Ann Street Elementary vs Charles H. Kim Elementary

Ann Street Elementary and Charles H. Kim Elementary are both Los Angeles elementary schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade, 4.5 miles apart, but their overall ratings diverge sharply. Charles H. Kim Elementary holds an overall rating of 9.6 out of 10 and ranks #9 of 9,533 California elementary schools — placing it in the top 0.1 percent statewide. Ann Street Elementary earns an 8.6 out of 10 and ranks #536 of 9,533, which is still a strong top-6 percent finish, but the gap between these two schools at the state level is significant.

The academic score difference drives most of that gap. Charles H. Kim Elementary scores 9.5 out of 10 on academics versus 5.8 out of 10 for Ann Street Elementary — a 3.7-point difference that reflects meaningfully higher tested proficiency at Kim. Growth, however, tells a different story: both schools earn an identical 9.8 out of 10, meaning students at Ann Street Elementary are advancing at the same exceptional rate as students at Charles H. Kim Elementary regardless of where they start. Ann Street's lower academic score reflects incoming performance levels more than instructional effectiveness.

On demographics and school environment, the two schools differ in scale and composition. Ann Street Elementary enrolls 76 students versus Charles H. Kim Elementary's 472 — a six-fold difference that produces a noticeably smaller, more intimate campus. Ann Street's student-teacher ratio of 15.2:1 is tighter than Kim's 18.2:1, meaning Ann Street students average roughly three fewer classmates per teacher. Free and reduced lunch eligibility runs high at both schools — 96 percent at Ann Street Elementary and 88 percent at Charles H. Kim Elementary — indicating both campuses serve predominantly low-income families, with Ann Street serving a somewhat higher-need population.

Both schools span grades KG through 05, so neither offers an additional grade advantage. Where they diverge is size-driven: Ann Street's small enrollment creates a close-knit, lower-ratio environment, while Charles H. Kim Elementary operates at a scale that typically brings broader program offerings, larger peer networks, and one of the strongest academic profiles in the entire state.