Meadow Green Elementary, Whittier CA

Original Research by School Decision on Meadow Green Elementary

Meadow Green Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Whittier, a diverse Southern California city with a strong Latino population and a mix of residential neighborhoods supported by healthcare, education, retail, and government services. The school sits within Lowell Joint School District, a multi-county district that recently secured voter approval for a facilities bond to modernize classrooms and replace aging portable classrooms with permanent structures, a change that will affect property taxes for years to come.

The school's enrollment is small for an elementary building, with roughly equal cohorts across grade bands. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Latino, with smaller shares of white, Asian, and multiracial students. The school draws from a neighborhood where housing values are substantially above the national benchmark and rents represent a meaningful share of household income. The local economy centers on healthcare and education, with Whittier Hospital Medical Center, Whittier College, and the school districts themselves among the largest employers.

Reading proficiency appears to be a relative strength. In third grade, proficiency in English language arts is solid, and across grades four through six, rates remain around two-thirds or higher. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among elementary schools in Los Angeles County, a meaningful positioning. Mathematics presents a different picture. Third graders perform at close to the level seen in language arts, but in grades four, five, and six, proficiency drops noticeably, falling into the low-to-mid range. The gap between ELA and math performance widens as students advance through upper elementary grades. In fifth-grade science, about half of students met proficiency standards. A parent focused on math support may want to look into further detail with the school about how upper-grade students are being helped to close this gap.

The school operates within a regular public school structure, serving a neighborhood rather than operating as a magnet or charter. Data on special education and English learner services was not available. Discipline and attendance metrics were also not reported, so a parent seeking detail on school environment and daily operations would benefit from asking the school directly.

Housing in the Whittier zip code is expensive relative to household incomes in the region, with the estimated monthly mortgage payment significantly higher than local rents, suggesting that many families in the area are long-term homeowners or that renters make up a meaningful share of the community. The neighborhood character supports families with school-aged children but comes with substantial housing costs.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 378%

School 78% · District 57% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 47% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 49% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 46% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 58% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 54% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 62% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 58% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 41% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

This schoolLowell Joint, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income73%Higher-income92%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income82%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income55%Higher-income89%34 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income61%Higher-income77%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income71%Higher-income89%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income73%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income45%Higher-income75%30 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income49%Higher-income64%15 pp gap