Henry Dalton Elementary, Azusa CA

Original Research by School Decision on Henry Dalton Elementary

Henry Dalton Elementary is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school in Azusa, a growing San Gabriel Valley city at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. The school serves roughly a third of the way up to four hundred students, with enrollment fairly balanced across grades.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Demographic data on English learners was not available in the records provided, though given the community composition this may be a meaningful student population to ask the school about directly.

Academic performance across the school sits in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Los Angeles County districts on proficiency measures. In third and fourth grade, proficiency in both math and English language arts hovers in the range where roughly one in four to one in three students demonstrate proficiency. Fifth grade shows more strength in reading, where about half the students are proficient, though math proficiency at that level is under half. In science at fifth grade, proficiency drops notably lower. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it near the lower end of the county comparison. A parent may want to look into the school's literacy and math support systems in the early grades, and what interventions are available for students not yet meeting grade-level standards.

The school sits within Azusa Unified, a district that has experienced sustained enrollment decline over the past two decades and carried out a major reorganization by the 2023-24 school year, consolidating and closing multiple campuses. That context shapes what the district can offer. Henry Dalton remains open, but the broader shrinkage and facility consolidation is the backdrop to any family considering Azusa Unified schools.

Azusa itself is in a period of deliberate revitalization. Downtown has seen new mixed-use development anchored by transit, including a recent theater-anchored mixed-use project and expanded retail and restaurant space. Two light rail stations opened in the city in recent years. Much of the city remains auto-oriented, though downtown and the immediate neighborhoods are becoming more walkable. The San Gabriel Mountains frame the city to the north. Housing values are substantial for Los Angeles County, and rental costs have grown notably in the past year or so. The city has a mixed economic base: aerospace and defense manufacturing on the west side, higher education at Azusa Pacific University and Citrus College, and health care and retail employment for residents.

The school's location on East 10th Street places it in a neighborhood setting typical of Azusa's residential grid, likely accessible by car and potentially by foot or bike depending on the exact proximity of the family's home. Asking the school about before-and-after care, transportation options, and how students move around the neighborhood would be natural next steps for a family considering enrollment.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 27% · ▲ 11 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 25% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 31% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 30% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 34% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 20% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolAzusa 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 4Lower-income29%Higher-income23%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income39%2 pp gap