Original Research by School Decision on Maywood Academy High
Maywood Academy High sits in the densely populated, working-class city of Maywood in southeastern Los Angeles County, a short distance south of Downtown LA. The school serves a very homogeneous student body, nearly all Latino, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school enrolled students across grades nine through twelve, with freshman enrollment noticeably higher than senior enrollment.
On state assessments in 2024-25, Maywood Academy posted proficiency in English language arts at about half of students tested. Proficiency in mathematics and science was considerably lower, in the range of one in eight students. The school provided only one year of assessment data, so trend information was not available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about year-over-year movement in these results and about the school's strategies to strengthen math and science outcomes, which are areas where many students are not meeting grade-level standards.
The school is a regular public high school within Los Angeles Unified. It does not operate as a magnet or charter. Like all LAUSD schools, it is subject to the district-wide cellphone ban implemented in early 2025, which prohibits student use of phones, smartwatches, and earbuds throughout the entire school day, including lunch and breaks. Most high schools in the district use lockable storage pouches for device storage. The school may also benefit from LAUSD's enhanced Black Student Achievement Plan, which the district refunded and expanded in 2025-26 to support culturally responsive curriculum and additional counseling and climate support staff at targeted campuses.
Maywood itself is highly walkable, with compact residential blocks and commercial corridors centered on Atlantic Boulevard and Slauson Avenue. The city's economy is rooted in blue-collar manufacturing, construction, and retail rather than corporate employment. Population has remained roughly stable in recent years. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to Los Angeles County averages, though rent burden is substantial; publicly reported data from 2021 indicated that a large proportion of renter households were rent-burdened, paying more than a third of income toward housing. The city is anchored by small parks, a county library, and bus transit, with no major institutional campuses nearby. Schools sit within the dense urban grid rather than on separated grounds.
Families moving to the area should note that LAUSD voters approved a major school facilities bond, with repayment through property tax increases potentially lasting multiple decades. For any household considering relocation to Maywood or elsewhere in the district, this represents a long-term property-tax obligation tied to school infrastructure repair and modernization.
Graduation rate data and chronic absenteeism data were not available in the state reporting for this school, and enrollment counts for special education and English learner populations were not provided. A parent reviewing this school would benefit from requesting those figures and outcomes directly from the school to build a fuller picture of student support systems and completion pathways.
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