Brookhaven Elementary, Placentia CA

Original Research by School Decision on Brookhaven Elementary

Brookhaven Elementary is a regular public school in Placentia serving kindergarten through sixth grade, located in a bedroom community in North Orange County where most working families commute out for employment. The school sits in an area characterized by single-family homes and a residential, auto-oriented landscape, though Placentia itself is undergoing transit-oriented development centered on a planned Metrolink station in its Old Town.

The school's recent test results show proficiency across both English language arts and math. In ELA, performance ranges from solid to strong, with higher grades performing above the midpoint. In math, third-grade and sixth-grade students show stronger proficiency, while fourth grade pulls lower. Science proficiency for fifth grade is notably weaker, sitting below half of students meeting the standard. Overall, Brookhaven's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among elementary schools in Orange County districts that report comparable data, a position that reflects consistent performance across tested grades and subjects.

The school enrollment is small to mid-sized for its grade band, with roughly balanced numbers across grades. The student body is economically diverse: about a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, while three-quarters do not. Race and ethnicity are mixed, with white and Hispanic students each representing a plurality, followed by a substantial Asian student population. The composition reflects the broader Placentia area's demographics.

Brookhaven is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, which serves Placentia, Yorba Linda, and portions of adjacent cities across a large geographic area. The district has pursued curriculum-focused governance in recent years, including a 2022 resolution on how race-related topics are taught and a 2023 parental notification policy that became a point of conversation among families weighing district values. These decisions shape the broader environment in which the school operates, and families considering Brookhaven may want to review how the district's approach aligns with their own priorities.

Testing data and detailed program information for Brookhaven were limited; the school's website was not available in the data provided. Information on the school's specific student supports, staffing, attendance, or enrichment offerings beyond what state assessments capture was not available. Parents interested in understanding the day-to-day experience, class sizes, staff experience, or extracurricular options may want to contact the school directly.

Housing in Placentia is moderately priced for Orange County, and residents tend to be established middle-class families. The community is quiet and family-oriented, though most daily economic activity happens elsewhere, which is typical of a bedroom community. The planned Metrolink station and transit-oriented development in Old Town are beginning to reshape parts of Placentia's landscape, though this is still in planning and early development phases and is not yet affecting the daily experience of most families.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 378%

School 78% · District 66% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 63% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 56% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 58% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 64% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 66% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 580%

School 80% · District 66% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 683%

School 83% · District 68% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 50% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

This schoolPlacentia-Yorba Linda 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income71%Higher-income75%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income76%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income85%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income63%Higher-income91%27 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income71%Higher-income81%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income72%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income63%Higher-income74%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income63%Higher-income79%16 pp gap