The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in Math. The lowest is 70% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mar Vista Elementary
Mar Vista Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Los Angeles, within the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school enrolls a small-to-moderate number of students across its six grade levels. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with no single group forming a majority; white students make up the largest share, followed by students of two or more races, Hispanic students, Asian students, and a small number of Black students. Economically, a modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively mixed-income student population for the neighborhood.
State testing results from 2024-25 show solid proficiency across tested grades and subjects. In mathematics, third graders achieved strong proficiency, fourth graders showed more moderate performance with room for growth, and fifth graders returned to higher proficiency. In English language arts, performance across grades three and five was strong, while fourth grade proficiency was notably lower, suggesting that cohort or that particular year's instruction warrant attention. In science, fifth graders reached moderate proficiency. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among schools within Los Angeles County, a meaningful position that reflects consistent academic performance across the grades tested.
The profile data does not include information on the school's English learner population, special education enrollment, chronic absenteeism, or discipline practices. Data on whether the school receives Title I funding was also not available. These are areas a parent may want to ask the school about directly, particularly if those topics matter to their child's learning profile or if they have questions about the breadth of support services on site.
Mar Vista sits in the 90066 zip code on the Westside of Los Angeles, an area characterized by residential neighborhoods, mixed-income housing stock, and proximity to coastal and mid-city amenities. Housing values in the area are high relative to national benchmarks, reflecting Los Angeles County's competitive real estate market. Rents likewise run above affordability thresholds for many households; the data suggests renters would allocate a substantial share of income to housing. This is a neighborhood where a family would contend with the economics of Los Angeles real estate as a baseline fact.
LAUSD, the parent district, has undergone several visible changes that affect school life. The district implemented an all-day cellphone ban in February 2025, affecting student-parent communication and school culture across all grade levels. LAUSD also passed Measure US, a substantial school facilities bond that will increase property taxes for many years, a long-term financial commitment families moving into the area should know about. Additionally, the district's Black Student Achievement Plan underwent revision in 2024 and now shapes curriculum and staffing at targeted schools, including additional investment in 2025-26.
The school and its surrounding district context sit within a city undergoing active transformation. Los Angeles is rezoning and building housing at a significant pace driven by statewide shortage, with downtown particularly focused on mixed-use development ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. The broader region offers dense public transit through Metro rail and bus networks, though the city remains car-dependent in most neighborhoods. The Westside where Mar Vista is located is more suburban in character than downtown but still within the sprawl of a major metropolitan area with extensive employment, cultural, and recreational options.
For a parent considering Mar Vista, the profile shows a school performing above county median in its tested subjects, serving a diverse student body in a mixed-income setting on the Westside, and operating within a large urban district managing significant facility upgrades and policy shifts. The school's fourth-grade English language arts proficiency dipped notably and may be worth exploring in conversation with the school. The absence of data on special populations and supports means a parent should ask directly about those services if they are relevant to their family's needs.
See more original research from School Decision →