The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Stoner Avenue Elementary
Stoner Avenue Elementary is a small, neighborhood school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Culver City, a compact, mixed-use city embedded in west Los Angeles known for its entertainment and media industry presence. The school enrolls a modest number of students, with the largest grade being fourth grade and the smallest fifth grade. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a substantial African American minority and very small representation of other groups. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting high economic need in the school's immediate community.
Academic proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint when compared to other schools in Los Angeles County. In math, results vary considerably by grade: third graders showed reasonable performance, while fourth grade math proficiency was markedly lower, and fifth grade recovered somewhat. English language arts proficiency was consistently low across third, fourth, and fifth grades, with fourth grade the weakest of the three. Science proficiency in fifth grade, the only grade tested, was also low. Overall across all tested grades and subjects, the school's proficiency index places it below the county median. The school has only one year of testing data available, so trends over time cannot be measured.
The broader context matters here. Culver City sits in a region experiencing rapid tech and media-sector growth, with major employers including Sony Pictures, Apple, Amazon MGM Studios, and a wave of streaming companies establishing or expanding operations. New housing development is proceeding under state-mandated zoning changes, and projects are reshaping neighborhoods near the Metro E Line Culver City Station with apartments, office space, and mixed-use retail. The downtown area has become more walkable and transit-connected in recent years. Housing values in the 90230 zip code are substantially above state and national benchmarks, and rental costs are considerable relative to income; this means families living in Stoner Avenue's attendance zone often face significant housing costs.
Stoner Avenue's students come from a different economic reality. With nearly all qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school serves a low-income population in a high-cost area. The enrollment is stable but small enough that individual grade cohorts and school-wide initiatives can feel personal. The school is part of Los Angeles Unified, a very large district that recently passed a major school facilities bond requiring long-term property tax increases, implemented a district-wide student cellphone ban in early 2025, and expanded funding for culturally responsive curriculum and support staffing through its Black Student Achievement Plan.
A parent considering Stoner Avenue should look beyond the academic numbers to what the school offers in terms of community feel, specific support services, and any targeted initiatives the campus may have launched. The low proficiency rates warrant direct conversation with the school about how reading and math instruction is being delivered, whether interventions are in place for students performing below grade level, and what progress looks like across a student's years there. The economic composition is clear; whether the school has robust counseling, after-school programs, or partnerships with community resources that help navigate that context is worth asking about directly. Los Angeles Unified offers substantial choice within the district, so families weighing Stoner Avenue against other neighborhood schools in Culver City or elsewhere should understand what this particular campus prioritizes and how engaged the school community feels.
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