The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Eshelman Avenue Elementary
Eshelman Avenue Elementary is a small neighborhood school in Lomita serving kindergarten through fifth grade within Los Angeles Unified. With about four hundred and forty-six students, it is the kind of school where most families know each other and the enrollment reflects its immediate residential community.
The student body is predominantly Latino, with a substantial share of Black and Asian students and smaller representation of white and multiracial children. A very large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing this school in a working-class area. English learner status and special education enrollment data were not available in the reported figures, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and what support is available.
Academically, Eshelman Avenue's recent state test results show proficiency rates roughly around or slightly below the midpoint among Los Angeles County districts. In English language arts across grades three through five, proficiency ranged from the high-40s to mid-50s. Math proficiency was lower, ranging from the low-30s in fifth grade to the mid-50s in third grade. Science proficiency, tested only in fifth grade, was also in the low-30s. These are not high results, but they are typical of many schools serving students with significant economic hardship. Performance is stronger in the lower elementary grades (three and four) than in fifth grade, where a meaningful drop appears in both math and science. A parent considering this school or currently attending should understand that academic support may be necessary, particularly as students move into upper elementary.
Eshelman Avenue sits in Lomita, a quiet South Bay residential city of just over a thousand people, ringed by Torrance and Carson. The neighborhood is solidly working- and middle-class, with a mix of single-family homes and smaller multifamily dwellings. Housing costs in the area are high; the median home value is roughly in the nine hundred thousands, and monthly rents are in the mid-thousands. Property taxes in Los Angeles County will see a substantial increase over the coming decades due to voter approval of a major school facilities bond, Measure US, which was passed to repair aging school buildings districtwide. For families moving into the area, this long-term tax increase is a material consideration.
Lomita itself is fairly walkable along its main commercial spine on Narbonne Avenue, where shops, restaurants, and services cluster. Parks, the Lomita Library, and community recreation facilities serve the neighborhood. The city is largely built out and growing slowly, with most new development being smaller-scale infill rather than new subdivisions. Transit is limited; residents generally rely on cars.
As a Los Angeles Unified school, Eshelman Avenue operates within a very large district facing its own ongoing challenges and changes. LAUSD has implemented a district-wide cellphone ban for all students during the entire school day, including lunch and breaks, which took effect in early 2025 and changes daily communication between students and families. The district also funds culturally responsive curriculum and additional counseling staff at targeted schools through its Black Student Achievement Plan, which was recently restructured and received increased funding for 2025-26. These are system-level changes that shape school culture and staffing.
Eshelman Avenue offers a neighborhood elementary experience in a close-knit, working-class South Bay community. Parents should expect a school where academic proficiency is moderate, economic hardship is widespread, and many students may need additional reading and math support. The school's strength lies in its size and community roots rather than in test performance. Families choosing this school should also plan for the long-term property-tax implications of LAUSD's facilities bond and be aware of the new cellphone policy. For those already here, the question is less whether this is the highest-performing school and more whether the school's supports and approach fit your child's needs and your family's values.
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