Bertrand Avenue Elementary, Reseda CA

Original Research by School Decision on Bertrand Avenue Elementary

Bertrand Avenue Elementary is a small K-5 school in Reseda serving a neighborhood where nearly all families qualify for free or reduced-price meals and more than four-fifths of students are Hispanic. The school enrolled about three hundred students across six grades, with the larger shares in kindergarten and first grade, and smaller cohorts as children progress to fifth grade.

Academic performance is well below proficiency on California's standardized assessments in both reading and math. In reading, about one-third of third graders met proficiency standards, but that share dropped to one-fifth of fourth graders and rose slightly to roughly one-third of fifth graders. Math results are lower and steeper: just over one-third of third graders were proficient, while proficiency among fourth graders fell to roughly one-quarter and among fifth graders to just over one-tenth. Science, tested only in grade five, showed roughly one-eighth of students proficient. Across tested grades and subjects together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quarter of schools in Los Angeles County.

Reseda is a post-World War II suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, a mix of single-family ranch homes and apartment buildings threaded by commercial strips. Sherman Way and Reseda Boulevard form the heart of the neighborhood, with small restaurants, shops, and services reflecting its multigenerational, diverse population. Most residents rely on cars for daily errands, though the Sherman Way corridor carries a Walk Score suggesting it is moderately walkable for some trips. Reseda Park and the West Valley Regional Branch Library anchor civic life. The neighborhood is on a densification trajectory, with mid-rise apartments, a senior housing project, and a food hall conversion of the historic Reseda Theater underway, signaling slow but sustained investment in the area.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which operates Bertrand Avenue, is undergoing significant changes. A large school facilities bond, Measure US, was approved by voters and carries long-term property tax implications for families in the district. The district has also implemented a ban on student cellphone use throughout the school day, a daily reality for families with school-aged children. Additionally, the district's Black Student Achievement Plan, which funds culturally responsive curriculum and counseling at targeted schools, was restructured in 2024 and received additional funding for the current school year.

A parent seeking to understand whether Bertrand Avenue fits their child's needs may want to look into further discussion with the school about how it addresses the wide gap between proficiency and enrollment, what supplemental resources are available, and how the school's Spanish proficiency offerings work given the student population.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 48% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 43% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 36% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 44% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 45% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 47% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 29% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

This schoolLos Angeles 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.