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Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Public Grades K-5

4840^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of California elementary schools

Summary

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary is a K–5 school in Van Nuys, California, with 423 students and several nearby schools to compare with. Its most important challenge is that 2025–2026 proficiency was below state, district and nearby-school averages in all three tested subjects, with math particularly weak against nearby schools.

Cardenas was below the nine nearby schools with current results in ELA, math and science: its rates were 30%, 22% and 11%, compared with peer averages of 41%, 39% and 23%. It ranked last among those peers in math and science, and second-lowest in ELA. The math result was 17 points below the nearby average; science was 13 points below. It also trailed the state and Los Angeles Unified in every subject: for example, ELA was 30% at Cardenas, versus 49% statewide and 48% districtwide. Science had the largest gap against both the state and district, at 25 and 21 points, respectively. One relative bright spot is that Cardenas’s third-grade math rate, 25%, was higher than its fourth- and fifth-grade rates, though still below the state’s 47% for third grade.

Results have improved since 2022–2023 in ELA and math, rising from 27% to 30% and 21% to 22%, but the math gap with the state widened by 2 points; science fell from 12% to 11%, and its state gap widened by 7 points. Chronic absenteeism improved from 40% in 2021–2022 to 21% in 2025–2026, though the latest rate remained above the state’s 18%. SchoolDigger ranked Cardenas at the 17th statewide percentile with 1 star in 2025–2026; the district ranked at the 54th percentile with 3 stars. In 2024–2025, the student-teacher ratio was 22.8, and 97% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible. Notably, SchoolDigger’s statewide percentile for Special Education Students was 31 in 2025–2026, above the school’s overall 17; its English Language Learner Students percentile rose from 2 in 2022–2023 to 26 in 2023–2024, a notable change in the school’s ranking for how well it serves that group.

423

Students ?

22.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$45,598

Per pupil spending ?

96.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

92%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

Exemptions: 1% (any vaccine)

6900 Calhoun Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91405-3209

(818) 908-6700

District: Los Angeles Unified

Students who attend Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary usually attend:

High:

Van Nuys Senior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.4%

White:

3.5%

Asian:

3.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (24% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Science scores 25 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg42%

California avg42%

4,840^th of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 3% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

464^th of 487Elementary Schools in the Los Angeles Unified

715^th of 1,530Los 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	19.7	4840 of 5817	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.9	5108 of 5857	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	3889 of 5869	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.3	4714 of 5859	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.9	4256 of 5883	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.2	4881 of 5789	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	9.7	5454 of 5662	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.3	5412 of 5692	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	10.0	5439 of 5614	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	11.6	5372 of 5611	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.5	5482 of 5530	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	16.3	2561 of 2585	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	32.9	2348 of 3162	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	3189 of 3245	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.0	2946 of 3311	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	3092 of 3275	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.0	3210 of 3246	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	21.4	4556 of 5581	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.6	5217 of 5597	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	32.3	3623 of 5612	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.6	4467 of 5609	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.0	3835 of 5635	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.1	4619 of 5492	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	5166 of 5413	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	27.0	3972 of 5094	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	4239 of 5107	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.3	2816 of 5107	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.8	3875 of 5087	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.0	3375 of 5084	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.8	4124 of 4963	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.4	4675 of 4830	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	4185 of 5423	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.4	4483 of 5460	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.0	3066 of 5517	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.6	3924 of 5363	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.5	3297 of 5264	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.5	4189 of 5173	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.0	4833 of 5084	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	21.2	4595 of 5603	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.3	4354 of 5628	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.4	3874 of 5643	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.2	4611 of 5638	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	4326 of 5663	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.2	4645 of 5510	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.1	5266 of 5431	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	2024 of 2927	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.2	1868 of 2847	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.9	2501 of 2635	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	29.6	1664 of 2420	31.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)31st percentile+14 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)26th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)23rd percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)22nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)18th percentile~ school

Male (2026)18th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)1st percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy30%-19 vs state

Mathematics22%-16 vs state

Science11%-25 vs state

5.0

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by a parent
Thursday, May 24, 2018

