The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lemay Street Elementary
Lemay Street Elementary is a small kindergarten through fifth-grade school in Lake Balboa, a predominantly residential, tree-lined neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. The school serves a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Most families in the catchment area are economically stretched; the median home value in the neighborhood sits well above the state benchmark, and monthly rents are climbing, meaning housing cost burdens are steep relative to income.
In terms of academic performance, Lemay Street's students show uneven results across subjects and grades. In English language arts, proficiency hovers around half of tested students across grades three through five, with fourth grade slightly above fifth. Mathematics is softer overall, with proficiency ranging from about one-third in fifth grade to approximately half in third and fourth grades. Science, assessed only in fifth grade, is a particular area of concern, with proficiency well below most other measures. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint among the county's school districts. The most recent state testing data available is from spring 2025; prior-year comparisons are not yet available, so it is not possible to assess whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining. A parent may want to speak with school leadership about their academic approach, particularly in mathematics and science, and what supports they offer for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards.
The school's demographics and economic context tell a clear story. About nine in ten students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting deep poverty in the catchment. Most students are Hispanic, and a small number are Asian or white; data on English learner status and special education were not available, so the extent of those populations and the school's capacity to serve them cannot be assessed here. The school itself is small, with fewer than four hundred students across six grades, which may mean closer adult-student relationships but also less curricular breadth and fewer specialized staff than larger elementary schools.
Lake Balboa itself is a family-oriented place with significant green space, anchored by Lake Balboa Park and the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area. The neighborhood is walkable in its residential blocks, with tree-lined streets and homes mostly from the mid-twentieth century. Transit access is via Metro's G Line bus rapid transit, which opened a Balboa stop on the line to North Hollywood and beyond. Recent development has brought new affordable housing along transit corridors, including a large complex at Victory Boulevard designed for homeless households and families earning between roughly a third and half of the area median income. This context matters: the neighborhood is changing, with new residents moving in near transit, but the housing market itself remains expensive for renters and buyers alike.
At the Los Angeles Unified district level, families should note that voters approved Measure US, a major school facilities bond that will raise property taxes for decades to pay for repairs to aging school buildings. The district also implemented an all-day cellphone ban in February 2025, which shapes daily school culture and student-parent communication. Additionally, LAUSD's Black Student Achievement Plan, which funds culturally responsive curriculum and counseling at targeted schools, was restructured in 2024 and received increased funding for the coming year, though the school's participation in that initiative is not documented here.
Lemay Street serves a neighborhood and student population with real economic need and limited academic proficiency in key areas. Whether this school is a fit depends on your family's comfort with a small school in a lower-performing position relative to its county peers, your ability to supplement learning at home, and your reading of what the school's leadership is doing to lift achievement.
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