Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High vs School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex

School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex edges out Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High by 0.2 points overall — a 9.0 versus 8.8 on a 10-point scale — but the state ranking spread is more telling. Contreras Learning Complex sits at #294 of 9,533 California schools while Alliance Smidt Technology High ranks #402 of the same pool, a gap of 108 positions in a deeply competitive state. Both schools serve grades 9–12 and sit 2.6 miles apart in Los Angeles, making them genuine geographic alternatives for the same families.

The academic and growth scores tell meaningfully different stories about each school. Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High scores 8.0 in academics versus Contreras Learning Complex's 8.6 — a 0.6-point gap. The growth score gap is far sharper: School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex scores 9.9 out of 10 on student growth, compared to 7.6 for Alliance Smidt, a 2.3-point difference that suggests Contreras Learning Complex is accelerating students at an exceptional rate regardless of where they start.

Both schools serve nearly identical, high-need student populations. Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High reports 97% free and reduced lunch eligibility; School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex reports 99% — statistically the same demographic profile. The structural difference is size and staffing: Contreras Learning Complex enrolls 358 students against Smidt's 254, and its student-teacher ratio is 17.9:1 versus Smidt's 14.1:1, meaning Alliance Smidt offers roughly one fewer student per teacher — a concrete classroom-size advantage.

Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High operates as a charter school, while School of Business and Tourism at Contreras Learning Complex is a regular public school within LAUSD's Contreras Learning Complex. Smidt's charter structure pairs with a technology-focused identity, while Contreras Learning Complex's business and tourism program signals a distinct career-technical pathway. Both are four-year high schools, so the program theme — not the grade span — is the programmatic differentiator.