Families in El Cerrito have a wide variety of educational choices. There is a broad range of schools, both public and private, in and near the community. Families can find options that meet their educational priorities.

Through San Diego Unified, El Cerrito is served by 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school and 1 high school.

The schools have an "API" score based on their standardized testing. The scale for the API is 200-1000. The goal is for every school to score at least 800. Each school also receives a rank. The rank tells you, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the school compares to other schools with similar student demographics (1 is low and 10 is high).

Listed below are the API scores for the El Cerrito area schools for 2000, 2001, and 2002. The scores for all schools improved with the exception of Mann and Crawford. In order to improve student achievement the San Diego Unified School District has been awarded a grant to redesign high schools that have been low performing. In 2004 the district plans to implement the Small School Redesign at several of their high schools with one being Crawford.

Here is how the El Cerrito schools fall out:

For comparison, here are the schools that serve Kensington & Talmadge.

Other School Options:

Charter/magnet/choice schools Charter: Within one mile of El Cerrito there are two charter schools, Albert Einstein Charter (API score: 810) and Tubman Village Charter (API score: 693). The Albert Einstein Academy Charter School is the first tuition free elementary Charter School in Southern California with an international, multicultural focus, German/English Immersion & Spanish Instruction. Their curriculum is based on the International Baccalaureate program. This is currently a K-4^th grade school. They plan to open a successive grade each year. Tubman Village Charter is inspired by the Waldorf program. They are currently a K-8^th grade school. Both are public schools within San Diego Unified and require no tuition for student enrollment.

§ Magnet: The Language Academy is a San Diego Unified school. Students enrolled there become biliterate in either Spanish and English or French and English. This is a K-8 school. The API score is 742.

§ Choice: Parents can also take advantage of the "choice" program, applying to have their child enrolled in any other school in San Diego Unified. Available room at any school is assigned through the choice program by a lottery. A number of families in El Cerrito are taking advantage of this option, sending their kids to schools around San Diego.

Parents whose children are districted to attend Darnall or Jackson can take advantage of this program. Through a bussing program, students can apply to attend Bird Rock Elementary, La Jolla Elementary, Torrey Pines Elementary or Hardy Elementary here in El Cerrito. Children in this program stay on the "track", progressing into the middle and high schools in that area.

There are a number of private schools within two miles of El Cerrito. They include Blessed Sacrament School, St Martin Academy, The Waldorf School of San Diego, Coleman Prep, Christ Lutheran and Chabad Day School. This is not an inclusive list but more a suggestion of the diversity of options.