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Balboa Elementary

Q: Is Balboa Elementary a good school?

Balboa Elementary ranks 2071 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

2071^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of California elementary schools

Summary

Balboa Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 799 students in the Glendale Unified School District, consistently performing in the top two-thirds of California elementary schools while serving a student population where over 60% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, the school's math proficiency is above the state average, and it stands out for its exceptional effectiveness with specific student groups, ranking in the 85th-98th percentiles for English Language Learners, homeless students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This success is notable when compared to schools with similar demographics, such as Columbus Elementary in Glendale, which has a lower proficiency rate. However, performance varies by grade, and the school's statewide ranking has gradually declined over the past decade.

The most significant challenge facing Balboa is a chronic absenteeism rate of 21.4%, which is much higher than the district average and more than double the rate at nearby high-performing schools like Benjamin Franklin Elementary (5.4%). Addressing this attendance gap appears crucial, as the school otherwise demonstrates strong resource efficiency and achieves competitive outcomes compared to schools in neighboring districts like Burbank Unified.

799

Students ?

24.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,989

Per pupil spending ?

60.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1844 Bel Aire Dr.
Glendale, CA 91201-1173

(818) 241-1801

District: Glendale Unified

Students who attend Balboa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Eleanor J. Toll Middle
High:	Herbert Hoover High

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.7%

Hispanic:

7.1%

Asian:

1.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Balboa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2013 → 65th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (47% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (65th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2013

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Glendale Unified's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg54%

California avg41%

2,071^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 22% (2015) to top 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 20Elementary Schools in the Glendale Unified

352^nd of 1,543Glendale Unified 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	60.0	2071 of 5857	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.6	1846 of 5869	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.4	1605 of 5859	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	74.4	1429 of 5883	75.7%	★★★★☆
2019	67.2	1733 of 5789	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	1714 of 5662	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.7	1976 of 5692	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	74.9	1311 of 5614	76.6%	★★★★☆
2015	77.4	1216 of 5611	78.3%	★★★★☆
2013	80.3	1029 of 5530	81.4%	★★★★☆
2012	80.6	998 of 5390	81.5%	★★★★☆
2011	78.5	1085 of 5377	79.8%	★★★★☆
2010	71.2	1408 of 5314	73.5%	★★★★☆
2009	64.8	1694 of 5193	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.3	1531 of 5113	70.1%	★★★★☆
2007	66.6	1534 of 5113	70.0%	★★★★☆
2006	73.6	1187 of 4818	75.4%	★★★★☆
2005	71.9	1256 of 4822	74.0%	★★★★☆
2004	71.8	1239 of 4809	74.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	67.0	482 of 3162	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	76.8	330 of 3245	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.6	291 of 3311	91.2%	★★★★★
2019	70.6	520 of 3275	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	40.5	1742 of 3246	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.4	2074 of 5597	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.9	1768 of 5612	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.3	1353 of 5609	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	73.9	1359 of 5635	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	72.6	1386 of 5492	74.8%	★★★★☆
2018	69.3	1533 of 5413	71.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	58.3	1756 of 5087	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.4	2872 of 5084	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	83.0	592 of 4963	88.1%	★★★★☆
2018	63.9	1446 of 4830	70.1%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	96.6	7 of 335	97.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.8	916 of 5460	83.2%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	1363 of 5517	75.3%	★★★★☆
2023	78.7	818 of 5363	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	86.5	488 of 5264	90.7%	★★★★★
2019	76.9	857 of 5173	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.0	1124 of 5084	77.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.4	1963 of 5628	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.8	1808 of 5643	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	1788 of 5638	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.5	1367 of 5663	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	58.9	2002 of 5510	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.0	1809 of 5431	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	37.3	1306 of 2420	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.9	1923 of 2598	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.2	1777 of 2651	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.1	1661 of 2661	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.9	1435 of 2726	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.2	1849 of 2834	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.0	1844 of 2737	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2023)98th percentile+25 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)85th percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)83rd percentile+19 vs school

Hispanic (2023)65th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)65th percentile~ school

Female (2025)63rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2023)46th percentile-27 vs school

White (2025)26th percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics49%+12 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy48%~ state avg

