Original Research by School Decision on Hollywood Senior High
Hollywood Senior High is a regular public high school serving grades nine through twelve in Los Angeles. It sits in an urban neighborhood with a polycentric character; the Hollywood area mixes commercial corridors, residential apartments and small homes, and institutional spaces within the wider sprawl of the city. The school draws a predominantly Latino student body alongside substantial shares of Black, Asian, and white students.
The school's enrollment is modest for an urban high school, distributed fairly evenly across the four grades. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student population facing significant economic hardship. Data on English learners and students with individualized education plans was not available.
Academic performance shows a profile with stark disparities across subjects. In English language arts, about three-quarters of students met state proficiency standards in the most recent assessment year. Mathematics proficiency was much lower, with fewer than half of students meeting standards. Science proficiency was notably weaker still, with roughly one quarter of students proficient. Only one year of testing data was reported, so trends over time cannot be assessed. A parent may want to look into what supports the school offers in mathematics and science, where performance gaps are pronounced.
State testing data for this school did not provide a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism rate, or a proficiency index comparing it to other schools in Los Angeles County. These omissions may reflect the timing of data availability or reporting structures rather than weaknesses in the school itself. The school itself does not report information on course offerings, program availability, staffing levels, or attendance patterns, so a parent interested in those details should reach out to the school directly.
The Hollywood area is part of Los Angeles proper and shares the city's character as a car-dependent sprawl with pockets of walkability. Some neighborhood commercial corridors and transit access exist, though the surrounding residential areas are less densely developed than downtown or Koreatown. Housing in the 90028 zip code carrying Hollywood Senior High is substantial in absolute terms, though it sits below the state median, and rents are moderate relative to regional norms. Families here often rent rather than own; rent-to-income burden is above half of monthly household income in the area.
LAUSD, the school's parent district, recently passed a major facilities bond and implemented an all-day cellphone ban for students. The district also funds a Black Student Achievement Plan with culturally responsive curriculum and targeted counseling at selected schools. These district-wide initiatives shape the school environment alongside the school's own decisions.
A parent considering Hollywood Senior High should understand that the school serves a predominantly low-income, Latino student body with substantial racial diversity, and that English-language-arts proficiency is solid while mathematics and science proficiency are areas where additional support or investigation would be warranted.
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