La Salle Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on La Salle Avenue Elementary

La Salle Avenue Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in South Los Angeles. The school enrolls a small population with a very high concentration of economic need. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is roughly split between Black and Hispanic students, with very small numbers of Asian and multiracial students and no White enrollment.

State assessment results in English language arts and math show very low proficiency rates. In third grade, less than half of students met proficiency in ELA, and about two in five met proficiency in math. Performance drops considerably in fourth and fifth grades: in fourth grade, around one in seven students met proficiency in either subject. Fifth-grade results are slightly higher than fourth but still well below one in four. In science, tested only at fifth grade, proficiency was similarly low. Across all tested grades and subjects, the overall proficiency rate is in the bottom quartile relative to other elementary schools in Los Angeles County. These are challenging numbers and reflect substantial academic need across the grade span.

The neighborhood and housing context around the school sits in a lower-income zip code where home values are below the county and state averages, though median rents have increased modestly over the past year. The overall economic and housing landscape reflects a working-class area where families face significant affordability pressure.

La Salle is part of Los Angeles Unified, a very large school district serving the city and its vicinity. The district operates within a region undergoing major change. Voters recently approved a major school facilities bond to repair and upgrade aging buildings; families who purchase property in the district will face a long-term property-tax increase tied to bond repayment. The district also implemented a district-wide ban on student cellphones, smartwatches, and earbuds during the entire school day as of early 2025, a change that affects daily school communication and culture. Additionally, the district funds a culturally responsive curriculum and support staffing program, with expanded resources allocated for 2025-26.

For families considering this school, the core question centers on academic support. Performance data shows students are not meeting grade-level proficiency in core subjects, which means families should inquire closely about the school's reading and math interventions, the qualifications and stability of teaching staff, whether the school has literacy and numeracy specialists, what tutoring or after-school support is available, and whether there are early-warning systems for students who fall behind. A parent may want to discuss directly with school leadership what the school's instructional model is and what concrete steps have been taken to improve these results. The small enrollment and very high economic need suggest a school serving a tightly bound community, which can create strong relationships but also means the school likely operates with resource constraints.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 48% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 43% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 518%

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

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

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 44% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 45% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 47% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 29% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 14 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.