Six K–12 campuses serve families in Hillcrest's 92103 ZIP code, including Florence Elementary, Alice Birney Elementary, Grant TK-8, and Roosevelt Middle School through San Diego Unified. Francis Parker Lower School in Mission Hills adds a private school option, and Museum School operates as a charter alternative using Balboa Park as its campus.
1425 Washington Pl, San Diego, CA 92103
+1 619-295-8344
Verified4345 Campus Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
+1 619-497-3500
Verified3914 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92103
+1 619-344-5900
Verified4201 Randolph St #1398, San Diego, CA 92103
+1 858-569-7900
Verified1425 Washington Pl, San Diego, CA 92103
+1 619-860-5500
Verified3366 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103
+1 619-362-3850
VerifiedFlorence Elementary, Alice Birney Elementary, and Grant TK-8 are the three San Diego Unified public elementary campuses serving families in the 92103 ZIP code. Each campus feeds into SDUSD's attendance zone system, and the specific school assigned to a family depends on their residential address within Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, or Mission Hills.
Grant TK-8 covers a wider grade span than a traditional elementary school, carrying students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade on a single campus. Florence Elementary and Alice Birney both serve the TK-through-fifth-grade range. Francis Parker Lower School in Mission Hills offers a private school alternative for families who want a non-public option at the elementary level.
Roosevelt Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders in the Hillcrest area under San Diego Unified. Students from Florence Elementary and Alice Birney typically feed into Roosevelt, though specific feeder patterns can shift when the district adjusts attendance boundaries.
Families in the Grant TK-8 attendance zone have the option of keeping their child on the same campus through eighth grade rather than transferring to Roosevelt. For families considering a charter school or private school at the middle school level, applications typically open a full year before the intended start date.
There is no public high school campus physically inside Hillcrest's 92103 boundaries. Most students in the area are zoned for San Diego High School in the adjacent Downtown corridor or one of the other SDUSD high schools depending on their specific address. The commute is typically a short bus ride south on Park Boulevard.
Families who want to keep their student closer to Hillcrest through high school should look at SDUSD's school choice programs, magnet options, and charter school alternatives that may accept students from across the district. Associated Barber College in Downtown also serves older students pursuing vocational training as an alternative to a traditional four-year high school path.
California's school accountability system rates public schools through the California School Dashboard, which tracks academic performance, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, and college readiness. Individual campus scores for Florence Elementary, Alice Birney Elementary, Grant TK-8, and Roosevelt Middle School are publicly available on the Dashboard and updated annually.
Parents comparing Hillcrest schools should look beyond a single summary rating. Dashboard indicators break performance down by student group, grade level, and subject area, which gives a more useful picture than a single number. Touring the campus, meeting the principal, and talking to current families are still the most reliable ways to evaluate fit.
Several Hillcrest elementary campuses offer after-school care through the YMCA's Childcare Resource Service or other licensed on-campus programs. Availability, hours, and fees vary by school, and parents should check with their campus office for the current year's provider and enrollment process.
Families who need after-school enrichment beyond basic supervision can also look at the neighborhood's private tutoring and music and art programs, many of which run afternoon and early-evening sessions timed to the school day. The First Dance Place in North Park runs children's dance classes during after-school hours and is a short drive east on University Avenue.
San Diego Unified operates magnet programs across the district that accept students from outside their home attendance zone. Magnet schools focus on specialized themes—STEM, performing arts, international studies, or language immersion—and admit students through an application and lottery process rather than geographic assignment.
Families in the 92103 ZIP code can apply to any SDUSD magnet program regardless of their home school assignment. The application window typically opens in November for the following school year. Transportation is sometimes provided for magnet students who live outside the school's immediate area, though availability depends on the specific campus and route.
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