Best Public Schools in Zip Code 90804

This analysis examines six public schools in zip code 90804, part of Long Beach, California, which include three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools, all within the Long Beach Unified district serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population.

Among these schools, Bryant Elementary stands out as the top performer with the highest academic rankings and test scores, particularly in math, despite a high rate of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Richard D. Browning High shows remarkable improvement and boasts an exceptional graduation rate of 98.2%, though its standardized test scores are lower than the larger Wilson High. Jefferson Leadership Academies serves as a consistent and stable middle school with strong English Language Arts performance.

A key challenge across most schools is chronic absenteeism, which is above state averages and correlates with lower academic performance, as seen at Willard Elementary. Willard has the lowest rank and proficiency scores in the group, alongside the highest student-teacher ratio. The data suggests that higher per-student spending, as seen at Bryant Elementary, is associated with better outcomes, and that smaller school environments like Browning High can achieve excellent student retention even when test scores are a challenge.