Esther Lindstrom Elementary, Lakewood CA

Original Research by School Decision on Esther Lindstrom Elementary

Esther Lindstrom Elementary sits on Canehill Street in Lakewood, a postwar planned suburb in southern Los Angeles County built originally as a model of single-family residential living. The neighborhood fabric is quiet and car-dependent, organized around tree-lined residential streets, neighborhood parks, and retail concentrated on main thoroughfares. The school is part of Bellflower Unified, which covers a portion of Lakewood alongside Long Beach Unified and a few other districts that divide the city.

The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade and draws a genuinely diverse student body. Hispanic students make up the largest share of enrollment, followed by Black, white, and Asian students, with multiracial and Pacific Islander students also present. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Lindstrom in the higher end of economic need for a school of its type. Data on English learner enrollment and students receiving special education services were not available in the records we reviewed.

State test results from the most recent year come from the CAASPP assessments in English language arts, math, and science. Across the tested grades, math proficiency lands in a range that stays roughly in the lower third to just above it, with sixth graders performing somewhat better than the younger grades. English language arts tells a similar story in the lower grades, though sixth-grade ELA proficiency rises noticeably, reaching well past the school's overall average. Science, tested at fifth grade only, comes in below the school's averages in the other subjects. Looking at the school's overall proficiency index against other districts in Los Angeles County, Lindstrom sits below the midpoint of that comparison set. These results are worth taking seriously, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about what academic support structures are in place, which programs are targeted at specific grade levels, and how the school tracks student progress over time. Only a single year of data is available, so trend information cannot yet be drawn.

Because Lindstrom serves only kindergarten through sixth grade, graduation rate data does not apply here.

The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and no magnet designation was noted in the data.

Families considering the district more broadly should know several things. A California State Auditor report released in 2022 found that Bellflower Unified had accumulated reserves well beyond state requirements while failing to deliver legally required services to students, particularly those with disabilities, and had misrepresented its finances. The state imposed corrective deadlines, and the district has since reported adopting new budgeting and transparency practices, including regular board reporting on actual spending against budget. This is publicly reported and worth reviewing for any family with a child who has or may need an IEP.

On the more encouraging side, the district has expanded its free Expanded Learning Program to all elementary and middle schools. The program provides before-school and after-school care running into the early evening, with meals, homework support, and enrichment at no cost to families. For working parents, that is a real practical asset. The district also participates in the LA Metro GoPass program, providing students with free, unlimited access to Metro bus and rail, which removes a transportation cost and adds flexibility for older students and families.

The housing market around Lindstrom reflects Lakewood's broader position in the Los Angeles metro. Home values in the area are well above both the state median and the national median, with recent appreciation that, while modest, is positive. Rents are also high relative to national norms, and the estimated monthly cost of ownership runs substantially above what most national income benchmarks would suggest is comfortable. Lakewood is undergoing some development pressure, with infill projects, accessory dwelling units, and the high-profile redevelopment of the Lakewood Center mall site, where new owners are planning a mixed-use district with housing, retail, and green space.

For a family weighing Esther Lindstrom Elementary, the peer environment is diverse and the community is physically stable and suburban. The free expanded learning program is a meaningful support. The academic results to date sit below the county midpoint, and the district's recent history with special education services is something families in that position should investigate directly before enrolling.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 45% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 33% · ▲ 5 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 32% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 32% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 40% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 47% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 48% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 26%

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

This schoolBellflower 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-income28%Higher-income33%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income22%Higher-income52%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income55%16 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income54%Higher-income71%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income28%Higher-income48%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income52%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income42%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income55%17 pp gap