The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bonita Street Elementary
Bonita Street Elementary sits on a residential street in Carson, a mid-sized Los Angeles County city that blends single-family neighborhoods with industrial parks, a university campus, and regional retail along its major corridors. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within Los Angeles Unified, one of the largest districts in the country.
The student body reflects Carson's demographic character. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by Asian students, Black students, and smaller multiracial and Pacific Islander populations. White students represent a very small fraction of enrollment. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which positions this as a high-need campus by that measure. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs were not available in what we received.
On California's CAASPP state assessments, results from the most recent year show the school performing below the midpoint relative to districts in Los Angeles County. In English Language Arts, proficiency rates vary across tested grades, with third grade sitting in the lower range, fourth grade climbing into the low-to-mid range, and fifth grade reaching into the mid-range. Math follows a similar pattern, with fourth grade showing the strongest result among the three tested grades and third grade the lowest. Science, tested only at fifth grade via the California Science Test, falls in a comparable mid-range. Trend data is limited to a single year, so whether these numbers reflect movement up or down from prior years is not something we can say from what was provided. A parent wanting to understand whether performance has been improving, holding steady, or declining would want to ask the school directly.
Because the school stops at fifth grade, graduation rate and secondary course access data do not apply here.
The housing market around the school is notable context for families weighing a move. Home values in the zip code run well above the national median and are roughly in line with the broader California statewide figure, though they have edged slightly downward year over year. Rents have moved modestly upward. The rent-to-income ratio and the gap between estimated monthly mortgage costs and rental costs both reflect the cost pressure that is pervasive across this part of Los Angeles County. Families should also factor in that LAUSD voters recently approved a large school facilities bond, publicly reported as the district's largest ever, repaid through a property tax increase that could stretch for decades, adding a long-term cost layer for property owners in the district.
A couple of district-level changes are worth knowing about. LAUSD put a full-day cellphone ban in place in early 2025, covering lunch and breaks as well as class time, with lockable pouches deployed at most secondary campuses. The policy is less directly relevant to elementary families but signals district culture. The district's Black Student Achievement Plan, which funds culturally responsive curriculum and counseling staff at targeted schools, was restructured in 2024 and saw its funding increased for the coming school year; whether Bonita Street is a participating campus is not something the data we have confirms, and families could ask the school.
Carson itself is in a redevelopment phase, with several mixed-use and multifamily projects underway or in planning around the Civic Center and along Avalon Boulevard. The city is car-oriented by design, shaped by freeway access and wide arterials, though the downtown corridor and parts adjacent to Cal State Dominguez Hills have more walkable street infrastructure. Parks and recreation options are fairly broad, anchored by neighborhood parks distributed across the city and by the Dignity Health Sports Park complex on the university campus.
Program details for Bonita Street specifically were not available in the data provided. A parent interested in enrichment offerings, intervention supports, or after-school programming would need to contact the school or visit its site directly.
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