Thomas B. Moffitt Elementary, Norwalk CA

Original Research by School Decision on Thomas B. Moffitt Elementary

Thomas B. Moffitt Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Norwalk, a residential suburb of Los Angeles County situated about seventeen miles southeast of downtown. The school enrolls a small group of students, drawing almost entirely from the immediate neighborhood. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Asian, Black, and white students.

The school's recent state assessment results show weak performance across tested grades and subjects. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from below a third of students in third and fourth grade to a bit higher in fifth grade. Mathematics proficiency is notably lower, with roughly a quarter of third graders meeting standards, dropping to smaller shares in fourth and fifth grade. Science proficiency, tested only in fifth grade, sits in a similar range as fifth-grade math. When all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school's overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile compared to other schools serving similar areas in Los Angeles County.

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, the school's parent district, has experienced substantial enrollment decline over recent years, a shift that pressures school budgets and staffing since California ties funding to student attendance. This context matters for families considering the area; such enrollment pressure can reshape program availability and staffing stability in coming years. A bright spot for families interested in bilingual education is the district's recent expansion of its Spanish dual-language immersion program to La Mirada, though that program operates at a different elementary school and would require an intentional choice and possibly an inter-district permit depending on where a family lives.

The broader Norwalk setting is a car-oriented, freeway-served suburban environment with apartment complexes and single-family homes mixed together, anchored by the Norwalk Town Square shopping district and civic center downtown. The city is in the midst of significant housing growth, with several major mixed-use and residential projects in planning or early construction phases that aim to add density near transit over the coming years. Housing in the Norwalk zip code carries a median value slightly above the California state benchmark, with rental costs representing a substantial share of household income for working families.

A parent considering this school should understand that it faces real academic challenges with test results well below the county average, and should investigate further with the school what instructional supports, summer programs, or family engagement opportunities might apply to their child's learning needs. The school operates within a district managing meaningful enrollment headwinds, a factor worth monitoring as families plan for elementary years and beyond.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 51% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 42% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 33% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 46% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 45% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 48% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 29% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

This schoolNorwalk-La Mirada Unified, 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-income26%Higher-income40%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income64%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income33%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income12%Higher-income43%31 pp gap