North Park Academy of the Arts, Pico Rivera CA

Original Research by School Decision on North Park Academy of the Arts

North Park Academy of the Arts is a middle school serving grades six through eight in Pico Rivera, a predominantly Hispanic, working-and-middle-income city about thirteen miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The school enrolls a small cohort of students, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the vast majority identify as Hispanic or Latino. The school is part of El Rancho Unified, which recently expanded career-connected learning at the high school level and established a guaranteed-admission partnership with the University of La Verne for graduates, though it does not operate the specialized magnet prep academy that previously existed in the district.

North Park's state assessment results show proficiency rates that are notably below the state median. In English language arts, students across all grades tested averaged proficiency in the low range, with sixth and eighth grades performing lower than seventh grade. Mathematics proficiency was particularly low, with sixth and eighth grades near or at very low marks and seventh grade somewhat higher. Science proficiency for eighth grade was also low. A social studies result from an earlier state assessment showed a moderate proficiency rate. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other schools in Los Angeles County. These results suggest students are encountering significant academic challenges across core subjects, and a parent may want to look into what supports the school has in place and what learning strategies it is deploying to address these gaps.

The school is located in Pico Rivera, a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial city that grew from agricultural land into a postwar bedroom community between two rivers. The area is auto-oriented overall, though the city is actively building pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure through an Urban Greening Plan and a transit-oriented development initiative centered on the Washington and Rosemead Boulevards corridors. That development plan aims to add up to several thousand new residential units and significant non-residential space, anchored by a planned Metro light rail stop and bus rapid transit line, signaling meaningful economic and transportation change ahead. The local economy is anchored in healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, with major employers including the school district itself, retailers like Walmart and Target, and manufacturers such as BakeMark. Housing costs in the area are moderate relative to California but high relative to national benchmarks, with an estimated mortgage significantly higher than monthly rent.

Pico Rivera offers an extensive parks system, county-run library, and Los Angeles Metro bus service, along with Metrolink rail access via the nearby Commerce station. The city has no traditional downtown but is pursuing a mixed-use downtown specific plan and continues mixed-use residential development, including townhome communities. Daily services—library, police, fire—are provided through county contracts. For students and families, transportation via bus and dial-a-ride services is available, though the city's auto-oriented character means many trips require a car.

The school serves a population facing economic constraints. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the working-and-middle-income character of the neighborhood. No data on English learner or special education enrollment was available. Without additional information on the school's instructional model, staffing, course breadth, or particular programs, a parent would benefit from visiting the school or contacting the district directly to understand what academic supports, enrichment, or specialized pathways the school offers and how it is working to move students toward proficiency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 23% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 25% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 27% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 33% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 734%

School 34% · District 39% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 32% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Science

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 20% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 53% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

This schoolEl Rancho 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 6Lower-income22%Higher-income40%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income42%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income23%Higher-income35%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income31%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income26%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income11%Higher-income18%6 pp gap