Santa Monica Boulevard Community Charter, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Santa Monica Boulevard Community Charter

Santa Monica Boulevard Community Charter is a small, independent public charter school in central Los Angeles serving kindergarten through sixth grade. The school sits on North Van Ness Avenue in a densely populated part of the city where most families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and the student body is predominantly Hispanic. The school's recent charter renewal for 2025 through 2030 means it will continue to operate as a one-school district authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Academically, the school is working in a challenging context. The most recent state test results show proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint when compared against other districts in Los Angeles County. In math, overall proficiency sits in the low range, with third and fourth graders showing particularly low performance. Fifth and sixth grade students perform somewhat better in math, with sixth graders reaching about half proficient. In English language arts, third and fourth graders again show lower proficiency, while proficiency rises in the upper grades, with sixth graders reaching closer to adequate levels. In the one science result available (fifth grade), proficiency is low. A parent may want to look into the school's current instructional supports and remediation strategies, and how the school is working to close gaps in the lower grades.

The school is small, with roughly enrollment spread fairly evenly across grades kindergarten through sixth. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and nearly all students are Hispanic. The school's published instructional approach emphasizes social-emotional learning, community involvement, and inclusive teaching, and the school offers a Gifted & Talented program. These priorities may appeal to families seeking a school that places as much weight on student wellbeing and character as on test preparation.

The neighborhood is deeply urban and walkable, with dense mixed-use blocks and access to Metro bus and transit lines. Housing costs in the surrounding Los Angeles zip code are high relative to the state average, though rents and home values have declined modestly over the past year. The broader city context is one of active growth and housing development, with the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods in active transformation. The school serves Los Angeles families who live and work across the sprawling city, drawing enrollment from throughout LAUSD's territory with enrollment preference for current students and district residents.

One consideration: the school has only one year of recent test data available, making it difficult to assess whether performance is stable or changing. Families considering the school would benefit from speaking directly with the school about its academic trajectory, student support systems, and specific instructional changes underway in the early grades where proficiency gaps are widest.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 652%

School 52% · district not reported

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 434%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.