Best Public Schools in Long Beach, CA

Long Beach, California is served by 76 public schools across the Long Beach Unified district and a few others, educating students from kindergarten through 12th grade in a diverse coastal city.

The district features a stark contrast between its highest and lowest performing schools. Top-tier options include specialized programs like the Eunice Sato Academy of Math & Science (99th percentile) and Newcomb Academy (95th percentile), alongside strong neighborhood elementary schools such as Naples Elementary and Gant Elementary. However, several schools face significant challenges, with Reid High, Edison Elementary, and Jordan High ranking in the bottom 30th percentile statewide.

Key factors for parents to consider include chronic absenteeism, which is higher than the state average and severely impacts some schools, and the fact that higher per-student spending does not guarantee better results. Middle schools like Helen Keller Middle and Rogers Middle show more consistent performance, while the district's alternative education programs struggle with very low graduation rates.