Burbank (luther) Elementary, Artesia CA

Original Research by School Decision on Burbank (luther) Elementary

Burbank (Luther) Elementary is a small public elementary school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Artesia, a dense, immigrant-majority residential city about twenty miles southeast of central Los Angeles in ABC Unified School District. The school enrolls a student body that is nearly half Hispanic, about a third Asian, and the remainder split among Black, white, and multiracial students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the neighborhood. The school's enrollment is modest and stable, with roughly equal cohorts across the grade span.

Academically, Burbank (Luther) sits below the midpoint for proficiency compared to other schools in Los Angeles County. On California's 2024-25 state assessments in English language arts, the school's overall proficiency sits at roughly just under half across all tested grades, with sixth grade performing notably stronger (around two-thirds of students proficient) while third grade clusters lower. In mathematics, proficiency is lower across the board, with overall achievement in the high-thirties percentage-wise, and fifth grade showing the softest results. Science proficiency in the tested grade (fifth) is in the low-thirties. The school has only one year of assessment data, so trend information is not available. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to math instruction and support, given the gap between English and math performance, and to ask what interventions or targeted help are in place for younger elementary grades where proficiency dips below the upper grades.

The school is located on Roseton Avenue in a neighborhood with tree-lined streets and single-family and multifamily housing typical of Artesia's residential character. Artesia itself is a small, tightly knit city with a strong commercial and cultural spine along Pioneer Boulevard, anchored by the Little India district—the largest Indian enclave in Southern California, with dense retail, restaurants, and markets that draw both residents and visitors. The city has a notably immigrant population; nearly half of residents were born outside the United States. Civic life centers on Artesia Park and the nearby county library, a recently rebuilt LEED-certified facility that serves as a community anchor. Transportation within the city is car-dependent except along Pioneer Boulevard's walkable restaurant and retail core; bus service connects the city to the broader LA metro. A major transit investment, the Southeast Gateway Line light rail, is planned to connect Artesia to Downtown LA via a terminus just north of Pioneer Boulevard, though the timeline remains uncertain and costs have escalated.

Housing in the area is moderately expensive for Los Angeles County; home prices sit above the state benchmark and rents are substantial relative to local household income. The city is in a modest redevelopment phase, with new townhome and mixed-use projects converting former industrial sites near Pioneer Boulevard. The local economy is largely a commuter one, with only a small share of residents working within city limits; education and retail are the largest in-city employment sectors, anchored by ABC Unified and the Pioneer Boulevard commercial strip.

Burbank (Luther) serves a community where elementary school is nearby and walkable, civic institutions are concentrated and accessible, and the neighborhood carries a strong immigrant and working-family character. The question for a family considering the school is whether the current academic profile and the school's plan to lift performance in math and early grades align with their child's needs and what additional academic or language support the school provides.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 63% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 56% · ▼ 18 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 52% · ▼ 21 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 55% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 58% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 59% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 65% · ▼ 20 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 69% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 48% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

This schoolABC Unified, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income36%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income59%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income75%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income63%Higher-income67%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income43%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income34%Higher-income47%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income50%26 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income56%14 pp gap