Summary:
This analysis examines the seven public schools in the 90021 zip code of Los Angeles, which include two elementary schools, one middle school, and four high schools, all serving a high-needs, urban student population.
For families in this area, it's important to know that all schools serve a high-poverty community, with every school having over 82% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Academically, all schools perform below state averages, but some stand out relative to their peers. The Para Los Ninos Charter elementary school and Para Los Ninos Middle school, both part of the Para Los Ninos Charter District and Para Los Ninos Middle District respectively, show the strongest recent academic performance in English and Math for their grade levels. Among high schools, Metropolitan Continuation has the highest graduation rate (70.2%) and lowest dropout rate, while the traditional Central High has the lowest graduation rate at 25.2%.
A major challenge facing every school is chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 30% to nearly 90%, far above the state average. There is also extreme variation in resources, with per-student spending ranging from about $24,000 at some Los Angeles Unified schools to over $123,000 at CDS Secondary, a school with a very low student-teacher ratio but severe academic challenges. Overall, the data indicates significant educational hurdles in the area, with performance generally declining as students progress to higher grades.
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