Fifteenth Street Elementary, San Pedro CA

Original Research by School Decision on Fifteenth Street Elementary

Fifteenth Street Elementary is a small school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in San Pedro, a working-class coastal neighborhood in south Los Angeles with strong maritime roots and a notably diverse, multi-generational community. The school sits within Los Angeles Unified, which serves the sprawling district and recent major moves there matter to families: the district implemented a district-wide ban on student cellphones throughout the school day as of February 2025, and voters approved a large school bond to repair aging facilities, funded through long-term property tax increases.

The enrollment at Fifteenth Street is approximately four hundred students spread fairly evenly across its six grade levels. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with the vast majority of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of San Pedro itself: housing costs are substantial, rents have declined slightly but remain high relative to income, and the area is historically rooted in port and immigrant labor. The composition of the school is predominantly from one ethnic and economic group, a characteristic of this densely urban, older residential part of the city.

Academic performance is below the midpoint among county districts. On the most recent state assessment, math proficiency across the school's tested grades hovered around a third, with performance declining as students moved into upper elementary. In fourth grade, math proficiency was notably lower, and by fifth grade, roughly one in six students met proficiency. English language arts results were similarly modest, though fifth grade showed slightly better performance in reading than in math. Science proficiency in fifth grade was low. These results suggest the school faces substantial academic headwinds. No data was available on the rate of English learners or students receiving special education services at the school, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and what supports are in place.

San Pedro itself is undergoing visible redevelopment. A large waterfront food hall and park project broke ground a few years ago with completion expected within the year, and an inland 61-acre former naval housing site is being built out into a new residential community of mostly single-family homes by multiple homebuilders. The neighborhood has a walkable downtown core around Pacific Avenue with shops, galleries, eateries, and cultural anchors like a historic movie theater and the regional public library, though walkability varies sharply: quieter residential areas are more car-dependent. The Port of Los Angeles dominates as the major employer, but retail, hospitality, healthcare, and logistics also provide work.

The school serves a part of Los Angeles where housing is already expensive relative to local income and where the district's recent bond and cellphone policy will shape daily operations and family budgets. For families in this part of San Pedro, Fifteenth Street is a neighborhood elementary school whose academic track sits below where county peers typically perform, warranting a direct conversation with the school about instruction, supports for students below grade level, and what the path forward looks like for children there.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 48% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 43% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 36% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 44% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 45% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 47% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 29% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 10 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.