Original Research by School Decision on We the People High District
We the People High District operates a single small public charter high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Long Beach. The district itself functions as the charter operator for this one school, making it an unusually narrow educational entity—there is no district in the traditional sense with multiple schools and neighborhoods.
The enrollment is very small, with students distributed unevenly across the grade levels. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share who are Black, and a small number of students of Asian descent or multiracial background. No white students are enrolled. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, English learners, and students with Individualized Education Programs were not available, so a parent cannot yet know the full picture of economic need or support services from this report.
State academic proficiency data for the district were not provided, so there is no way to assess how students are performing in English Language Arts, Mathematics, or other tested subjects from the materials here. The graduation rate is also not available in this report. However, the district's chronic absenteeism rate places it in the bottom quartile among Los Angeles County's districts, a significant concern. Per-pupil spending is in the upper range for the county, meaning resources devoted to each student are relatively high.
The most consequential fact for any family considering this school is this: publicly reported sources indicate that in mid-2024 the school announced it may be closing. The school operates under a time-limited charter authorization from the Los Angeles County Office of Education. That authorization was extended due to the pandemic, putting a renewal decision at the center of the school's future. Any parent enrolling a child here should confirm the current status of the charter petition and authorization directly with the school and county office, since closure would mean no high school option within the district.
Beyond the closure question, the school has operated with very small enrollment, also a practical concern for high school experience and course breadth. A parent may want to look into the actual program offerings, course catalog, extracurricular options, and staffing detail with the school directly, since small size shapes what is possible.
See more original research from School Decision →