Dayton Heights Elementary vs Alexandria Avenue Elementary

Alexandria Avenue Elementary and Dayton Heights Elementary sit 0.7 miles apart in Los Angeles and earn nearly identical overall ratings — 9.2/10 versus 9.1/10, a gap of 0.1 points. In California's statewide field of 9,533 schools, Alexandria Avenue ranks #108 while Dayton Heights ranks #166, placing both schools in the top 2% of the state. Parents choosing between them are splitting hairs at a high level; the meaningful differences lie beneath that top-line score.

Academically, Dayton Heights Elementary edges ahead with an 8.7/10 academic score compared to Alexandria Avenue Elementary's 8.3/10 — a 0.4-point gap that reflects stronger tested proficiency results. Alexandria Avenue Elementary, however, reverses the advantage on growth, posting a 9.7/10 growth score versus Dayton Heights Elementary's 9.3/10. That 0.4-point lead on growth means Alexandria Avenue students are making measurably faster academic progress relative to peers with similar starting points, even as Dayton Heights students score higher in absolute proficiency terms.

Both schools serve nearly identical demographics: free and reduced-price lunch eligibility sits at 92% at Alexandria Avenue Elementary and 96% at Dayton Heights Elementary, indicating both campuses serve predominantly low-income families. The student-teacher ratio is identical at 18.6:1 for both schools. Where the schools diverge is in size — Alexandria Avenue Elementary enrolls 503 students while Dayton Heights Elementary enrolls 242, roughly half as many. Families who prefer a smaller campus environment where staff are more likely to know every child by name will find that at Dayton Heights; those comfortable with a mid-size elementary will not be disadvantaged at Alexandria Avenue.

Both schools serve grades KG through 05, so neither offers an extended grade range. There are no structural program differences in the provided data — the decision turns almost entirely on whether a family prioritizes higher current proficiency scores (Dayton Heights, 8.7 academic) or faster student growth trajectories (Alexandria Avenue, 9.7 growth), and whether campus scale matters to them.