The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Westminster Avenue Elementary
Westminster Avenue Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Venice, a beachfront neighborhood on Los Angeles's Westside. The school sits on Abbott Kinney Boulevard, the heart of Venice's commercial and cultural corridor, in a densely built urban setting where residential blocks mix with shops, galleries, and restaurants. The area itself is highly walkable, with a distinctive character shaped by beach tourism, the Ocean Front Walk promenade, tech industry presence in nearby Silicon Beach, and quieter residential pockets like the Venice Canals and pedestrian-only walk streets.
The school's student body is substantially economically disadvantaged, with a large share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is small for an elementary school. The population is predominantly Latino, with meaningful shares of white, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on English learner enrollment was not available, nor was the special education enrollment rate. The school draws from a neighborhood experiencing infill housing development, with new affordable housing projects completed or underway as of 2025, reflecting the Westside's ongoing supply pressures and gentrification.
On state testing, Westminster Avenue's performance sits above the midpoint among districts countywide, but the numbers show uneven ground. In English language arts, the school is holding steady: fourth graders show higher proficiency than third graders, and fifth graders sit in the middle. In math, the picture is steeper. Third-grade math proficiency is below fourth-grade levels, and fifth-grade math proficiency drops substantially, creating a pattern of declining mastery in the upper grades. Fifth-grade science proficiency is also low. These results suggest the school is meeting some students' needs in the early grades and in ELA, but math progress flattens or reverses as students move up, and science instruction may need attention. Only one year of data is available; trend information to show whether this pattern is new or longstanding was not provided.
The parent district, Los Angeles Unified, has undertaken major structural changes. Voters approved a substantial school facilities bond in 2024, which means property taxes will rise for families living in the district to fund repairs and upgrades to aging school buildings. The district implemented an all-day cellphone ban in February 2025, eliminating student phone access during school hours, lunch, and breaks. LAUSD also reworked its Black Student Achievement Plan in 2024 and increased its funding in 2025, directing resources toward culturally responsive curriculum and counselor staffing at targeted schools.
The Venice neighborhood itself has modest housing values compared to other Westside areas but remains expensive by national standards. Rent is a substantial budget factor for renters; mortgage costs for buyers are high relative to local household incomes. The area is seeing active development of mixed-use buildings and affordable housing, particularly along Lincoln Boulevard and Abbot Kinney, though some larger projects remain stalled. Public transit is bus-based; the nearest light rail station is in Downtown Santa Monica, a moderate distance away. This is not a car-dependent neighborhood, but families will rely on bus service or a car to reach schools and services beyond the immediate walk radius.
A parent considering Westminster Avenue should understand that the school sits in a neighborhood with strong walkability and cultural vitality but also with visible homelessness, tourist activity, and ongoing gentrification. Academically, the school is holding up in early grades and ELA but showing strain in upper-grade math and science. A parent may want to look into what supports the school offers for students struggling in math, particularly in grades four and five, and what the school's trajectory looks like with more recent data.
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