The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Aspire Juanita Tate Academy Charter
Aspire Juanita Tate Academy Charter sits on West 59th Street in South Los Angeles, serving kindergarten through sixth grade as part of the broader Aspire Public Schools network. It is an independent charter school authorized by the LAUSD Board, and publicly reported information indicates that board renewed the charter for a five-year term running through 2026, meaning the school's authorization is stable for families making near-term enrollment decisions.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black students and students identifying as two or more races. Nearly every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this squarely in the category of a high-poverty urban elementary school. IEP and English learner rates were not available in the data provided.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed and worth a close look. English language arts results are stronger, particularly at third and sixth grade, where well over half of tested students scored proficient. Fourth and fifth grade ELA results fall noticeably, sitting in the upper-twenties to mid-thirties range. Math is weaker across the board: third, fourth, and fifth grade proficiency rates are all in the mid-to-upper twenties, below the midpoint for tested grades, though sixth grade math climbs closer to two-fifths of students scoring proficient. Science, tested at fifth grade, shows a low proficiency rate. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Los Angeles County, a position parents should weigh and discuss directly with the school, particularly around what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks. Only a single year of data was available, so trend direction cannot be assessed.
There are a few structural developments worth noting. In early 2023, the LAUSD Board approved a substantial facilities upgrade project for the Juanita Tate Elementary campus that Aspire shares with two other Aspire schools and a Green Dot school, a physical investment that should improve the shared campus over time. The school has also publicly posted a California Community Schools Partnership Program implementation plan and an expanded learning program, signaling a move toward a community-schools model with wraparound family supports and extended learning hours. Separately, publicly reported coverage from EdSurge described how the Aspire Los Angeles network addressed post-pandemic teacher attrition by building an internal teacher pipeline through Alder Graduate School of Education, which raised retention rates substantially, with the largest gains in special education. For a school serving this population, instructional continuity matters, and that reported improvement is worth asking about when visiting.
Programs data was not available beyond what is publicly reported above, so families should contact the school directly about enrichment, intervention, and support offerings.
The surrounding neighborhood is part of a city undergoing active rezoning and housing development, though home values in this zip code are well below the California statewide median, and rents have been essentially flat over the past year. Los Angeles's transit infrastructure, including Metro rail and buses, makes the area reachable without a car, though the school sits in a part of the city far from the walkable corridors of the Westside or downtown.
For a family in South Los Angeles weighing a TK-6 charter option, Aspire Juanita Tate offers a stable authorization, a campus receiving physical upgrades, and a network-level commitment to teacher retention and community-schools programming. The academic proficiency data, especially in math and science, reflects genuine challenges that any enrolling family should ask the school to address concretely.
See more original research from School Decision →