Manchester Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Manchester Avenue Elementary

Manchester Avenue Elementary is a regular public school serving grades one through six in Los Angeles. The school sits in an area of South Los Angeles with limited economic diversity and substantial need. A very large share of families at the school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a significant Black population. The enrollment is modest in size for an elementary school.

On California state assessments in math and English language arts, Manchester Avenue's results are well below proficiency. In English language arts across tested grades, fewer than half of students meet the state standard, with the school's overall proficiency rate around one-third. Fifth grade performed strongest in ELA, with about half of students meeting proficiency; third and fourth grades showed lower results. In math, the picture is weaker. Proficiency is even lower, with an overall rate around one-fifth of students. Performance rises somewhat in fifth grade before declining again in sixth. A science assessment was administered in fifth grade, with about one-quarter of students proficient. The school has only one year of data, so trends cannot be assessed.

When compared to other schools in Los Angeles County as a cohort, Manchester Avenue's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among schools with available data. This means academic performance falls well below what is typical across the county's school population.

Los Angeles Unified, the parent district, recently implemented a cellphone ban affecting the entire school day, a change that took effect in February. The district also approved Measure US, a major school facilities bond that will fund repairs and upgrades to aging buildings across LAUSD; families buying property in the district should be aware that the bond carries a property tax commitment that could extend for a long period. Additionally, the district has expanded its Black Student Achievement Plan with culturally responsive curriculum and added counseling support at targeted schools.

The 90044 zip code where the school sits has a median home value that has declined modestly year over year. Monthly rent in the area is substantial relative to median household income; rent-to-income ratio is notably high, reflecting the cost of housing relative to earnings.

A parent considering this school should expect to engage with a small, tightly knit school community facing significant academic headwinds. The demographics are homogeneous, with Spanish language serving many families. The data available does not cover attendance, discipline, special education, or English learner services, so a parent may want to look into those supports directly with the school and district, particularly given the level of academic need evident in test results.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 48% · ▼ 31 pts below district

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

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 43% · ▼ 26 pts below district

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

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 36% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 35% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 44% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 45% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 47% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 46% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 29% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 2 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.