Original Research by School Decision on Russell Westbrook Why Not? Middle District
Russell Westbrook Why Not? Middle District is a small district in Los Angeles County serving grades six through eight. It operates a single school, Russell Westbrook Why Not? Middle, which recently moved to a new, purpose-built campus in South Gate as part of a larger transformation of the academy.
The school itself represents a shift in programming. What was formerly LA Promise Charter Middle School is now part of the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy, a community-school initiative backed by the athlete and his foundation. The rebranding brought structural changes to what the school offers families. The academy now operates around a community-school model emphasizing wrap-around supports, dual-enrollment pathways with community colleges, wellness and mental-health programming, and enrichment in athletics and STEM. The middle school portion relocates each year alongside high school students, united as of the recent school year in a renovated facility in South Gate that includes science labs, a film studio, library, student lounge, and two wellness centers.
Enrollment is small, with roughly a hundred and thirty students across the three middle grades. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share also identifying as Black, and very little racial diversity beyond those two groups. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with IEPs, and English learners were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and what support is in place.
State testing data were not available for this district, so it is not possible to report on proficiency levels or academic trends. This gap often reflects the nature of the district or school; a parent seeking academic performance information should contact the school to understand how students are tracking.
Among Los Angeles County's districts, the school faces a significant chronic absenteeism challenge. The attendance data shows a rate in the bottom quartile, well above the county median, suggesting that getting students into the building regularly is an area the school is managing. On the spending side, the district allocates per-pupil resources in the upper range for the county, which aligns with the investment in new facilities and wrap-around programming.
A parent considering this school would be weighing the appeal of a smaller setting with explicit focus on career pathways, community partnerships, and student wellness alongside the recent campus expansion and modern facilities. The attendance pattern is worth probing directly with the school to understand what retention strategies are underway and what barriers students face. Academic performance data from the school itself would help round out the picture of what the learning environment delivers.
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