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John Adams Elementary

Q: Is John Adams Elementary a good school?

John Adams Elementary ranks 1578 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1578^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of California elementary schools

Summary

John Adams Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 343 students in the high-performing Torrance Unified School District, where it maintains a solid 4-star rating but faces unique challenges as its student population changes.

Academically, the school outperforms California state averages but consistently scores below the Torrance Unified district average in English, math, and science, with this gap being most noticeable in 5th grade. This performance is lower than several nearby district schools like Walteria Elementary and Hickory Elementary. A key concern is chronic absenteeism, which, while improved from pandemic highs, remains above the district average and may impact learning. The school's population has seen a significant increase in economic need, and recent data shows a decline in academic performance for students from low-income families, suggesting the school is working to adapt its support systems.

Despite these internal challenges, the school's standing within its strong district provides a notable advantage; John Adams would be a top performer compared to many schools in the neighboring Los Angeles Unified district, such as Meyler Street Elementary or Normont Elementary. The school has a history of strong results with certain student groups, indicating it has foundational strengths to build upon as it addresses attendance, upper-grade curriculum alignment, and supporting its changing community.

343

Students ?

24.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,663

Per pupil spending ?

49%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2121 238Th St.
Torrance, CA 90501-6116

(310) 533-4480

District: Torrance Unified

Students who attend John Adams Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	J. H. Hull Middle
High:	Torrance High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.7%

White:

15.7%

Asian:

15.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare John Adams Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 69th percentile in 2013 → 73rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (53% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the California median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg62%

California avg41%

1,578^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 22% (2015) to top 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 17Elementary Schools in the Torrance Unified

204^th of 1,543Torrance 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	70.6	1578 of 5857	73.1%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	1350 of 5869	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	77.9	1242 of 5859	78.8%	★★★★☆
2022	82.5	1069 of 5883	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	1284 of 5789	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	74.1	1394 of 5662	75.4%	★★★★☆
2017	87.3	796 of 5692	86.0%	★★★★☆
2016	76.2	1267 of 5614	77.4%	★★★★☆
2015	76.7	1248 of 5611	77.8%	★★★★☆
2013	66.8	1732 of 5530	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.5	1757 of 5390	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	78.6	1076 of 5377	80.0%	★★★★☆
2010	77.3	1118 of 5314	79.0%	★★★★☆
2009	74.7	1219 of 5193	76.5%	★★★★☆
2008	82.1	875 of 5113	82.9%	★★★★☆
2007	58.7	1891 of 5113	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.8	1553 of 4818	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	76.2	1086 of 4822	77.5%	★★★★☆
2004	75.4	1101 of 4809	77.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	64.5	506 of 1154	56.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	73.9	410 of 3311	87.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	1591 of 5597	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	1326 of 5612	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	80.1	1096 of 5609	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	76.4	1266 of 5635	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	82.1	981 of 5492	82.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	1114 of 5413	79.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.9	1504 of 5107	70.6%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	717 of 5107	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	81.2	680 of 5087	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.6	836 of 5084	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	67.1	1288 of 4963	74.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.0	1388 of 4830	71.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	2527 of 5460	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.3	1396 of 5517	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	985 of 5363	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	71.8	1089 of 5264	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	66.3	1378 of 5084	72.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.1	1698 of 5628	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.3	1350 of 5643	76.1%	★★★★☆
2023	71.1	1453 of 5638	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	85.7	837 of 5663	85.2%	★★★★☆
2019	69.0	1559 of 5510	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	1592 of 5431	70.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.6	755 of 2598	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	54.8	1295 of 2661	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.8	1167 of 2726	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.2	728 of 2834	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	78.6	498 of 2737	81.8%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)88th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)72nd percentile~ school

White (2025)71st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)70th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2022)56th percentile-26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy58%+9 vs state

Mathematics51%+14 vs state

Science42%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near John Adams Elementary

