Original Research by School Decision on Camino Nuevo Elementary #3 District
Camino Nuevo Elementary #3 is a small charter school operated within the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy network and authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District. It serves students from Transitional Kindergarten through eighth grade, operating a dual language program in English and Spanish as its core instructional model. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with enrollment distributed across the grade bands.
The school's defining feature is a comprehensive biliteracy pathway. Instruction begins in Transitional Kindergarten as a full-day dual language program and continues through the elementary and middle grades with a structured approach to reading and writing in both languages. Kindergarten emphasizes oral language development through read-alouds and shared reading, with foundational English phonics instruction. By grades 1 through 3, the curriculum is designed so that students build proficiency to read, write, and communicate in Spanish and English. This approach is not a pullout program or an elective; it is embedded in daily instruction and reflects what the school describes as its top priority of ensuring every child becomes an avid reader. Families choosing this school are explicitly selecting a bilingual academic pathway, not a traditional English-only program.
State assessment data and proficiency metrics were not available for this school, so a parent cannot compare its academic performance to other Los Angeles County schools using test scores. This is a gap worth asking the school about directly. The school does report a chronic absenteeism rate that places it in the bottom quartile among county districts, meaning a substantial share of students are missing significant school time. Per-pupil spending is in the lower-middle range for the county, reflecting the school's size and charter operating model.
In December of the past year, the school's governing board received a Notice to Cure from LAUSD's Charter Schools Division related to a student expulsion process that did not follow applicable district policies. Oversight documents also flag governance concerns. Because charter schools operate under renewable authorization and must maintain good standing with their authorizing district, this is a current accountability matter that affects the school's operational stability. A parent would be wise to discuss with the school what changes have been made and how the board is addressing the issues cited.
The school is part of a network with a stated commitment to foundational literacy and bilingual competency, and the Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade span allows families to enroll young children and follow a continuous pathway. However, the combination of missing academic performance data, elevated absenteeism, and the recent governance notice suggests this is a school where a parent should ask detailed questions about instruction, student progress monitoring, and the school's response plan to the district's oversight action before committing enrollment.
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