Science37%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Balboa Elementary

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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 Immunizations 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)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Balboa Elementary	Public	K-6	1844 Bel Aire Dr.	Glendale	91201	Los Angeles County	Glendale Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 241-1801	799	32	24.9	60.2%	725 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (7.1%)	14 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	60	2071^st of 5857 public elementary schools	64.6%		64.6	1846^th of 5869 public elementary schools	68.5%	225	37.1	37.1	55.6	34.9	52.2		47.7	56.3	45.5	44.8		48.8	92.9						$16,989	$16,094	$895
Joaquin Miller Elementary	Public	K-5	720 East Providencia Ave.	Burbank	91501	Los Angeles County	Burbank Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 729-2050	730	31	23.5	50.7%	513 (70.3%)	11 (1.5%)	92 (12.6%)	58 (7.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (7.1%)	73.4	1455^th of 5857 public elementary schools	75.2%		62.9	1930^th of 5869 public elementary schools	67.1%	475	42.8	42.8	67.2	54.7	55.6		59.1	65.8	53.6	45.0		54.4	97.2			97.2			$16,926	$16,638	$288
Thomas Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-6	1540 Fifth St.	Glendale	91201	Los Angeles County	Glendale Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 243-4279	815	33	24.6	62.7%	726 (89.1%)	10 (1.2%)	50 (6.1%)	19 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	62.1	1960^th of 5857 public elementary schools	66.5%		57.8	2162^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	63.2%	202	36.3	36.3	49.1	46.3	47.2	56.5	49.7	56.1	51.6	37.2	47.3	48.2							$15,770	$14,680	$1,090
Mark Keppel Elementary	Public	K-5	730 Glenwood Rd.	Glendale	91202	Los Angeles County	Glendale Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 244-2113	955	38	25.1	49.1%	646 (67.6%)	7 (0.7%)	78 (8.2%)	170 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (5.7%)	74.8	1380^th of 5857 public elementary schools	76.4%		77.9	1250^th of 5869 public elementary schools	78.7%	130	37.7	37.7	55.0	66.2	60.1		60.1	58.6	56.8	54.1		56.5	94.0	96.6	96.0	98.0	96.0	97.3	$16,012	$15,222	$790
Ralph Emerson Elementary	Public	K-5	720 East Cypress Ave.	Burbank	91501	Los Angeles County	Burbank Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 729-1200	548	21	26.7	36.3%	343 (62.6%)	7 (1.3%)	85 (15.5%)	49 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (11.7%)	60.3	2049^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.0%		68.5	1658^th of 5869 public elementary schools	71.7%	391	39.2	39.2	37.5	48.9	54.6		46.5	48.7	54.7	47.4		50.2	98.2						$16,362	$15,924	$438
Benjamin Franklin Elementary	Public	K-6	1610 Lake St.	Glendale	91201	Los Angeles County	Glendale Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 243-1809	608	25	24.2	29.3%	364 (59.9%)	6 (1.0%)	164 (27.0%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.0%)	94.2	384^th of 5857 public elementary schools	93.4%		91.1	631^st of 5869 public elementary schools	89.2%	247	70.9	70.9	70.2	74.3	81.4	85.7	77.5	77.4	70.3	68.6	69.8	71.7	95.7			95.7			$15,018	$14,034	$984
William McKinley Elementary	Public	K-5	349 West Valencia Ave.	Burbank	91506	Los Angeles County	Burbank Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 729-2000	440	19	23.7	37.3%	107 (24.3%)	3 (0.7%)	245 (55.7%)	23 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (13.9%)	60.3	2054^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.9%		48.4	2640^th of 5869 public elementary schools	55.0%	586	39.2	39.2	55.1	52.2	57.5		55.0	42.7	47.9	32.4		40.9							$17,663	$17,478	$185
Walt Disney Elementary	Public	K-5	1220 West Orange Grove Ave.	Burbank	91506	Los Angeles County	Burbank Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 729-0100	419	17	24.6	37.0%	101 (24.1%)	8 (1.9%)	242 (57.8%)	15 (3.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (12.4%)	62.9	1924^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.2%		74.8	1374^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.6%	550	31.0	31.0	62.5	45.2	50.0		53.0	62.5	50.0	38.9		50.5							$18,443	$18,220	$223
Columbus Elementary	Public	K-5	425 West Milford St.	Glendale	91203	Los Angeles County	Glendale Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 242-7722	488	21	23.2	64.8%	346 (70.9%)	10 (2.0%)	93 (19.1%)	33 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	33.8	3660^th of 5857 public elementary schools	37.5%		48.9	2614^th of 5869 public elementary schools	55.5%	1046	19.2	19.2	32.9	36.6	41.1		36.8	37.3	37.5	23.6		32.9	95.8					96.9	$18,276	$16,556	$1,720
Thomas Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-5	1900 North Sixth St.	Burbank	91504	Los Angeles County	Burbank Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 729-1600	758	29	26.5	22.7%	450 (59.4%)	5 (0.7%)	87 (11.5%)	99 (13.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	115 (15.2%)	78.7	1206^th of 5857 public elementary schools	79.4%		81.9	1078^th of 5869 public elementary schools	81.6%	128	50.0	50.0	60.5	59.2	69.1		62.9	58.1	53.2	55.6		55.6	98.3						$14,578	$14,564	$14

Frequently Asked Questions about Balboa Elementary

Is Balboa Elementary a good school?

Balboa Elementary ranks 2071^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Balboa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Balboa Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eleanor J. Toll Middle
High : Herbert Hoover High

What is the racial makeup of Balboa Elementary?

Students at Balboa Elementary are 91% White, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Balboa Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 799 students attended Balboa Elementary.

What district is Balboa Elementary in?

Glendale Unified

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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.