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Watts Learning Center Charter Middle

Q: Is Watts Learning Center Charter Middle a good school?

Watts Learning Center Charter Middle ranks 1901 st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-8

1901^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 31% of California middle schools

Summary

Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is a public charter school serving 400 students in grades 6-8 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school shows a mixed academic picture, with 8th grade English scores exceeding the state average, a notable strength. However, math and science proficiency are significantly below state averages, and chronic absenteeism at 26.8% is higher than the state average. The school operates with a higher student-teacher ratio (25:1) and lower per-student spending ($18,219) than most nearby schools, such as Samuel Gompers Middle ($34,638 per student) and Bret Harte Preparatory Middle ($33,736 per student). Despite this, it achieves comparable or better results in some subjects than these higher-spending schools, raising questions about resource efficiency in the area.

Performance trends show recent concerning declines, with the school's statewide ranking dropping. There are significant differences in effectiveness among student groups, with strong historical support for some subgroups but a sharp recent decline in performance for others, including Hispanic students and male students. Compared to a high-performing neighbor like Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 4, which has similar demographics, Watts Learning Center has room for improvement, particularly in math instruction and attendance, while building on its strengths in 8th grade English.

400

Students ?

25.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8800 South San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90003-3541

(323) 565-4800

District: Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.0%

African American:

16.3%

White:

0.5%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Watts Learning Center Charter Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 48th percentile in 2019 → 31st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (26% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 19% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2019

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

California avg41%

1,901^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 17 pts since 2019

From bottom 48% (2019) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1165^th of 1,543Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	1901 of 2761	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.9	1469 of 2783	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	1611 of 2781	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.0	1737 of 2740	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	1406 of 2715	48.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.2	214 of 609	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.2	194 of 627	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.7	220 of 613	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.5	310 of 637	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.9	238 of 643	63.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	57.0	447 of 1531	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	303 of 1491	79.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	48.3	480 of 1478	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.4	1006 of 1521	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.2	963 of 1540	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.0	468 of 1442	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.2	1717 of 2533	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.8	1551 of 2551	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.1	1732 of 2531	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.4	1714 of 2509	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.4	1227 of 2380	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	36.9	1424 of 2395	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.7	810 of 2388	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.1	1063 of 2374	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.3	1153 of 2359	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.8	736 of 2213	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	1513 of 2542	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.8	958 of 2579	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	1117 of 2531	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.1	1229 of 2458	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.0	787 of 2369	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.6	1847 of 2534	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.3	1204 of 2552	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.3	1250 of 2538	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.0	1508 of 2527	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.6	1505 of 2407	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	42.6	711 of 1552	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.8	325 of 1531	78.8%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)71st percentile+34 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)68th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2025)65th percentile+34 vs school

Special Education (2024)54th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)41st percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)40th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)27th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy37%-11 vs state

