Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet

Thomas Starr King Middle School is a magnet school in Los Angeles Unified focused on film and media, serving grades six through eight. Located on Fountain Avenue near downtown, the school draws a diverse student population in which Hispanic students form the clear majority, followed by a substantial Asian contingent and a meaningful White enrollment. Well over two-thirds of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, indicating a student population with limited household income.

In state testing, the school's performance sits above the midpoint among county districts when its proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is combined. Reading results are stronger, with more than half of students meeting proficiency standards across the three grades, showing a clear upward trend from sixth to eighth grade. Math proficiency is lower, ranging from the low-to-mid range at each grade level. Eighth-grade science proficiency is also in the low-to-mid range. In English language arts specifically, the eighth-grade performance is the school's strongest reading result; seventh-grade lags slightly behind sixth grade, then strengthens again in eighth. These patterns suggest that the school is building academic skills across the span of middle school, though in math there is room for growth.

The school draws its identity from a specialized curriculum centered on film and media production. As an alternative school within the district, it sits outside the standard comprehensive middle school model, meaning it operates with a particular programmatic focus rather than the full range of typical middle-school subjects and electives. This focus shapes both the daily experience and the peer group. The school's website was not accessible, so a detailed picture of how the media focus integrates with core academics, whether through project-based learning or dedicated production labs, or what resources and equipment are available, could not be drawn from public sources and would benefit from a direct conversation with the school.

The housing market surrounding the school in the zip code is moderate to moderately expensive compared to national benchmarks, though below California state levels. Rents and home values have edged downward recently. The broader Los Angeles context is one of rapid housing and zoning changes driven by statewide shortage and opportunity—the city adopted new housing incentive programs in early 2025 and is actively rezoning to add units. For families relocating to the area, LAUSD's recent passage of a major school facilities bond will raise property taxes over a multi-decade span to fund building repairs and upgrades. The district also implemented a full school-day phone ban in February 2025, a significant change to daily school culture affecting communication between students and parents during the day.

The school serves a working-class and lower-middle-income student body with high academic needs and limited household resources. Its position above the midpoint on combined proficiency, paired with clear strength in reading and softer math results, suggests a school where literacy instruction is having effect but quantitative reasoning remains a development priority. The film and media specialization is a genuine draw for students interested in production, storytelling, and media literacy as a pathway through middle school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 34% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 32% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 46% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 46% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 45% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 27% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 43% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 3 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income47%Higher-income78%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income78%35 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income48%Higher-income78%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income64%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income75%34 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income69%33 pp gap