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Schools Near Andres and Maria Cardenas 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2024-25)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary	Public	K-5	6900 Calhoun Ave.	Van Nuys	91405	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 908-6700	423	19	22.8	96.9%	15 (3.5%)	7 (1.7%)	374 (88.4%)	15 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.8%)	19.7	4840^th of 5817 public elementary schools	16.8%		16.9	5108^th of 5857 public elementary schools	12.8%	268	10.8		10.8	25.5	32.2	32.8				30.3	25.0	22.0	20.0				22.2	92%	1%	$45,598	$42,442	$3,156
Hazeltine Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	7150 Hazeltine Ave.	Van Nuys	91405	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 781-1040	621	32	19.4	94.2%	35 (5.6%)	9 (1.4%)	543 (87.4%)	14 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.2%)	46.3	2836^th of 5817 public elementary schools	51.2%		35.1	3563^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	39.2%	727	14.5		14.5	49.0	56.8	39.3				47.1	52.0	50.0	27.4				41.6	89%	0%	$36,260	$32,988	$3,272
Ararat Charter	Public, Charter	K-5	6555 Sylmar Ave.	Van Nuys	91401	Los Angeles County	Ararat Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 994-2904	333	15	22.9	83.8%	303 (91.0%)	1 (0.3%)	29 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.1	3659^th of 5817 public elementary schools	37.1%		30.3	3942^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	32.7%	283	17.3		17.3	50.0	30.8	34.6				38.6	47.2	35.3	11.5				31.4	≥ 98%
Van Nuys Elementary	Public	K-5	6464 Sylmar Ave.	Van Nuys	91401	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 785-2195	459	22	20.8	96.9%	13 (2.8%)	5 (1.1%)	418 (91.1%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.3%)	25.3	4364^th of 5817 public elementary schools	25.0%		28.6	4086^th of 5857 public elementary schools	30.2%	278	16.7		16.7	27.6	34.9	23.6				28.6	49.2	25.0	18.1				29.7	94%	0%	$43,669	$40,518	$3,151
Kittridge Street Elementary	Public	K-5	13619 Kittridge St.	Van Nuys	91401	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 786-7926	768	35	22.2	93.1%	267 (34.8%)	8 (1.0%)	442 (57.6%)	12 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.9%)	48.2	2707^th of 5817 public elementary schools	53.5%		42.6	3035^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.2%	328	29.8		29.8	40.4	48.6	42.4				43.5	43.2	39.1	43.8				42.2	94%	0%	$29,903	$27,588	$2,315
Lashon Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7477 Kester Ave.	Van Nuys	90046	Los Angeles County	Lashon Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 514-4566	595	30	20.0	86.2%	187 (31.4%)	13 (2.2%)	357 (60.0%)	24 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.0%)	56.5	2238^th of 5817 public elementary schools	61.5%		61.8	1974^th of 5857 public elementary schools	66.3%	264	33.3	43.2	37.3	42.4	59.7	49.3	55.2	60.7	70.5	55.2	40.9	53.2	35.8	36.8	33.9	54.6	42.1	92%	0%	$32,987	$31,946	$1,041
Columbus Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	6700 Columbus Ave.	Van Nuys	91405	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 779-5440	382	19	20.1	96.1%	20 (5.2%)	5 (1.3%)	342 (89.5%)	10 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	23.8	4486^th of 5817 public elementary schools	22.9%		26.6	4262^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	27.2%	224	13.6		13.6	31.3	31.8	23.7				28.8	31.9	22.2	32.2				28.4	87%	0%	$47,046	$43,072	$3,974
Valerio Street Elementary	Public	K-5	15035 Valerio St.	Van Nuys	91405	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 785-8683	645	30	21.5	97.5%	31 (4.8%)	21 (3.3%)	567 (87.9%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.6%)	25.2	4367^th of 5817 public elementary schools	24.9%		27.2	4202^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	28.3%	165	22.6		22.6	30.3	30.8	37.8				32.9	23.3	30.6	18.3				24.5	93%	0%	$49,422	$45,518	$3,904
Erwin Elementary	Public	K-5	13400 Erwin St.	Van Nuys	91401	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 988-6292	580	28	20.7	91.4%	182 (31.4%)	7 (1.2%)	342 (59.0%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.9%)	70.4	1562^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	73.1%		59.9	2075^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.6%	513	37.0		37.0	58.9	57.0	54.0				56.4	70.3	55.0	46.0				55.8	96%	1%	$39,192	$35,876	$3,316
Ranchito Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	7940 Ranchito Ave.	Panorama City	91402	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(818) 988-1710	421	20	21.0	90.7%	21 (5.0%)	3 (0.7%)	358 (85.0%)	18 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.0%)	33.1	3729^th of 5817 public elementary schools	35.9%		43.3	2990^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.9%	739	20.3		20.3	22.7	39.5	36.9				33.5	41.2	34.6	30.8				35.5	85%	0%	$39,637	$36,648	$2,989

Frequently Asked Questions about Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Is Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary a good school?

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.8% of California elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary attend?

Students who attend Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Van Nuys Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary?

Students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary are 88% Hispanic, 4% White, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What district is Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary in?

Los Angeles Unified

How many students attend Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 423 students attended Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary.

Rate Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

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.