Original Research by School Decision on Harris Newmark Continuation
Harris Newmark Continuation is a small alternative high school in Los Angeles serving students in grades nine through twelve. It sits on West Second Street in a central part of the city and serves a student population that is overwhelmingly from low-income households, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The vast majority of enrolled students are Hispanic, with very small numbers of other racial and ethnic groups represented.
The school's enrollment is small, clustering in the upper grades. The student body at the school reflects both economic hardship and the demographic composition of the neighborhoods it draws from. Data on special-education identification and English-learner status were not available, so a parent would want to contact the school directly to understand what services and language support are present.
The state testing data provided shows that the school faces significant challenges in academic proficiency. In English language arts, proficiency was very low. In mathematics, proficiency was somewhat higher but still well below what most schools achieve. In science, no students met proficiency standards. These results are from the most recent school year and represent a single snapshot, so a parent may want to look into this further with the school and understand what programs or interventions are in place to support students in meeting standards. The school does not report a graduation rate in the available data, which is common for alternative schools that serve students with interrupted or non-traditional educational paths and for schools that operate on different timelines than traditional high schools.
As an alternative school, Harris Newmark Continuation is designed for students who have not succeeded in a traditional high school setting. These schools often serve students who have fallen behind, faced discipline issues, or dropped out and are working to return. Alternative schools provide smaller class sizes, more individualized attention, and curricula tailored to students who need a different approach. The specific design, support services, and program offerings at this school would be details a parent would need to learn from the school itself.
Harris Newmark is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which in early 2025 adopted a district-wide ban on cellphones, smartwatches, and earbuds during the school day, including lunch and breaks. This is a daily change to school culture and how students and families communicate during school hours. LAUSD also passed Measure US, a major facilities bond that will raise property taxes for families for several decades to fund repairs and upgrades to aging school buildings across the district.
The surrounding Los Angeles area is densely urban, with a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial uses. Housing costs in the immediate zip code are high, and rents have been rising. The city is in an active phase of housing development and rezoning to address a longstanding shortage, and downtown Los Angeles has undergone significant transformation and revitalization. These broader economic conditions shape the context in which a family would be considering this school.
For a parent or student considering Harris Newmark, the key questions would be about what academic supports, counseling, and work-toward-graduation pathways the school offers; whether it provides any vocational, career, or dual-enrollment opportunities; and what its track record is for helping students complete their diploma or earn credentials that lead to employment or further education. The very low proficiency results suggest that students entering the school likely arrive significantly behind grade level, and understanding how the school addresses that gap would be essential to deciding if it is the right placement.
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