Hacienda La Puente Unified, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Hacienda La Puente Unified

Hacienda la Puente Unified serves a large district across multiple communities in Los Angeles County, including La Puente, Hacienda Heights, and surrounding areas. The district is experiencing structural change that families in the area should understand.

The district enrolled a substantial student body spanning kindergarten through twelfth grade across both elementary and secondary campuses. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a meaningful Asian student population and smaller percentages of other groups. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, but the district serves a working-class region where housing values and rental costs sit in the moderate range for Los Angeles County, with most homes purchased at prices typical of suburban communities and rents reflecting the broader regional market.

In November 2023, the district approved a Reconfiguration Plan that closed four schools at the end of the 2023-24 school year: Bixby Elementary, Del Valle Elementary, Sunset Elementary, and Los Robles Academy. Some middle school students were relocated. The district cited declining enrollment as the reason. This is a permanent change to the school landscape. Enrollment is publicly reported to be projecting further declines through the remainder of the decade, which suggests families should expect the possibility of additional consolidations. For students affected by these closures, the district opened enrollment transfers during specific windows in late 2023 and early 2024.

On academics, the most recent state assessment data shows mixed results across subjects and grades. In English Language Arts, students performed at roughly half proficiency district-wide, with some grades performing slightly above that and others below. Mathematics proficiency was lower, with the district-wide average around forty percent proficiency. Science proficiency, measured at two grade levels, fell below thirty percent. These performance levels position the district below the midpoint among Los Angeles County districts when proficiency is averaged across subjects and grades. State assessment methodology changed in recent years, so trend comparison over time is limited by the data available.

The district has adopted an Intersectional Ethnic Studies curriculum as a required component for all students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, with the curriculum integrated across multiple disciplines. Ethnic Studies is expanding toward a graduation requirement, and course offerings in ethnic studies, English, Spanish, and film studies have been widened in high schools. This is a district-wide pedagogical choice families will encounter.

Chronic absenteeism in the district is somewhat better than the county median, though it remains a notable factor in student engagement. Per-pupil spending is in the lower-to-middle range among county districts.

The district's governance changed beginning with the 2022 election, moving from at-large board elections to trustee-area elections under California Voting Rights Act compliance. This means each residential area in the district now has a dedicated trustee representative.

A parent evaluating this district should weigh the academic performance data alongside the schools' specific offerings and the ongoing enrollment pressures that may reshape which campuses serve their neighborhood. The ethnic studies curriculum and its expanding role across grades and subjects is a defining feature of the district's instructional approach.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

15,767

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 73%

Black 1%

White 2%

Asian 21%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

45%

—

Gr 3

42%

66%

Gr 4

38%

64%

Gr 5

44%

70%

Gr 6

40%

68%

Gr 7

50%

67%

Gr 8

47%

66%

Gr 11

54%

—

Math

Gr ALL

34%

—

Gr 3

46%

72%

Gr 4

39%

62%

Gr 5

31%

60%

Gr 6

29%

56%

Gr 7

36%

53%

Gr 8

30%

52%

Gr 11

31%

—

Science

Gr ALL

23%

—

Gr 5

26%

49%

Gr 8

25%

48%

Gr 11

25%

—

Gr 12

—

Gr HS

25%

—

Gr UG_SEC

24%

—

Schools in this District

35 schools are officially reported under this district.

Baldwin Academy

Bixby Elementary

California Elementary

Los Molinos Elementary

Valinda School of Academics

Valley Alternative High (Continuation)

Wedgeworth Elementary

Grandview College Preparatory Academy

Cedarlane Academy

Palm Canyon

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

52%

Grade 3

46%

Grade 4

38%

Grade 5

35%

Grade 6

40%

Grade 7

35%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

48%

Grade 3

45%

Grade 4

50%

Grade 5

47%

Grade 6

54%

Grade 7

52%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

32%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

60%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$885,232

Year-over-year change+0.8%

Range across 8 ZIP codes$744K to $968K

vs. state typical1.14x

vs. national typical2.40x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (8 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
91745	Hacienda Heights	$966K	+1.4%	60.6%
91744	La Puente	$744K	-0.3%	28.0%
91746	La Puente	$763K	+0.6%	8.5%
91748	Rowland Heights	$968K	+0.0%	1.9%
91792	West Covina	$820K	-0.3%	0.9%
90631	La Habra	$942K	-0.0%	0.1%
90601	Whittier	$865K	+0.7%	0.0%
90602	Whittier	$854K	+1.1%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,972/mo

Year-over-year change+4.0%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$2,172 to $3,283/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
91745	Hacienda Heights	$3,283	+1.1%	60.6%
91744	La Puente	$2,333	+9.9%	28.0%
91748	Rowland Heights	$2,761	+8.6%	1.9%
91792	West Covina	$2,457	+4.2%	0.9%
90631	La Habra	$2,646	+3.4%	0.1%
90601	Whittier	$2,331	+2.7%	0.0%
90602	Whittier	$2,172	+5.3%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$4,467/mo

Home price / national median income10.6x

Annual rent / national median income42.6%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,495/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.