Summary:
ZIP code 90621 has six schools: four serving kindergarten through grade 5, one serving grades 6–8 and one serving grades 9–12. The reported results vary widely across the area, with six-school averages below the state in English, math and science. The clearest overall finding is that Charles G. Emery Elementary leads the elementary schools in all three subjects, while other schools’ results are substantially lower.
Emery is the strongest all-around performer: its 2025–2026 proficiency rates were 73% in English, 71% in math and 52% in science, and it exceeded the next-highest school by 18, 29 and 8 percentage points, respectively. Gordon H. Beatty Middle also stands out, with 54% in English, 42% in math and 44% in science—above the supplied state rates in all three. At the other end, James A. Whitaker Elementary had the lowest results in every subject: 24% in English, 21% in math and 17% in science. Buena Park High has a mixed picture: its grade-11 results were below state rates in English, math and science by 8, 8 and 13 points, but its graduation rate was 96%, compared with 88% statewide.
Across the six schools, average proficiency rose from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026 by 5 points in English, 2 in math and 5 in science, though results did not improve everywhere: Whitaker’s math fell by 6 points, and Beatty’s English fell by 2. SchoolDigger ranks Emery highest among the elementary schools (89th percentile) and Whitaker lowest (12th percentile). All six schools report free/reduced lunch eligible (FRL) figures for 2024–2025; rates range from 55% at Emery to 94% at Carl E. Gilbert Elementary, while Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary outperformed both Whitaker and Gilbert in all three subjects despite an 88% FRL rate. These All Grades results combine different grade spans, so they are not direct same-grade comparisons.
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