Magnolia Science Academy, Reseda CA

Original Research by School Decision on Magnolia Science Academy

Magnolia Science Academy is a charter school serving grades six through twelve in Reseda, a dense, multicultural San Fernando Valley neighborhood. The school draws students predominantly from the immediate area, a residential community built out during postwar suburban expansion and now experiencing renewed development around its commercial corridors along Reseda Boulevard and Sherman Way.

The school's enrollment is small by district standards, with students spread across seven grades. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Asian and white students. No data was available on the rate of students with individualized education plans or English learners, which is a common data gap for charter schools in California.

Academically, the school's state test results show low proficiency across subjects. In English and Language Arts, the seventh and eighth grades achieved higher proficiency than the sixth grade, but overall proficiency remains well below the state median. Math proficiency is notably lower than English, with no grade showing proficiency above the low to mid-range. Science proficiency, measured in eighth grade only, is the lowest of the three subjects. When proficiency is averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school ranks in the bottom quartile among the county's districts with available data. Only one year of state testing data was available, so trend information could not be assessed.

The school does not report a four-year graduation rate in the available data, nor does it report chronic absenteeism. These gaps likely reflect the fact that the school is relatively new to its current form or that data collection practices differ from traditional public schools; parents may want to reach out to the school directly about college-readiness and attendance patterns.

The district recently underwent a strategic reframing. In December 2024, the school's charter was renewed by the Los Angeles County Office of Education for a new five-year term, securing its continued operation through 2030. At the same time, the program identity shifted from a STEM focus to a STEAM model explicitly adding the Arts, with a college-preparatory, whole-child framing now central to the mission. This signals a deliberate change in what families should expect from the curriculum and school culture. The network also received a competitive federal grant in April 2024 to replicate and expand its model, with Magnolia Public Schools as one of only three awardees in the state, suggesting new resources and intended growth.

Reseda itself is a moderately walkable neighborhood with a small commercial center anchored by Sherman Way and Reseda Boulevard, where civic anchors include Reseda Park, a regional library, and transit via the Metro G Line bus rapid transit. Housing values in the zip code are above the state median, though the neighborhood's character remains solidly working to middle-class, with a mix of single-family homes, apartments, and bungalows. The area is on a redevelopment trajectory, with new housing projects and infrastructure improvements underway along the main corridors.

For a family considering this school, the academic profile shows students performing substantially below the state median in tested subjects. The charter renewal provides stability going forward, and the shift toward STEAM with emphasis on college preparatory work represents a specific pedagogical commitment the school is making. The small enrollment and location in a real neighborhood, rather than an isolated campus setting, may appeal to families seeking a close-knit environment. Parents evaluating this school will want to look more deeply into attendance and college-readiness outcomes, which are not in the available data, and to speak with current families about what the STEAM approach and whole-child mission look like in practice.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 74 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 623%

School 23% · district not reported

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

Grade 725%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 824%

School 24% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 622%

School 22% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 735%

School 35% · district not reported

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

Grade 834%

School 34% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 817%

School 17% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 7 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income24%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income34%Higher-income35%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income61%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income29%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income41%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income44%24 pp gap