Garvanza Elementary, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Garvanza Elementary

Garvanza Elementary is a small public school serving grades K-5 in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles. Its enrollment sits at a stable level across six grades, with the student body predominantly Hispanic and a substantial share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The school serves a working-class neighborhood in one of the city's diverse, transit-accessible areas.

On state assessments, Garvanza's performance reflects below-midpoint achievement across tested subjects and grades when compared to other schools in Los Angeles County. In English language arts, students across grades 3 through 5 show proficiency rates in the low-to-mid range, with third grade performing somewhat better than fourth. Math proficiency is notably lower, with a sharp decline visible in fifth grade, where less than one in four students demonstrated proficiency. Fifth-grade science performance similarly sits below the midpoint. The school has only one year of assessment data available, so trend information is not yet available. A parent may want to discuss with the school what support structures are in place, particularly to understand the significant dip in math and science outcomes at the upper grades.

The school's neighborhood sits in a Los Angeles housing market that has seen steady appreciation. Housing values and rents in the area reflect local demand and the broader regional supply constraints; Los Angeles faces an ongoing housing shortage and high affordability pressure. Publicly reported, the city is actively rezoning and developing new units through programs like the Citywide Housing Incentive Program, with downtown and mixed-use neighborhoods absorbing much new construction ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

Garvanza is part of Los Angeles Unified, a large urban district serving hundreds of schools across the city. The district recently approved a major school facilities bond that will fund repairs and upgrades to aging buildings, a long-term tax commitment families entering the district should factor into their housing decisions. Additionally, as of early 2025, LAUSD implemented an all-day cellphone ban for students, a district-wide shift that affects daily school culture and the ways families stay in touch during the school day. The district has also reshaped its Black Student Achievement Plan to broaden eligibility and boost funding, an initiative that brings added staffing and curriculum support to targeted schools.

The school itself has no data reported on special education services, English learner support, or attendance; a parent should reach out directly to understand what language support or special services are available and how the school approaches instruction for multilingual learners, given the student body composition.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 48% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 43% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 36% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 44% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 45% · ▼ 3 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 47% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 29% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above 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.