John C. Fremont Senior High

John C. Fremont Senior High is a large public high school serving 1,889 students in grades 9-12 in South Los Angeles, operating within the Los Angeles Unified school district and serving a community with significant economic need.

The school faces considerable academic challenges, with proficiency rates in English (32%) and math (14%) well below district and state averages, and its statewide ranking has recently declined. A major concern is chronic absenteeism, with 42.5% of students missing significant school, which is more than double the state rate. Furthermore, the graduation rate of 80% is below average, and the dropout rate of 15% has more than doubled in a year, with particularly low performance rankings for students in special education, those experiencing homelessness, and English learners.

Comparisons with nearby schools reveal that different models can yield better outcomes even in the same high-poverty community. Smaller schools at the Diego Rivera Learning Complex, like the Communication and Technical academy, show higher proficiency and graduation rates. Similarly, the charter school Animo Pat Brown, which serves an almost identical student population, significantly outperforms Fremont in academics, graduation, and attendance. This suggests school size, structure, and how resources are used may be important factors, as Fremont spends less per student than several neighboring schools with varying results.