Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Q: Is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy a good school?

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy ranks 1154 th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1154^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 58% of California middle schools

Summary

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy is a small public middle school serving grades 6-8 with just 133 students in the Los Angeles Unified district, showing significant recent improvement in its statewide academic ranking.

The school is on a strong upward trajectory, with its overall ranking jumping notably in the last year, and it excels in mathematics, outperforming both district and state averages, especially in 8th grade. It demonstrates exceptional effectiveness with its Special Education students and manages chronic absenteeism better than the district average. As a very small school, it benefits from a low student-teacher ratio, which likely supports its personalized learning environment and rapid improvement. However, its science proficiency is currently below average, which is a key area for a STEM-focused school to address.

Compared to other local options, Katherine Johnson's improvement is the most dramatic, though some nearby charter schools like Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle and ICEF Vista Middle Academy have higher overall rankings with similar student populations. Within LAUSD, it performs better than schools like Orville Wright Engineering and Design Magnet but below higher-ranking schools like Mark Twain Middle. The school's high per-student investment and focused environment make it a promising and improving choice for families seeking a STEM pathway.

133

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$31,061

Per pupil spending ?

70.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8701 Parkhill Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90045-3437

(323) 673-1230

District: Los Angeles Unified

Students who attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy usually attend:

High:

WESM Health/Sports Medicine

Feeder schools for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy:

Elementary:	Kentwood Elementary
	Loyola Village Fine And Performing Arts Magnet
	Paseo del Rey Fundamental
	Playa Vista Elementary
	More...
	Westport Heights Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.1%

Hispanic:

26.3%

Two or more races:

12.0%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Katherine Johnson STEM Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 46th percentile in 2019 → 58th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2019

✓Above the California median (58th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg39%

California avg41%

1,154^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 13 pts since 2019

From bottom 46% (2019) to top 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd of 83Middle Schools in the Los Angeles Unified

791^st 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.1	1154 of 2761	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.5	1834 of 2783	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	1623 of 2781	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.9	1654 of 2740	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.3	1475 of 2715	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	69.7	135 of 609	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	30.0	443 of 627	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	414 of 613	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.2	273 of 637	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.8	327 of 643	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	57.0	443 of 1491	70.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	904 of 2533	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.1	1254 of 2551	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.6	1852 of 2531	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.8	1532 of 2509	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.7	1303 of 2380	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	846 of 2395	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	1082 of 2388	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	758 of 2374	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.6	1638 of 2359	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.5	847 of 2542	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.3	1444 of 2579	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	1260 of 2531	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.8	1584 of 2458	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.7	1502 of 2369	36.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	43.0	1284 of 2534	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.7	1931 of 2552	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	1259 of 2538	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.4	1496 of 2527	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	1396 of 2407	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	72.3	243 of 1566	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	44.6	671 of 1552	56.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	39.6	957 of 1602	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2025)84th percentile+26 vs school

African American (2025)78th percentile+20 vs school

Disabled (2019)70th percentile+25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2025)65th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)64th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)49th percentile-9 vs school

White (2019)40th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics44%+7 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy41%-8 vs state

Science23%-9 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, May 17, 2020

KJ Stem is a hidden gem of a middle school that every family should consider. Principal Hunsberger and the staff have a clear enthusiasm for their students and find creative ways to teach and challenge them. We rate this school so highly on the everyday efforts of the instructors among many other positives. The school size gives an ideal ratio of instructor to student support and the school continues to grow extracurricular activities to meet the students’ interests. My son receives the resources and assistance that he needs to be successful. He has been thriving every day as a part of this school and we are very happy to be there! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 6, 2020

KJ STEM Academy has been a great option for my high-performing kid who is in the honors/GATE program including LAUSD's Accelerated Math track. She continues to be above grade-level, and has increased her test scores in Math since starting 6th grade. The teachers force students to think critically and creatively and all kids are enrolled in a STEM elective. In partnership with LMU, the school has a very progressive curriculum and a strong social-emotional pedagogy. Close Quote

