE didn't publish a usable 2019-20 file (COVID).
Enrollment trend & projection
If this trend holds (-0.9%/yr, Total enrollment)
At per-pupil funding of $ / student:
| Horizon | Projected Total enrollment | Change | Funding impact / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yr (2027) | ~988 | -9 | $0 |
| 3 yr (2029) | ~969 | -28 | $0 |
| 5 yr (2031) | ~951 | -46 | $0 |
Straight-line extrapolation of the recent annual rate — a what-if, not a forecast of intent. Default = California's LCFF base grant for grades 9–12 ($12,423/ADA). Edit the figure to match your school.
How does La Mesa Arts Academy really compare on getting kids to college?
Unlock a head-to-head snapshot of La Mesa Arts Academy against its 10 most similar nearby schools — matched on size, location, type. See exactly where it stands on the college pipeline.
Your similar-school group includes
Language Academy · Parkway Sports And Health Science Academy · Discovery Charter · Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, And Math Academy At La Presa · Feaster (mae L.) Charter · Flying Hills School Of Arts · +4 more
Enrollment stability & demand — 2024-25
Two complementary signals: retention (do students stay once enrolled?) and demand (are families choosing the school?). Read against the San Diego County baseline — the demographic tide is moving every CA HS, so a school's gap vs. county is the actionable signal.
56 of 1,094 students who enrolled at La Mesa Arts Academy this year didn't maintain continuous enrollment (5.1% non-stability). Mid-year transfers, dropouts, and other exits are all counted.
Stability by student group
Nearest peer high schools
Source: California Department of Education, Stability Rate 2024-25. Benchmarks limited to non-virtual public & charter HS with ≥100 cumulative enrollees so by-design-high-churn continuation schools don't dominate the bottom of the distribution. Cumulative enrollment counts every student on the rolls during the year, so it can exceed peak-day enrollment.
For School Admins
The full Reach Report for La Mesa Arts Academy
A board- and LCAP-ready intelligence brief: your enrollment retention and college outcomes, benchmarked against your closest competitors, with a 5-year forecast, concrete steps to act on, and the rigor + outcomes story you can share with your families. Built from primary public data — prepared for you, not auto-generated.
- ✓Your 5-year enrollment forecast (currently -0.9%/yr) with the revenue at stake
- ✓Student-retention benchmarking vs your county median — and the LCAP evidence to back your goals
Related reading
San Diego · League table · August 9, 2026
UC testing review · August 25, 2026