Science20%-13 vs state

Mathematics16%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Watts Learning Center Charter Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	8800 South San Pedro St.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 565-4800	400	16	25.0	100.0%	2 (0.5%)	65 (16.3%)	332 (83.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	27.9	1901^st of 2761 public middle schools	31.1%		39.9	1469^th of 2783 public middle schools	47.2%	432		19.9	19.9		29.4	29.0	51.1	37.5		12.9	17.2	17.0	16.2
Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 4	Public, Charter	6-8	9719 South Main St.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 4 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 451-3009	486	18	26.5	94.4%	2 (0.4%)	16 (3.3%)	461 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	45.7	1305^th of 2761 public middle schools	52.7%		49.8	1178^th of 2783 public middle schools	57.7%	127		23.8	23.8		36.7	53.8	44.1	44.7		37.9	34.0	22.4	31.7
KIPP Academy of Opportunity	Public, Charter	5-8	8500 South Figueroa St.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	KIPP Academy of Opportunity District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 778-0125	466	20	23.7	83.0%	1 (0.2%)	185 (39.7%)	269 (57.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.1%)	21.7	2160^th of 2761 public middle schools	21.8%		24.9	2037^th of 2783 public middle schools	26.8%	123	15.7	12.3	14.0	21.9	28.2	27.4	28.1	26.4	13.9	21.4	23.1	17.5	19.0
Bret Harte Preparatory Middle	Public	6-8	9301 South Hoover St.	Los Angeles	90044	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 242-5400	456	28	16.1	97.4%	4 (0.9%)	131 (28.7%)	307 (67.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)	11.5	2567^th of 2761 public middle schools	7.0%		10.6	2648^th of 2783 public middle schools	4.9%	81		6.0	6.0		22.6	21.5	16.3	20.1		17.8	9.9	4.7	10.6	$58,967	$55,716	$3,251
Charles Drew Middle	Public	7-8	8511 Compton Ave.	Los Angeles	90001	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 826-1700	607	34	17.7	99.2%	6 (1.0%)	109 (18.0%)	483 (79.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	15.1	2436^th of 2761 public middle schools	11.8%		14	2513^th of 2783 public middle schools	9.7%	77		12.2	12.2			26.5	18.7	22.6			15.9	11.2	13.5	$47,690	$44,262	$3,428
Vox Collegiate of Los Angeles	Public, Charter	6-10	1100 West Manchester Ave.	Los Angeles	90044	Los Angeles County	Vox Collegiate of Los Angeles District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 570-2915	224	9	24.6	77.2%	1 (0.4%)	36 (16.1%)	186 (83.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37.3	1564^th of 2761 public middle schools	43.4%		48.9	1199^th of 2783 public middle schools	56.9%	365		26.2	26.2		30.9	35.0	46.4	38.4		20.0	27.2	29.8	26.4	$31,573	$30,806	$767
Mary McLeod Bethune Middle	Public	6-8	155 West 69th St.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 541-1800	843	49	17.2	97.6%	10 (1.2%)	101 (12.0%)	723 (85.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	18.5	2289^th of 2761 public middle schools	17.1%		19	2297^th of 2783 public middle schools	17.5%	8		11.5	11.5		29.4	25.0	23.4	24.4		23.5	21.3	16.0	18.8	$41,519	$38,626	$2,893
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	8255 Beach St.	Los Angeles	90001	Los Angeles County	Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 565-3280	437	21	20.4	97.3%	3 (0.7%)	5 (1.1%)	428 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34.1	1673^rd of 2761 public middle schools	39.4%		42.1	1392^nd of 2783 public middle schools	50.0%	281		17.7	17.7		24.1	43.0	39.5	35.9		18.2	28.6	34.5	27.4
Animo James B. Taylor Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	810 East 111th Pl.	Los Angeles	90059	Los Angeles County	Animo James B. Taylor Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 568-8613	464	25	18.7	96.8%	14 (3.0%)	72 (15.5%)	377 (81.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21.2	2176^th of 2761 public middle schools	21.2%		22.7	2141^st of 2783 public middle schools	23.1%	35		17.0	17.0		27.1	29.9	29.3	28.9		13.1	13.5	23.3	16.9
Samuel Gompers Middle	Public	6-8	234 East 112th St.	Los Angeles	90061	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 241-4000	406	23	17.6	96.1%	5 (1.2%)	131 (32.3%)	257 (63.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)	14.8	2446^th of 2761 public middle schools	11.4%		11.6	2606^th of 2783 public middle schools	6.4%	160		4.3	4.3		29.2	23.9	25.4	26.0		13.4	15.3	10.6	13.1	$57,143	$52,364	$4,779

Frequently Asked Questions about Watts Learning Center Charter Middle

Is Watts Learning Center Charter Middle a good school?

Watts Learning Center Charter Middle ranks 1901^st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Watts Learning Center Charter Middle in?

Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District

How many students attend Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 400 students attended Watts Learning Center Charter Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?

Students at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle are 83% Hispanic, 16% African American.

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.