The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Harry Wirtz Elementary
Harry Wirtz Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Paramount, a small, densely populated, ethnically diverse working-class city in southeast Los Angeles County. The school sits in a community built on an industrial base, popular with multi-generational families seeking an affordable alternative to Los Angeles, with a revitalized downtown feel featuring tree-lined streets and public art anchored by a recently renovated county library.
The school enrolls a small number of students, nearly all from low-income households. The enrollment is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with Black and other students comprising a small share. English learner data was not available, as was special education enrollment.
Academic performance at Harry Wirtz is below where the state expects students to be. In math, fewer than a quarter of tested students demonstrated proficiency in the most recent school year, with third and fifth grades in the low twenties and fourth grade slightly higher. In English language arts, performance is stronger, with just over a third proficient overall; fourth grade reached around forty percent proficiency while third and fifth grades were in the mid-to-high thirties. In the one grade and subject where science was tested, fifth grade, about a quarter of students showed proficiency. These results place the school in the bottom quartile among districts across Los Angeles County when proficiency is averaged across tested subjects and grades. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about what supports exist for students working below grade level and what the trajectory has been, since only current-year data is available and no multi-year trend can yet be assessed.
The surrounding community context is relevant. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions in the neighborhood. The city itself has launched ambitious housing and revitalization projects, and the school district—Paramount Unified—passed a major school facilities bond in November 2024 to repair and modernize aging buildings and add career-training spaces. Most schools in the district, including Harry Wirtz which is over sixty years old, had not had substantial classroom updates in decades, so the bond represents a material shift in the physical condition of school facilities over coming years.
The district has also introduced a Spanish dual language immersion program at two elementary schools starting in kindergarten, though not at Harry Wirtz. Families in that program commit to a long-term bilingual pathway leading toward the California Seal of Biliteracy, with district transportation provided. This reflects a district-level commitment to language and cultural programming, though it is located elsewhere.
Harry Wirtz is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. It is small for its grade band, with modest enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grades. The housing market in the 90723 zip code where the school sits is moderate by Los Angeles standards, with rental and ownership costs below the county average but above the national benchmark. The community has moderate walkability and is served by Metro and local bus routes, with the Metro C Line about a short walk away.
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