Oak Mesa Elementary, La Verne CA

Original Research by School Decision on Oak Mesa Elementary

Oak Mesa Elementary is a small, publicly operated school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in La Verne, a residential suburb about thirty miles east of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley foothills. The school draws students from a diverse neighborhood; the student body includes substantial populations of White, Hispanic, and Asian students, with a smaller mixed-race population. About one in six students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

In state testing, Oak Mesa shows solid academic performance across both math and English language arts. In math, third graders and fourth graders perform above the mid-proficiency range, while fifth-grade math proficiency drops somewhat, settling into the lower proficiency zone. English language arts is stronger across grades three and four at mid-proficiency or above, with fifth-grade proficiency pushing higher. The school's only reported science result, for fifth grade, falls into the lower-proficiency range. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, Oak Mesa sits in the top quartile among schools in Los Angeles County, a meaningful strength.

The school's overall academic posture is one of broader-based competency. In both major subjects, a substantial share of students reach proficiency in grades three and four. The fifth-grade softening in math and the lower science result suggest that more complex, abstract content may be a pressure point as students move up, and a parent may want to explore with the school how those transitions are being managed and what support exists for students who struggle there.

Enrollment is small and stable, distributed fairly evenly across grades, with a notably larger kindergarten cohort. The school has not reported rates of students with individualized education plans or English learners, so the parent makeup of those populations is not available here.

La Verne itself is experiencing growth tied to the newly opened Metro A Line light rail station, with housing development and transit-oriented redevelopment around the historic downtown and University of La Verne. Housing values in the zipcode are substantial, and rents reflect the broader regional market. The community includes a significant senior population alongside newer families with school-age children. Schools are integrated into civic and community life through shared-use agreements; the city operates joint facilities with the school district and university, including parks and sports amenities. The city has a walkable downtown core, though most residents rely on cars for daily travel.

Oak Mesa's parent district, Bonita Unified, is preparing for a bond measure vote on school facility repairs and upgrades, with lasting implications for property tax obligations. The district is also moving into ethnic studies coursework at the secondary level, aligned with upcoming state graduation requirements. Data on staffing, attendance, or discipline was not available for the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 77% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 483%

School 83% · District 70% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 63% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 377%

School 77% · District 70% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 478%

School 78% · District 67% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 586%

School 86% · District 74% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Science

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 54% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

This schoolBonita 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-income71%Higher-income78%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income70%Higher-income81%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income83%Higher-income88%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income81%Higher-income86%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income82%Higher-income83%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income59%Higher-income77%18 pp gap