Original Research by School Decision on Jordan High
Jordan High sits in a densely urban neighborhood of Long Beach, a large coastal California city anchored by the Port of Long Beach and a mix of aerospace, health care, financial services, and technology. Long Beach itself has both a strong downtown civic core near Metro stations and distinct residential neighborhoods—some beachfront and walkable, others quieter single-family streets—with a notably diverse, immigrant-influenced population. The city is in a marked growth phase, with substantial new housing projects reshaping downtown from a business district into a residential neighborhood, though neighborhoods surrounding schools like Jordan remain largely stable.
Jordan is a regular public high school serving students from the ninth through twelfth grade. The enrollment is solid for its grade band, with a roughly balanced class distribution across the four grades. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with meaningful African American and Asian representation and a smaller number of other racial and ethnic groups. About three-quarters of Jordan's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking high economic need within the enrollment.
The most recent state assessment data available shows proficiency rates well below what the field expects at the secondary level. In English language arts, about one-third of students met the state standard; in mathematics, roughly one in seven; and in science, fewer than one in ten. These are not comparative figures—the data provided does not position Jordan against other schools or districts—but they represent serious instructional challenges across all three core subjects. A parent may want to look into this further with the school: whether there are particular grade-level or student-group trends, what interventions are underway, and how the school is working to support students toward proficiency.
Information about graduation rates, discipline, course access, attendance, and staffing was not available. State testing data provided includes only the most recent year with no trend information, so it is unclear whether these proficiency rates reflect recent shifts or longer patterns. English learner enrollment and special education enrollment figures were not reported, so the school's composition in those populations is unknown.
Long Beach Unified, Jordan's parent district, faces a sustained enrollment decline driven by demographic shifts in the city, and the board voted to close Hudson Elementary in late 2024, signaling possible further consolidations. The district has also adopted state-mandated ethnic studies coursework, with new blended 11th grade courses and dual-enrollment options with Cal State Long Beach that allow students to earn college credit. In 2022, voters approved a major bond measure, Measure Q, to repair and modernize aging campuses and upgrade safety and technology across the district—a long-term facilities investment that will add costs to property taxes through the fiscal year in the mid-2030s.
The surrounding Long Beach neighborhoods include a mix of urban and quieter residential blocks. Some parts of the city, especially downtown and beachfront areas like Belmont Shore, are highly walkable with extensive transit access via the Metro A Line and local bus service. Other neighborhoods where students live are more car-dependent for some errands. Housing costs in the area have risen, with home values and rents notably above the national benchmark, placing affordability pressure on families, though renting remains somewhat more accessible than purchasing. Jordan itself sits at Atlantic Avenue in a part of Long Beach with modest commercial and residential density.
For a family considering Jordan, the key unknowns center on program breadth, student support systems, and the conditions shaping the low proficiency rates. The school's position within Long Beach Unified during a period of enrollment decline and facility upgrades is also worth understanding directly with district staff.
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