Diego Valley East Public Charter

Diego Valley East Public Charter serves students K–12 in El Cajon, a sprawling inland city east of San Diego with a tight-knit, working-class character and a large refugee and immigrant community. Families considering this school should go in with eyes open — test scores in math and English rank among the lowest in California, so it's worth digging into whether the school's model and support resources are the right fit for your child's needs. Families who do choose it may be drawn to the K–12 structure, which keeps siblings together under one roof, but it's worth visiting in person and asking pointed questions about academic programming and outcomes before enrolling.