The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Math. The lowest is 69% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Roosevelt Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Santa Monica, with an enrollment distributed across all six grades. Families here are typically affluent and white, though the student body is diverse, with meaningful representation from Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial families, and a smaller share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.
On the most recent state assessment, Roosevelt's proficiency across tested subjects hovers in the low-to-mid range. Third and fourth graders show proficiency in English language arts in the upper sixties, while fifth graders perform notably stronger, reaching the low eighties in ELA. Math proficiency is consistent across the tested grades, landing in the low seventies. Fifth-grade science proficiency sits at approximately seventy percent. These results place Roosevelt in the top quartile for overall proficiency relative to the broader set of schools across Los Angeles County, a meaningful distinction reflecting that many schools in the county serve far less resourced communities. Readers should understand this comparison: Roosevelt's students benefit from both family income and community resources, so strong relative performance is not surprising, though the proficiency levels themselves show room for growth in absolute terms.
The school sits in a neighborhood that reflects Santa Monica's mixed residential character. Montana Avenue, where Roosevelt is located, is largely residential with boutique shops and restaurants interspersed. The surrounding area blends single-family homes with denser condo and apartment buildings. Santa Monica as a whole is a prosperous beach-adjacent city organized into distinct neighborhoods, from the condo-heavy downtown to the quieter single-family areas inland like Sunset Park. The economic anchor here is substantial: tech and media firms such as Snap, Lionsgate, Hulu, and Activision Blizzard are headquartered locally, alongside wellness companies like Goop and Headspace. Tourism, education through Santa Monica College, and finance also drive the economy. Housing costs are steep; median home values in the area are well above state benchmarks, and rental prices similarly reflect Santa Monica's desirability as a place to live.
Santa Monica is experiencing rapid change. Historically resistant to high-rise development, the city is now approving multiple high-density residential projects in response to state housing mandates. Downtown and near-downtown sites are seeing new apartment and condo construction, with some units set aside as affordable housing. This development reshapes the character of neighborhoods and can shift school enrollments. Public transit is robust: the Big Blue Bus runs throughout the city with the citywide main library downtown, and the Metro E Line light rail provides direct connection to Downtown Los Angeles via three local stations.
The district itself, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified, is undergoing structural change. Malibu schools are separating to form their own district, with the transition expected by fall 2026. This separation will affect district governance, funding mechanisms, and school resources for families in both cities. A property-tax revenue sharing agreement governs how funds are divided post-separation, a matter relevant because Malibu's strong tax base has historically subsidized schooling in Santa Monica. On a brighter note for school facilities, Santa Monica voters approved two substantial school bonds in November 2024 that will fund repairs, upgrades, and new construction across the district. The district has also integrated American Cultures and Ethnic Studies into its high school course requirements, an emphasis families evaluating curriculum philosophy will want to know about.
Roosevelt itself offers typical elementary programming, without specialty magnet or charter designation, serving as a standard public option in the district. Data on special populations like students with IEPs or English learners was not available. For families, Roosevelt represents a traditional public elementary choice in an affluent, educated, and rapidly developing community with strong tax support for schools and access to both local and regional transit and cultural resources.
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