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Denker Avenue Elementary

Public Grades K-5
2223rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 5,857 California Elementary Schools
Better than 62% of California elementary schools
Summary

Denker Avenue Elementary is a large, K-5 public school serving 670 students in Gardena, California, within the Los Angeles Unified school district, known for its strong academic performance in key subjects despite serving a community with significant economic needs.

The school has a consistent record of outperforming both district and state averages in mathematics and science, with recent scores showing nearly half of all students proficient in math—a notable achievement. It also shows particular effectiveness in supporting English Language Learners and has made significant improvements in reducing chronic absenteeism, now performing better than the Los Angeles Unified average. Compared to similar nearby schools like One Hundred Fifty-Third Street Elementary and One Hundred Eighty-Sixth Street Elementary, Denker achieves these results with more efficient per-student spending.

While Denker excels in many areas, it faces challenges in providing consistent support for students with disabilities, an area identified for needed growth. A comparison with schools in neighboring districts, such as Lincoln Elementary in the Torrance Unified district, highlights how district resources and community factors can influence outcomes. Overall, Denker Avenue Elementary demonstrates a capacity to deliver above-average educational results within its community context.

670
Students ?
20.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$22,316
Per pupil spending ?
79.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1620 West 162nd St.
       Gardena, CA  90247-3734

(310) 327-9420

District: Los Angeles Unified


Students who attend Denker Avenue Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Robert E. Peary Middle
High:    Gardena Senior High
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
62.2%
Asian:
16.3%
Two or more races:
12.2%
more
 See top rated California elementary schools

 Compare Denker Avenue Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 56th percentile in 2013 → 62nd in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2013
Above the California median (62nd percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school45%
District avg39%
California avg41%
2,223rd of 5,857
California public elementary schools ?
Top 38%▲ up 5 pts since 2015
From top 43% (2015) to top 38% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
155th of 487Elementary Schools in the Los Angeles Unified
791st of 1,543Los Angeles 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202556.82223 of 585762.0%★★★☆☆
202447.52706 of 586953.9%★★★☆☆
202349.62553 of 585956.4%★★★☆☆
202256.52215 of 588362.3%★★★☆☆
201956.02257 of 578961.0%★★★☆☆
201851.32498 of 566255.9%★★★☆☆
201752.12435 of 569257.2%★★★☆☆
201649.92497 of 561455.5%★★★☆☆
201550.42418 of 561156.9%★★★☆☆
201354.12442 of 553055.8%★★★☆☆
201257.32192 of 539059.3%★★★☆☆
201158.62111 of 537760.7%★★★☆☆
201044.82854 of 531446.3%★★☆☆☆
200944.82761 of 519346.8%★★☆☆☆
200843.22769 of 511345.8%★★☆☆☆
200739.92908 of 511343.1%★★☆☆☆
200644.72459 of 481849.0%★★☆☆☆
200538.72794 of 482242.1%★★☆☆☆
200452.42039 of 480957.6%★★★☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202381.877 of 66188.4%★★★★☆
202292.529 of 66395.6%★★★★★
201965.4198 of 74773.5%★★★★☆
201863.2195 of 70072.1%★★★★☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202573.7322 of 120373.2%★★★★☆
202471.6382 of 120568.3%★★★☆☆
202374.8279 of 119076.6%★★★★☆
202273.4313 of 115472.9%★★★★☆
201976.7215 of 114981.3%★★★★☆
201858.4572 of 107146.6%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
201814.62127 of 21280.0%☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202462.3639 of 316279.8%★★★★☆
202334.62196 of 324532.3%★★☆☆☆
202249.21239 of 331162.6%★★★☆☆
201967.1610 of 327581.4%★★★★☆
201840.91719 of 324647.0%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202557.72056 of 559763.3%★★★☆☆
202447.02596 of 561253.7%★★★☆☆
202347.92527 of 560954.9%★★★☆☆
202252.52283 of 563559.5%★★★☆☆
201952.82342 of 549257.4%★★★☆☆
201850.72449 of 541354.8%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202555.61941 of 510762.0%★★★☆☆
202446.42516 of 510750.7%★★★☆☆
202345.72509 of 508750.7%★★★☆☆
202260.01643 of 508467.7%★★★☆☆
201958.31785 of 496364.0%★★★☆☆
201849.22279 of 483052.8%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202559.51880 of 546065.6%★★★☆☆
202455.72029 of 551763.2%★★★☆☆
202354.22082 of 536361.2%★★★☆☆
202265.61387 of 526473.7%★★★★☆
201961.71654 of 517368.0%★★★☆☆
201858.11855 of 508463.5%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202554.62261 of 562859.8%★★★☆☆
202447.42612 of 564353.7%★★★☆☆
202350.12446 of 563856.6%★★★☆☆
202258.82018 of 566364.4%★★★☆☆
201957.52061 of 551062.6%★★★☆☆
201851.02386 of 543156.1%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202428.11935 of 263526.6%★☆☆☆☆
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)
African American (2023)88th percentile+32 vs school
English Language Learner (2024)80th percentile+26 vs school
Asian (2025)73rd percentile+11 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)66th percentile+4 vs school
Female (2025)63rd percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)62nd percentile~ school
Male (2025)60th percentile~ school
Special Education (2024)27th percentile-27 vs school
Disabled (2018)<1st percentile-56 vs school
By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?
Mathematics48%+11 vs state
English Language Arts/Literacy45%-4 vs state
Science38%+5 vs state

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What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Open Quote My kids are mixed race and wow kids are super racist towards them. Certain teachers turn a blind eye to the bullying and the principal is a joke. She "investigates" claims and either never gets back to you or always takes the other child side even if proof is presented. She needs to be fired for being such a hypocrite. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Denker Avenue Elementary

In the 2024-25 school year, 670 students attended Denker Avenue Elementary.

Students who attend Denker Avenue Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Robert E. Peary Middle
High : Gardena Senior High

Students at Denker Avenue Elementary are 62% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 7% African American, 2% White.

Denker Avenue Elementary ranks 2223rd of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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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.





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