Highland Elementary, Inglewood CA

Original Research by School Decision on Highland Elementary

Highland Elementary is a neighborhood school in Inglewood serving kindergarten through sixth grade, located on Venice Way. The school enrolls a small population, nearly all of whom come from families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with very small numbers of other racial and ethnic groups.

Academic performance at Highland is weak across the board. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from the mid-thirties to mid-forties across grades three through six. Mathematics shows steeper challenges, with proficiency in the mid-thirties for grades three through four but dropping sharply to just over half that rate by sixth grade. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, sits in the low teens. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools in Los Angeles County.

The Inglewood Unified School District, Highland's parent district, has been under state and county receivership since the early 2000s, meaning the elected school board has had no decision-making authority over that entire period. The district faces ongoing financial pressure from a state loan repayment obligation, declining enrollment, and chronic absenteeism. However, a state review was underway as of early 2026, and if it succeeds, local control could be restored as soon as 2027. This receivership context shapes the stability and direction of schools like Highland; a parent may want to understand where the district stands in that process and what local control might mean for school-level priorities and resources.

Inglewood itself is a densely urban area in southwestern Los Angeles County experiencing rapid change. The city has a strong African American cultural presence and is increasingly anchored by sports and entertainment venues, including SoFi Stadium, the Forum, and Intuit Dome. A new Metro K Line transit station opened in the downtown core, and multiple new apartment buildings are rising nearby. Housing values have climbed and remain high; rents are also substantial. The growth is creating both economic opportunity and displacement pressure, particularly for longtime residents in lower-income neighborhoods where much of the city's workforce lives.

Highland's location in residential Inglewood means the school sits within the community it serves, not on an isolated campus. The neighborhood has access to Edward Vincent Jr. Park, a large municipal green space with a pool, skate park, and trails, and to the Metro K Line transit corridor.

For families considering Highland, the most relevant context is that the school faces significant academic headwinds, particularly in mathematics and science, and serves a population nearly all of which qualifies for free or reduced-price meals. The district's long receivership history and ongoing financial constraints have real implications for resource allocation and stability. At the same time, the possibility of a return to local control in 2027 could mark a turning point in how decisions are made. A parent evaluating Highland would want to understand these dynamics alongside what specific supports the school offers and where it is targeting improvement.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 22% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 20% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 14% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 31% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 27% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 31% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 25% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 14% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

This schoolInglewood 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.