The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Albert Baxter Elementary
Albert Baxter Elementary sits on Cerritos Avenue in Bellflower, a densely built working-class suburb in southeast Los Angeles County where midcentury ranch homes line residential streets and most residents rent rather than own. The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade within Bellflower Unified School District.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, and white students making up smaller shares. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the surrounding neighborhood. Data on English learner rates and special education identification rates were not available in what was provided.
On the most recent California state assessments, math proficiency holds up reasonably well in the lower grades before dropping off by sixth grade, where well under half of students are meeting the standard. English language arts scores run below the math figures across most grades, landing in a range where roughly two in five students are proficient. Fifth-grade science results are considerably lower still, with only about one in five students scoring proficient on the California Science Test. Across tested subjects and grades combined, the school sits just below the midpoint relative to districts in Los Angeles County. Only one year of data is available, so trend direction cannot be assessed. A parent who wants to understand how the school is addressing these gaps, particularly in ELA and science, may want to ask the school directly.
One district-level matter deserves a parent's attention. A California State Auditor report released in 2022 found that Bellflower Unified had accumulated substantial unassigned reserves while failing to deliver legally required services to students, especially those with disabilities, and had misrepresented its finances to the board and the public. The state imposed corrective deadlines, and publicly reported follow-up indicates the district has since adopted new budget transparency practices. Families of students with IEPs or who may need special education evaluations should ask the district directly about current compliance and service delivery.
On a more practical note, the district has expanded its Expanded Learning Program to every elementary and middle school, publicly reported as offering before-school care, after-school programming through early evening, and coverage on select non-school days, all at no cost to families, with meals and homework help included. For working families, this functions as district-provided wraparound care. The district also publicly reports providing students free, unlimited Metro bus and rail access through the GoPass program, which removes a transportation cost entirely.
The neighborhood around the school is walkable mainly in the downtown corridor along Bellflower Boulevard, which features a weekly farmers market, an outdoor food hall, and streetscape improvements the city has invested in over recent years. The school itself sits in the residential fabric away from that commercial core. Bellflower is pursuing transit-oriented mixed-use development tied to a planned light rail corridor, suggesting the area is in an active growth phase, though the character remains predominantly residential for now.
Home prices in the zip code are well above both state and national medians, and rents consume a substantial share of income relative to national norms, meaning the housing market here carries real affordability pressure. Rents have risen modestly year over year.
Program details specific to Albert Baxter, including extracurriculars, staffing ratios, attendance rates, and any school-level academic interventions, were not available in the data. Families considering the school would benefit from a direct conversation with the principal about how the school is supporting students whose test scores fall below proficiency and what the student support structure looks like day to day.
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