Ben Lomond Elementary, Covina CA

Original Research by School Decision on Ben Lomond Elementary

Ben Lomond Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Covina, a mid-sized residential city in the East San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles. The school enrolls a small to moderate number of students, with a stable distribution across the grade span. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment that reflects the community's demographic makeup. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating the school serves families with limited economic resources.

On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, Ben Lomond's proficiency results were below the middle range for schools across Los Angeles County. In English language arts, the school reported moderate proficiency in grade five, with somewhat lower results in grade three and around middle range in grade four. In mathematics, proficiency was consistently in the low to mid range across tested grades three through five. In science, where only grade five is tested, the result was below the middle range. When proficiency rates are averaged across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall performance sits below the median for county schools.

The school has only one year of available state testing data, so no trend information is available to assess whether performance is improving, declining, or stable. This single year of data means patterns cannot yet be determined.

Ben Lomond is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school. It is located within the Covina-Valley Unified School District, which operates K-12 dual language immersion pathways in Spanish and Mandarin, with the Spanish program beginning at Manzanita Elementary and flowing through to Northview High. The district also recently launched an Early College Pathway at Covina High allowing students to earn college credit during high school. These programs are not necessarily available at every elementary school in the district, and a parent would want to inquire directly whether Ben Lomond participates in or articulates to any of these offerings.

Covina itself is a walkable, established residential community with a historic downtown centered on Citrus Avenue, home to local shops, restaurants, and community events. Neighborhoods outside downtown retain a suburban feel, with much of the housing stock from the mid-20th century. The city is pursuing housing growth and transit-oriented development near its Metrolink station, which connects commuters to downtown Los Angeles. Housing values in the Covina zip code are moderate for Los Angeles County, and rental prices have risen notably in recent years. The area is served by public schools and community anchors including the library, parks, and the Metrolink station.

For a family considering Ben Lomond, the question is whether its current academic performance aligns with their expectations and whether the school's support systems can help students reach proficiency. The school serves a community with substantial economic need. With only one year of state data on hand, a parent may want to look into the school's approach to reading and math instruction, any tutoring or intervention programs in place, and how the school is addressing performance in these foundational subjects. Asking the school directly about its academic priorities, recent changes, and plans for improvement would provide clearer insight than the single snapshot that state testing provides.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 57% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 46% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 42% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 53% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 49% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 59% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 39% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolCovina-Valley 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-income34%Higher-income47%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income56%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income67%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income40%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income65%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income50%21 pp gap