The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Social studies. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lindbergh Stem Academy
Lindbergh STEM Academy is a middle school serving grades 6 through 8 in Long Beach's East Market Street area. The school enrolls a small cohort of students, just over half of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black and Asian populations; the racial makeup reflects Long Beach's immigrant-influenced character. More than nine in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of economic strain in the neighborhood.
On state assessments, Lindbergh's proficiency results lag considerably. In English language arts, about a third of sixth and seventh graders and slightly fewer eighth graders demonstrate proficiency on the California assessment. Mathematics results are notably lower: roughly a quarter of sixth graders, about a quarter of seventh graders, and fewer than one in five eighth graders meet the state standard. Eighth grade science proficiency sits below one in five students. These numbers place the school in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools' overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades within Los Angeles County schools. A parent may want to look into further what academic support structures the school offers, what its STEM programming specifically emphasizes, and whether the school has identified root causes and interventions for these low proficiency rates.
The school carries the STEM designation in its name, suggesting a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, the data provided does not detail what that curriculum looks like, what partnerships or enrichment the school offers, or how it differs from a standard middle school program. A parent interested in STEM pathways would want to learn more directly from the school about its course sequencing, lab facilities, project-based learning approaches, and connections to high school STEM programs.
Long Beach itself is a large coastal city with marked diversity and a growing housing market. The city is anchored by the Port of Long Beach and a mix of aerospace, health care, technology, and education sectors. Downtown is undergoing significant residential development, with thousands of new homes approved in recent years, though much of the city's residential fabric is more established. Neighborhoods range from dense, walkable urban areas like Downtown and Belmont Shore to quieter suburban tracts in the eastern parts of the city. The school's location on East Market Street sits in a more residential part of the city, away from the downtown core.
Long Beach Unified School District, which oversees Lindbergh, is managing significant structural changes. Voters approved a major school bond in 2022 to modernize aging facilities, a long-term infrastructure investment that will affect school property taxes for families in the area. The district is also implementing the state-mandated ethnic studies requirement, reshaping high school graduation pathways. More pressingly, the district has faced sustained enrollment decline over two decades and voted in late 2024 to close Hudson Elementary, merging its attendance zone with another school. These consolidations signal that neighborhood school boundaries may shift further, a factor to weigh if school choice and walkability matter to your family.
Housing in the 90805 zip code, where the school sits, reflects broader Long Beach market conditions: home values are substantial and have risen modestly year-over-year, and rents are likewise elevated. The affordability gap between renting and homeownership is significant; the cost-to-income ratio for buying is roughly double the national benchmark, suggesting most families in the area are renters or have considerable means. If you are considering the area, housing costs warrant careful scrutiny against your household income and whether you plan to rent or buy.
Lindbergh serves a genuine community need in a neighborhood where most families face economic constraints. The question for a prospective family is whether the school's current academic performance, its STEM focus (whatever form that takes), and the support structures it offers align with your child's needs and your expectations for middle school. The low proficiency rates and bottom-quartile positioning are real facts to reckon with; understanding what the school has in place to address them, and what progress trends look like, would be essential before enrolling.
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