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 (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	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
John Adams Elementary	Public	K-5	2121 238Th St.	Torrance	90501	Los Angeles County	Torrance Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 533-4480	343	14	24.5	49.0%	54 (15.7%)	11 (3.2%)	198 (57.7%)	52 (15.2%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (7.3%)	70.6	1578^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.1%		75.5	1350^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.0%	228	41.8	41.8	52.8	64.2	56.4		57.8	55.6	54.7	43.6		51.2	95.4	96.5		96.5	95.4	96.5	$16,663	$745	$15,918
Howard Wood Elementary	Public	K-5	2250 West 235th St.	Torrance	90501	Los Angeles County	Torrance Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 533-4484	344	16	21.6	42.4%	50 (14.5%)	8 (2.3%)	181 (52.6%)	68 (19.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	34 (9.9%)	69.7	1614^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.4%		81.3	1097^th of 5869 public elementary schools	81.3%	517	48.3	48.3	43.6	50.0	65.5		54.1	46.2	51.6	56.9		52.2							$16,871	$756	$16,115
Lomita Math/Science/Technology Magnet	Public	K-5	2211 247th St.	Lomita	90717	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 784-6700	853	37	23.0	68.9%	70 (8.2%)	107 (12.5%)	500 (58.6%)	114 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.3%)	51 (6.0%)	82.5	1048^th of 5857 public elementary schools	82.1%		82.8	1045^th of 5869 public elementary schools	82.2%	3	46.4	46.4	58.4	61.1	72.9		64.3	70.1	60.4	58.3		62.7							$19,172	$3,740	$15,432
President Avenue Elementary	Public	K-6	1465 West 243rd St.	Harbor City	90710	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 326-7400	362	23	15.7	73.5%	15 (4.1%)	43 (11.9%)	258 (71.3%)	21 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.9%)	43.9	2959^th of 5857 public elementary schools	49.5%		34.4	3569^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.2%	610	22.0	22.0	50.8	38.1	34.0	41.7	41.4	45.9	46.0	26.0	25.0	39.3	91.8	95.3			96.5		$31,528	$4,834	$26,694
Torrance Elementary	Public	K-5	2125 Lincoln Ave.	Torrance	90501	Los Angeles County	Torrance Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 533-4500	567	23	24.6	53.6%	49 (8.6%)	25 (4.4%)	395 (69.7%)	54 (9.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	41 (7.2%)	63.4	1907^th of 5857 public elementary schools	67.4%		58	2143^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	63.5%	236	36.9	36.9	42.2	51.5	66.2		52.0	64.0	36.1	44.6		50.2							$16,082	$785	$15,297
Hickory Elementary	Public	K-5	2800 West 227th St.	Torrance	90505	Los Angeles County	Torrance Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 533-4672	847	32	26.4	25.6%	96 (11.3%)	22 (2.6%)	190 (22.4%)	439 (51.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (11.7%)	87.4	806^th of 5857 public elementary schools	86.2%		91.1	632^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	89.2%	174	48.9	48.9	68.9	69.0	64.0		67.3	68.9	77.9	64.0		70.7	97.0	97.8	97.0	97.8	97.8	97.8	$15,596	$525	$15,071
Harbor City Elementary	Public	K-5	1508 West 254th St.	Harbor City	90710	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 326-5075	420	22	19.0	92.4%	7 (1.7%)	23 (5.5%)	349 (83.1%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	29 (6.9%)	41.1	3147^th of 5857 public elementary schools	46.3%		36.2	3423^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	41.7%	276	18.3	18.3	40.5	45.2	43.5		42.9	52.6	29.0	23.9		36.0							$24,451	$4,815	$19,636
Eshelman Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	25902 Eshelman Ave.	Lomita	90717	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 326-1576	449	20	22.4	86.9%	36 (8.0%)	54 (12.0%)	315 (70.2%)	24 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	16 (3.6%)	58.2	2155^th of 5857 public elementary schools	63.2%		48.1	2660^th of 5869 public elementary schools	54.7%	505	29.0	29.0	55.2	49.3	48.5		51.0	55.7	50.7	31.9		46.3	92.9	96.5		95.6	94.7	96.5	$23,239	$4,417	$18,822
Meyler Street Elementary	Public	K-5	1123 West 223rd St.	Torrance	90502	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 328-3910	603	31	19.4	95.5%	9 (1.5%)	55 (9.1%)	454 (75.3%)	27 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.5%)	49 (8.1%)	31.2	3857^th of 5857 public elementary schools	34.1%		39.3	3221^st of 5869 public elementary schools	45.1%	636	21.7	21.7	33.3	26.3	42.1		33.8	33.7	32.0	27.8		31.1	97.7			98.5	98.5		$21,901	$3,887	$18,014
Normont Elementary	Public	K-5	1001 West 253rd St.	Harbor City	90710	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 326-5261	270	15	18.0	98.5%	14 (5.2%)	60 (22.2%)	176 (65.2%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.4%)	31.8	3817^th of 5857 public elementary schools	34.8%		24.7	4396^th of 5869 public elementary schools	25.1%	579	17.1	17.1	38.2	31.7	34.3		34.6	28.6	34.2	34.3		32.4	81.8	89.1	92.7	89.1	89.1	90.9	$35,324	$5,889	$29,435

Frequently Asked Questions about John Adams Elementary

What is the racial makeup of John Adams Elementary?

Students at John Adams Elementary are 58% Hispanic, 16% White, 15% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is John Adams Elementary in?

Torrance Unified

How many students attend John Adams Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 343 students attended John Adams Elementary.

What schools do graduates of John Adams Elementary attend?

Students who attend John Adams Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : J. H. Hull Middle
High : Torrance High

Is John Adams Elementary a good school?

John Adams Elementary ranks 1578^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 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.