Verdugo Woodlands Elementary, Glendale CA

Original Research by School Decision on Verdugo Woodlands Elementary

Verdugo Woodlands Elementary is a neighborhood public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Glendale, a mid-sized city north of downtown Los Angeles with a strong entertainment and tech sector base. The school sits on the north side of the city near the Verdugo Mountains and draws families from surrounding residential areas.

The school's enrollment is small to mid-sized for an urban elementary school, with a racial composition that is predominantly white, with Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students representing the remainder. About one-third of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a mix of working and middle-class families in the attendance area. Data on the share of English learners and students with individualized education plans was not available.

In academic performance, Verdugo Woodlands shows proficiency results that are above the midpoint among elementary schools in Los Angeles County. On state assessments, students demonstrate stronger performance in English language arts, where students in grade five scored highest, while math proficiency is somewhat lower, particularly in grade four where the school shows a notable dip. Science proficiency, measured only in grade five, falls in the middle range. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index positions it in the top quartile of Los Angeles County schools, a meaningful strength. Only one year of assessment data is available, so trends cannot be assessed.

Glendale itself is economically vibrant but also expensive. The housing market is significantly above state and national medians, reflecting the city's desirability and proximity to Los Angeles. Rent is also high relative to national norms, and the rent-to-income ratio suggests housing costs consume a substantial share of household budgets in the area. This dynamic shapes the families who can afford to live near Verdugo Woodlands, though the school's free and reduced lunch rate shows economic diversity persists.

The school operates within Glendale Unified School District, which in recent years has made a major schedule change that affects secondary students. The district is also planning a significant facilities bond measure; families considering the area should be aware that if approved, this would add to property taxes. Within Glendale, the city has invested in walkability and parks, including the 31-acre Brand Park with trails and community facilities, and a transit network centered on the Glendale Transportation Center. The downtown area near Brand Boulevard is highly walkable, though Verdugo Woodlands sits in a quieter residential zone farther from the downtown core.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 60% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 59% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 52% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 55% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 58% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 61% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 575%

School 75% · District 62% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 61% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 44% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

This schoolGlendale 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-income52%Higher-income82%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income78%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income86%22 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income60%Higher-income73%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income76%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income63%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income76%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income55%Higher-income71%16 pp gap