Bushnell Way Elementary vs Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary

Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary ranks #18 of 9,533 California schools while Bushnell Way Elementary ranks #39 of the same pool — both are exceptional performers, but Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary sits 21 spots higher in a statewide ranking that spans thousands of schools. Their overall ratings are nearly identical (9.5 vs. 9.4 out of 10), so the state rank context matters more than the headline score gap when distinguishing the two schools for families weighing a cross-town move.

On academics, Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary holds a measurable edge: its academic score of 8.7/10 is 0.7 points above Bushnell Way Elementary's 8.0/10 — a delta that reflects consistently stronger proficiency outcomes. That advantage does not extend to growth. Both Bushnell Way Elementary and Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary earn a perfect 10.0/10 growth score, meaning students at each school advance at an exceptional rate regardless of where they start. For a parent who prioritizes year-over-year student progress, the two schools are functionally tied.

The demographic picture separates them more sharply. Bushnell Way Elementary enrolls 159 students against Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary's 232, and its student-teacher ratio of 14.5:1 is meaningfully lower than Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary's 17.8:1 — a difference of more than three students per teacher. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility stands at 80% at Bushnell Way Elementary versus 94% at Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary, indicating Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary serves a higher concentration of economically disadvantaged families while still producing superior academic scores and an identical growth rating.

One structural difference distinguishes the schools' grade offerings: Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary runs through sixth grade, while Bushnell Way Elementary tops out at fifth. Families with children who would otherwise face a middle school transition after fifth grade gain an additional year of elementary continuity at Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary. The two campuses are 11.7 miles apart within Los Angeles, so the choice involves a real commute trade-off for families not zoned to either school.