Maxson Elementary, El Monte CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Maxson Elementary

Maxson Elementary is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school in El Monte serving a small school population, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across its grade span. The school sits within the Mountain View Elementary School District, which underwent a significant structural change in early 2021. The district closed four schools—Cogswell Elementary, Voorhis Elementary, Madrid Middle, and Kranz Intermediate—and reconfigured several remaining campuses into K-8 neighborhood schools. This reduced the district from twelve schools to eight and reflects a long-term enrollment decline that continues. The district recently launched a state-required property review of the former Madrid and Kranz campuses to decide whether that surplus land should be held, leased, repurposed, or sold; this process is ongoing as of 2025 and may shape development around those neighborhoods.

The school's student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller Asian population and very few students of other backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need in the enrolled population. The school does not report separate counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the composition of these groups and what support services are available.

Academic performance data from the most recent state testing shows proficiency rates that are below the midpoint statewide. In English language arts across all tested grades, students' proficiency ranges from the mid-forties in third and fourth grade down to the mid-twenties by sixth grade. Math proficiency is lower, ranging from the mid-forties in third grade down to below twenty percent by sixth grade. Science proficiency, measured in fifth grade, is similarly low. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts across Los Angeles County. The data represents only one year and cannot show whether performance is improving or declining. A parent interested in the school's trajectory and what instructional approaches are in place would benefit from discussing with the school administration what literacy and numeracy initiatives are underway and what support the school is receiving from the district.

El Monte itself is a mixed-use city of residential, retail, and industrial areas with a substantial daytime working population. Walkability varies by neighborhood; the downtown along Main Street and Valley Boulevard functions as a walkable core lined with restaurants, shops, and a Thursday-night farmers market with a concert series, but much of the city remains car-dependent. The city is pursuing transit-oriented growth around its major El Monte station and downtown, anchored by the El Monte Gateway mixed-use development, which includes both affordable and market-rate housing. El Monte has historically built more affordable housing than its neighboring communities, yet faces ongoing affordability pressures. Housing values in the area are at a modest-to-moderate level for Los Angeles County, with rents reflecting about a third of median household income. Major employers include the school districts, the city itself, auto retail centered on Longo Toyota, and manufacturing and distribution firms. Civic anchors include the LA County El Monte Library, roughly ten parks, the El Monte Metro station (one of the largest bus stations in the western U.S.), and a Metrolink commuter rail station.

Parents considering Maxson should understand that the school is serving a predominantly low-income, Hispanic enrollment with proficiency results in the lower range statewide. The broader district context includes recent consolidation due to enrollment decline and ongoing decisions about surplus property. A family should ask the school about its specific instructional priorities, tutoring or intervention resources available to students, parent engagement opportunities, and what support exists for English learners and students with disabilities.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 23% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 20% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 19% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 22% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 25% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 29% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 33% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 39% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 16% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

This schoolMountain View Elementary, 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-income39%Higher-income67%28 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income55%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income41%Higher-income75%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income36%2 pp gap