The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Los Cerritos
Los Cerritos is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school in Paramount, a working-class city in southeast Los Angeles County where multi-generational families live in a dense, tree-lined community that blends residential neighborhoods with industrial zones. The school serves a small enrollment, drawn almost entirely from the local neighborhood, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and the vast majority identifying as Hispanic. It is a regular public elementary school with no charter or magnet designation.
On state assessments, Los Cerritos reports proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint among districts in Los Angeles County. In English language arts, overall proficiency across grades three through five sits in the low-to-mid range, with third grade performing above the school's average and fifth grade holding steady just below. Math proficiency tracks lower, with a notable drop from third to fourth grade and continuing to decline through fifth, where less than one-third of students show proficiency. The school administered California's science test only in fifth grade, where proficiency was substantially lower still. Because only one year of state assessment data is available, year-to-year trends cannot be computed, and a reader cannot yet see whether these results represent the school's typical performance or mark a change.
The student body is remarkably homogeneous by race and ethnicity, reflecting both the demographics of the Paramount neighborhood and patterns of residential segregation common in Los Angeles County. The enrollment includes a small number of Black students and a very small number of white students, with the remaining population drawn almost entirely from one ethnic group. No data on special education enrollment rates or English learner counts appear in the available reporting, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the scale of those populations and the services available to students with disabilities or recent English language learners.
Paramount as a place offers the feel of a traditional suburb despite its urban location in a dense county. It has tree-lined residential streets, nearby parks including Paramount Park and Pequino Park, and a moderately walkable street grid. The city is built out rather than expanding; recent development has focused on infill projects including new affordable housing through partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and conversions of historic buildings into public markets. The LA County Paramount Library reopened in 2024 after renovation with expanded community meeting space. Public transit is bus-based, with Metro and Long Beach Transit serving the city and direct routes available to nearby Cerritos College. The nearest rail is the Metro C Line at Lakewood Boulevard Station, a reasonable walk from central addresses.
The community's economy rests on manufacturing, health care, and retail employment. Housing costs in the 90723 zip code are moderate for Los Angeles County, with purchase prices below the statewide median and rents similarly positioned, making Paramount accessible to families seeking an alternative to higher-cost neighborhoods while remaining within the Los Angeles metro area.
Paramount Unified, the district that operates Los Cerritos, passed a major school facilities bond in November 2024 funded by a permanent increase in property taxes. The money addresses deteriorating infrastructure at the district's largely decades-old campuses, including repairs to roofs, plumbing, and electrical systems, plus security upgrades and facility improvements. The district has also launched a Spanish Dual Language Immersion program using a 90:10 model at two elementary schools, Mark Keppel and Theodore Roosevelt, beginning in kindergarten and expanding one grade per year. Los Cerritos did not appear to be one of the initial DLI schools, though the district provides transportation for students from other schools who wish to enroll.
A parent considering Los Cerritos should view it as a neighborhood elementary school serving a linguistically and economically homogeneous population with access to the district's recent facility investments and a range of nearby community resources. The current assessment results show room for growth in both mathematics and science; a parent may want to look into the school's specific instructional strategies and support systems for students working below proficiency, and to ask whether the one-year snapshot reflects ongoing patterns or a transitional moment.
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