Summary:
The Montebello Unified School District serves students in Montebello, California, through 13 public schools ranging from elementary to high school, including alternative programs, within a community where most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
For parents, the district presents a mix of opportunities and challenges. Standout schools include Schurr High, the district's highest-ranking comprehensive high school with strong graduation rates and test scores, and the Applied Technology Center, a smaller high school with an exceptional near-99% graduation rate. At the elementary level, Washington Elementary shows notable strength in math. However, other schools face significant hurdles, such as Greenwood Elementary, which has high chronic absenteeism and low test scores, and the district's alternative high schools, Vail High (Continuation) and Montebello Community Day, which serve vulnerable populations with intensive support.
Overall, the Montebello Unified district does well at graduating students, with a rate above the state average, but there is a concerning gap as many graduates are not proficient in core subjects like math and science, especially after middle school. Chronic absenteeism is a key challenge linked to lower performance. The data suggests that while the district serves a high-need population, practices at its top-performing schools could offer a roadmap for improvement across the district.
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