Lakeview Elementary, Santa Fe Springs CA

Original Research by School Decision on Lakeview Elementary

Lakeview Elementary is a neighborhood public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Santa Fe Springs, a predominantly industrial city east of Los Angeles where warehouses and business parks dominate the landscape and only a small residential section—where the school sits—has a midcentury suburb character. The school enrolls a small student body drawn almost entirely from the surrounding residential community, with a large majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and the enrollment overwhelmingly Hispanic. The school is part of the Little Lake City Elementary School District, a small district of nine schools that recently navigated a labor dispute and significant facilities investment.

Lakeview's academic results show students working below proficiency in math and somewhat more solidly in English language arts. In the most recent state assessments, about half of third and fourth graders met proficiency standards in math, but the rate dropped to about one-third in fifth grade. English language arts shows a similar pattern, with roughly half meeting standards in third and fourth grades and then rising to about three-fifths in fifth. Science proficiency was notably lower, at about one-quarter of fifth graders. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school sits slightly above the midpoint of elementary schools in Los Angeles County, but the trajectory in math—declining notably in the upper grades—is worth attention. A parent may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for fifth graders transitioning to higher mathematics, and whether interventions strengthen during the intermediate grades.

The school's community context is economically stretched. Three-quarters of the student body qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and housing costs in the zip code run substantially above national norms, making affordability tight for working families. The city itself is investing in residential growth after decades as an industrial corridor, with housing development aimed at transit-oriented sites near the Metrolink station; this is slowly reshaping the character of the east-side neighborhoods where Lakeview draws its families. At the district level, voters backed a significant facilities bond in 2022 to address deferred maintenance—roof, bathroom, plumbing, electrical, and air quality upgrades across aging campuses—which carries a lasting property tax obligation but signals commitment to improving school conditions. A recent teachers' strike in April 2026 ended with gains on class-size protections and special education support, outcomes now embedded in the district's labor agreement.

Lakeview is a small, neighborhood-based elementary school with limited diversity in its student body and a high concentration of economic need. It sits in a working industrial area undergoing transition, serving families whose housing costs are pressing relative to income. The academic data suggests students are making partial progress toward grade-level standards but face gaps that widen in the upper elementary grades, particularly in mathematics. For a family considering this school, the fit depends on comfort with a tight-knit, economically homogeneous setting where the student body is almost entirely from one ethnic and linguistic background, and a school where support systems and instruction will be central to closing the proficiency gap.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 58% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 52% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 42% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 57% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 60% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 64% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 36% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

This schoolLittle Lake City Elementary, 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-income49%Higher-income62%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income68%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income51%Higher-income78%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income51%Higher-income71%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income79%37 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income61%34 pp gap