Webster Elementary, Pasadena CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Webster Elementary

Webster Elementary sits in Pasadena's East Washington Boulevard area and serves kindergarten through fifth grade. The school enrolls a small but economically-challenged population, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is roughly split between White students and Hispanic students, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students.

On California's state assessments in math and English language arts, the school's proficiency is below the midpoint relative to districts across Los Angeles County. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from about thirty percent in fourth grade to roughly half of students in third and fifth grades. Math performance trails further, ranging from roughly one quarter of fifth graders to about forty-five percent of third graders meeting proficiency. Fifth grade science proficiency sits at about one quarter of students. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's proficiency index places it below the county's median.

These numbers reflect a school that is working with a student population facing real economic headwinds. The high share of students on free or reduced-price lunch, combined with lower state proficiency rates, signals that Webster serves a community with less access to academic resources outside school. The proficiency results, while lower than the county median, are not atypical for schools serving high-poverty neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, and they sit in the context of Pasadena Unified's broader challenges.

The district itself faces a complex moment. In November 2024, voters approved a substantial bond measure and the district's first parcel tax, both aimed at facility improvements and program support. However, the January 2025 Eaton Fire destroyed five district campuses and severely damaged others, displacing thousands of students and triggering a multi-year rebuilding effort. That same spring, facing declining enrollment and a structural budget deficit worsened by the fire and expiration of pandemic relief funds, the board voted to cut significant funding through layoffs affecting teachers, librarians, and staff, along with reductions to arts, science, and athletics programs. The district pursued a school-consolidation and closure process in 2025-2026, and Webster Elementary was among schools recommended for closure under one scenario, though an advisory committee voted in May 2026 against recommending any closure plan, and the board ended the consultant contract in June 2026, halting the closure effort.

Webster remains open as of now, but a parent considering this school should understand that the district is in a state of significant transition. Pasadena itself is a diverse, historic city with strong employment anchors in Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, walkable downtown districts, and active transit. Housing in the area is expensive, reflecting Los Angeles County's broader real estate market. For families choosing Webster, the school offers a local neighborhood setting, but its academic performance and the district's ongoing fiscal and operational uncertainty are factors worth weighing carefully against other options within or beyond the district.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 49% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 46% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 34% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 50% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Science

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 38% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

This schoolPasadena 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.