Park Avenue Elementary, Cudahy CA

Original Research by School Decision on Park Avenue Elementary

Park Avenue Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Cudahy, a very dense, working-class residential city in Los Angeles County with a predominantly Latino population. The school sits in a community where the vast majority of families work elsewhere in the county, most in transportation, warehousing, manufacturing, or health care. Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to much of Los Angeles County, though rents consume a high share of household income.

The school enrolls a small group of students, almost all of whom are Latino, and nearly all qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is economically and demographically homogeneous. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations was not available.

State testing results show below-target performance across both English language arts and mathematics. On the most recent California assessment, overall proficiency in ELA stands below the state midpoint, and proficiency in mathematics is lower still. Results vary by grade: third grade shows the highest ELA proficiency, while proficiency declines sharply in the upper elementary grades, particularly sixth grade where both ELA and mathematics proficiency are very low. A science assessment was administered to fifth grade, and proficiency there was also low. Comparatively, Park Avenue's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Los Angeles County elementary schools. This is the main academic picture the data provides. Prior-year trend data was not available, so it is unclear whether performance is improving, stable, or declining.

The school operates within Los Angeles Unified, which recently implemented a district-wide cellphone ban and funded Measure US, a major school facilities bond that will raise property taxes for many families over a long repayment period. LAUSD also supports a Black Student Achievement Plan that funds culturally responsive curriculum and counselors at designated schools. Parents considering Park Avenue should confirm whether the school is part of that initiative and inquire about what instructional supports the school has in place to address the proficiency gaps, particularly in mathematics and upper grades.

The community itself is highly urban and compact, organized around Atlantic Avenue as its main commercial corridor. Residents are car-dependent despite the density, and civic life centers around Cudahy Park and the public library. A new affordable senior housing development broke ground in 2025, and the city has been improving the Los Angeles River bikeway. The overall population has been flat to declining slightly. For families moving to or living in Cudahy, the school district functions as one of the few large civic anchors in an otherwise very localized neighborhood context.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 48% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 43% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 36% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 68%

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

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

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 44% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 45% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 47% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 46% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 29% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 16 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.