Theodore Roosevelt, Paramount CA

Original Research by School Decision on Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt Elementary serves a small enrollment of students across kindergarten through fifth grade in Paramount, a densely built working-class city in southeast Los Angeles County. The school sits in a community that has shifted from its agrarian roots into a suburban, family-oriented setting with tree-lined streets and mixed residential and industrial land uses.

The student population is very high-need. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the vast majority identify as Hispanic. The school draws from a neighborhood with limited economic diversity, though the broader community offers some civic anchors: the LA County Paramount Library recently reopened after renovation, parks are accessible by walking, and bus transit connects families to regional destinations.

On state assessments in English language arts and mathematics, Theodore Roosevelt's proficiency results fall well below the midpoint for schools across Los Angeles County. In English language arts, fifth grade shows the strongest performance, though overall district proficiency still sits in the bottom quartile of county schools. Mathematics proficiency is notably lower across all tested grades. Science results in fifth grade are similarly low. These patterns suggest that students here are entering middle school with foundational gaps in both reading and math that will require intensive support to close. A parent may want to discuss with the school how instruction is being differentiated for students at different skill levels, and what supplemental supports, tutoring, or intervention programs are available.

The district recently made two changes that matter for families at Theodore Roosevelt. In November 2024, voters approved a school facilities bond to repair the aging physical infrastructure of schools built more than half a century ago, bringing security upgrades, electrical and plumbing repairs, and classroom improvements. That measure also raises property taxes for homeowners over the life of the bonds. More directly relevant to Theodore Roosevelt is the launch of a Spanish Dual Language Immersion program using a 90:10 model, beginning in kindergarten at Theodore Roosevelt and one other elementary school. The district provides transportation for students from other neighborhoods who enroll, and the program is designed to progress year by year as students advance, with plans to extend into middle school. Families who choose this pathway commit to the program through elementary school and work toward the California Seal of Biliteracy.

The housing market in the zip code reflects Paramount's position as an affordable alternative to Los Angeles, with home values below the state average and rents moderately below the mortgage cost equivalent. A substantial share of residents are renters, and the city has recently launched infill projects including new all-electric single-family homes and affordable housing partnerships, with retail and community spaces under development. For families in or considering the area, the economic profile is working-class and stable, but household income constraints are real and reflected in the near-universal free lunch eligibility at the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 39% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 30% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 22% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 36% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 37% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 22% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolParamount 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.