The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Carlos Santana Arts Academy
Carlos Santana Arts Academy is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in North Hills, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. The school enrolls a small student body, with a high concentration of Hispanic students and a substantial share of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The neighborhood itself is part of the broader Los Angeles area, a moderately priced housing market relative to Los Angeles County as a whole.
Academic performance at Carlos Santana Arts Academy is below the midpoint among districts in Los Angeles County. In English language arts across tested grades three through five, proficiency sits in the lower range. In mathematics, proficiency is similarly low. In science, measured in fifth grade only, proficiency rates are particularly weak. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools across Los Angeles County districts. These results suggest that students at the school are not currently meeting grade-level standards at rates the school would want, and a parent might want to look into the school's approach to reading and math instruction, what supports are in place for struggling learners, and whether any recent initiatives aim to address these gaps.
The school's demographic composition is predominantly Latino. Beyond race and ethnicity, the data available did not include the rate of English learners or the rate of students with individualized education programs, so those pictures remain unclear. A parent or prospective family might ask the school directly about the share of multilingual learners and how the school supports English language development.
Carlos Santana Arts Academy sits within the Los Angeles Unified School District, which serves a vast, complex urban and suburban area. LAUSD recently implemented a district-wide ban on student cellphone, smartwatch, and earbud use throughout the entire school day, effective in February 2025. This is a notable shift in daily school culture and student-parent communication for any family in the district. Additionally, Los Angeles voters approved a major school facilities bond—the district's largest ever—to repair and upgrade aging school buildings. The property tax increase tied to this bond represents a long-term commitment families should be aware of when considering a move into the district. The district has also revamped its Black Student Achievement Plan, which funds culturally responsive curriculum and additional staffing at targeted schools, and boosted funding for the program in the 2025-26 school year.
On the housing side, homes in the North Hills zip code are moderately valued relative to the county and state. Rents are in a moderate range as well, though rent-to-income ratios suggest housing costs consume a meaningful share of household earnings in the area. The area does not face dramatic affordability pressure compared to other parts of Los Angeles County, but it is not inexpensive by national standards either.
The school's name suggests a focus on the arts, though specific information about arts programming, staffing, or curriculum was not available in the data provided. A parent interested in understanding the depth and breadth of arts instruction, music offerings, visual arts classes, or performing arts opportunities would need to visit the school's website or reach out directly to get that picture. The core academic gaps visible in the proficiency data would be the first priority for most families to understand before enrolling.
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