Schools Near Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)		CSA Spanish Listening (2025)		CSA Spanish Writing (2025)		CSA Spanish Reading (2025)		CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	CSA Spanish Overall 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 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
Katherine Johnson STEM Academy	Public	6-8	8701 Parkhill Dr.	Los Angeles	90045	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 673-1230	133	9	14.5	70.7%	9 (6.8%)	68 (51.1%)	35 (26.3%)	4 (3.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (12.0%)	51.1	1154^th of 2761 public middle schools	58.2%		29.5	1834^th of 2783 public middle schools	34.1%	680									23.4	23.4	43.5	32.5	44.7	40.6	37.8	37.5	55.3	43.9	$31,061	$5,801	$25,260
Orville Wright Engineering and Design Magnet	Public	6-8	6550 West 80th St.	Los Angeles	90045	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 258-6600	456	26	17.4	82.0%	15 (3.3%)	276 (60.5%)	133 (29.2%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.8%)	23.3	2084^th of 2761 public middle schools	24.5%		22.4	2154^th of 2783 public middle schools	22.6%	70									16.9	16.9	33.9	37.5	28.8	33.4	18.1	16.3	14.2	16.1	$29,247	$4,944	$24,303
Marina del Rey Middle	Public	6-8	12500 Braddock Dr.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 578-2700	300	22	13.4	87.3%	4 (1.3%)	115 (38.3%)	168 (56.0%)	4 (1.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	24.8	2016^th of 2761 public middle schools	27.0%		17.1	2393^rd of 2783 public middle schools	14.0%	377									11.3	11.3	36.1	31.5	35.6	34.2	29.0	14.0	18.3	19.3	$38,780	$9,472	$29,308
ICEF Vista Middle Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	4471 Inglewood Blvd.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	ICEF Vista Middle Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 298-6405	194	11	18.0	96.4%	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.6%)	183 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	76	562^nd of 2761 public middle schools	79.6%		69.7	692^nd of 2783 public middle schools	75.1%	130									23.2	23.2	59.7	67.2	59.7	62.2	43.8	65.6	69.6	58.6	$26,339	$6,226	$20,113
El Segundo Middle	Public	6-8	332 Center St.	El Segundo	90245	Los Angeles County	El Segundo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 615-2690	804	35	22.8	10.3%	346 (43.0%)	25 (3.1%)	178 (22.1%)	98 (12.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	156 (19.4%)	95.2	151^st of 2761 public middle schools	94.5%		92.4	218^th of 2783 public middle schools	92.2%	67									57.8	57.8	75.3	79.4	81.8	78.9	66.3	71.6	72.3	70.2	$15,827	$1,277	$14,550
Mark Twain Middle	Public	6-8	2224 Walgrove Ave.	Los Angeles	90066	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 305-3100	974	51	19.0	57.6%	176 (18.1%)	97 (10.0%)	506 (52.0%)	73 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (12.5%)	71	653^rd of 2761 public middle schools	76.3%		66.1	762^nd of 2783 public middle schools	72.6%	109									35.8	35.8	65.3	58.4	51.9	58.5	57.4	43.8	38.0	46.3	$18,563	$2,753	$15,810
Culver City Middle	Public	6-8	4601 Elenda St.	Culver City	90230	Los Angeles County	Culver City Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 842-4200	1,523	73	20.7	39.5%	389 (25.5%)	148 (9.7%)	546 (35.9%)	173 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	262 (17.2%)	77.9	524^th of 2761 public middle schools	81.0%		77.7	534^th of 2783 public middle schools	80.8%	10									50.6	50.6	61.2	62.7	60.4	61.4	51.1	46.9	43.5	47.2	$17,919	$580	$17,339
Lennox Middle	Public	6-8	11033 Buford Ave.	Lennox	90304	Los Angeles County	Lennox	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 419-1800	1,193	64	18.6	94.1%	2 (0.2%)	21 (1.8%)	1,152 (96.6%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	9 (0.8%)	36.9	1586^th of 2761 public middle schools	42.6%		37.9	1533^rd of 2783 public middle schools	44.9%	53	12.0	12.0	32.0	32.0	26.0	26.0	8.0	8.0	19.4	19.4	41.3	47.4	36.5	41.4	17.9	27.5	30.6	25.6	$23,973	$3,178	$20,795
Crozier (George W.) Junior High	Public	7-8	1210 West Regent St.	Inglewood	90301	Los Angeles County	Inglewood Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 680-5280	126	8	16.1	84.1%	0 (0.0%)	52 (41.3%)	72 (57.1%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	32.6	1730^th of 2761 public middle schools	37.3%		18.4	2323^rd of 2783 public middle schools	16.5%	593									22.6	22.6			41.2	41.2			15.8	15.8
Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	830 North La Brea Ave.	Inglewood	90302	Los Angeles County	Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 671-5578	208	4	52.2	68.8%	0 (0.0%)	175 (84.1%)	21 (10.1%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)	87.5	320^th of 2761 public middle schools	88.4%		88.9	302^nd of 2783 public middle schools	89.1%	18									59.7	59.7	63.4	76.8	88.7	75.7	45.1	52.2	69.4	55.0	$15,002	$1,542	$13,460

Frequently Asked Questions about Katherine Johnson STEM Academy

What is the racial makeup of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy?

Students at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy are 51% African American, 26% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 7% White, 3% Asian.

Is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy a good school?

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy ranks 1154^th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy attend?

Students who attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy usually go on to attend WESM Health/Sports Medicine

How many students attend Katherine Johnson STEM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 133 students attended Katherine Johnson STEM Academy.

What district is Katherine Johnson STEM Academy in?

Los Angeles Unified

Rate Katherine Johnson STEM Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Middle School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Los Angeles, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Katherine Johnson STEM Academy!

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.