The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gratts Learning Academy for Young Scholars (glays)
Gratts Learning Academy for Young Scholars serves kindergarten through fifth grade in downtown Los Angeles, in the heart of a neighborhood that is denser and more vertical than much of the sprawling city around it. The school is small, serving a few hundred students, nearly all of whom come from low-income households. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and very few students of other backgrounds. The school has the neighborhood character of downtown LA, which has undergone significant revitalization in recent years: dense mixed-use blocks with apartments stacked over ground-floor businesses, the Grand Central Market and Arts District nearby, and good walkability compared to much of the region.
On academic measures, GLAYS faces significant challenges. In the most recent state assessments, roughly one in four students met proficiency in English language arts, and about one in four in math. Results were slightly lower in fifth grade, where about one in five students met proficiency in math. In science, only about one in six fifth-graders were proficient. These results place the school well below the median among schools across Los Angeles County. No prior-year data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a trend or how the school was performing in earlier years.
The school serves students with substantial needs. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic context of the downtown neighborhood. Data on English learner enrollment and students with individualized education plans were not available, but a parent may want to ask the school directly about these populations and what supports are in place.
The residential area around the school is experiencing active transformation. Downtown Los Angeles is a focal point of development, with major housing and mixed-use projects underway ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Property values in the zip code are moderate for the county but have declined year over year. Housing affordability is strained; rent consumes a substantial share of household income, and mortgages for purchase are very large relative to typical incomes in the area. Families should also know that Los Angeles voters approved a major school facilities bond, Measure US, which will be repaid through property tax increases. Those increases will affect anyone purchasing property in the LAUSD footprint for up to several decades.
At the district level, LAUSD has implemented an all-day cellphone ban for students, including lunch and breaks, a significant shift to school culture and student-parent communication that took effect in February 2025. The district has also maintained and expanded funding for the Black Student Achievement Plan, which provides culturally responsive curriculum and counseling staff at targeted schools; GLAYS should be contacted directly to ask whether it participates in this program and what resources are available.
The school is part of Los Angeles Unified, the second-largest school district in the nation. For families considering a move to downtown Los Angeles or already in the neighborhood, GLAYS is a neighborhood public school. A parent weighing enrollment would want to explore with the school directly what instructional strategies are being used to move proficiency rates upward, what special services are available to English learners, and how the school supports students in kindergarten through second grade, since state testing begins in third grade.
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