Mckinley, Pasadena CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Mckinley

McKinley is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school in Pasadena serving a student body that is predominantly from low-income households, with substantial enrollment from students of color. The school sits in an economically mixed city where historic neighborhoods and a major tech-and-research corridor coexist. For families considering McKinley, the academic picture and the district's current state both matter significantly.

On academics, McKinley's standardized test results show students performing substantially below proficiency across both math and English language arts. In math, proficiency across tested grades stands in the low range; seventh-grade performance falls notably lower than third-grade, a pattern that suggests increasing difficulty as material advances. English proficiency is similarly low across grades. Science proficiency, measured in fifth and eighth grades, is also quite low. A proficiency index that compares the school to all other districts in Los Angeles County places McKinley in the bottom quartile, meaning three-quarters of county districts report higher overall proficiency. This is a defining academic reality for the school that parents should weigh carefully. The school has not reported recent trend data, so whether these results represent recent change or a longer-standing pattern is unclear from the available data.

The enrollment is small-to-moderate for a K-8 school, distributed fairly evenly across grades with somewhat higher numbers in the middle and upper grades. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black student population and smaller shares of Asian and white students. More than three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects an economically disadvantaged community. No data on special education enrollment or English learner enrollment was available, so a parent may want to look into the school's capacity and approach in those areas.

Pasadena itself is a city of distinct neighborhoods, ranging from walkable historic districts like Bungalow Heaven and Old Pasadena to more suburban family areas. The city is anchored by Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, major employers that bring research jobs and an educated workforce to the area, though these jobs are not equally distributed. Housing values in the 91101 ZIP code (which contains McKinley) are at a level typical for suburban Los Angeles, and rental costs reflect a tight market. The city's civic center is focused downtown, and public transit includes the Metro A Line light rail.

The district context is turbulent. In January 2025, the Eaton Fire destroyed five school campuses, displaced thousands of students, and triggered a rebuilding effort that will reshape which buildings are usable for years. The fire also worsened a structural budget deficit that was already acute due to declining enrollment and expiration of federal COVID relief funds. In November 2025, the school board voted to cut a substantial amount from the 2026-27 budget through layoffs affecting librarians, teachers, and staff, with cuts to arts, science, and athletics programs. Earlier in 2025 and early 2026, the district pursued a school-consolidation and closure process; an advisory committee voted in May 2026 against recommending any closure scenario, and the board ended the consultant contract in June 2026, halting closures for now. A prior closure scenario had proposed merging McKinley and Eliot Arts Magnet. On the revenue side, voters passed Measure R, a general obligation bond, and Measure EE, a new parcel tax that will fund the district for a set period and raise local property taxes.

For a family considering McKinley, the academic performance is the starting point: a child here will encounter low overall proficiency levels and substantial opportunity gaps in core subjects. The district's budget constraints and program cuts add complexity to what enrichment and support the school will offer. The fire's impact on district facilities and student displacement is still unfolding. A parent may want to speak directly with the school about the current student support available, program offerings, and the school's plan for addressing the academic gaps documented in testing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 49% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 417%

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

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 34% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 34% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 710%

School 10% · District 34% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 811%

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

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

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 51% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 50% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 49% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 629%

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

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

Grade 721%

School 21% · District 47% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 41% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 38% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 29% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 36% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 6 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.