First Street Elementary vs Multnomah Street Elementary

Multnomah Street Elementary ranks #20 of 9,533 California schools, placing it in the top 0.2% statewide. First Street Elementary ranks #283 of 9,533 — still an exceptional position in the top 3% — but the 263-rank gap between these two schools just 2.0 miles apart in Los Angeles is substantial. The overall rating difference is 0.6 points, with Multnomah Street Elementary at 9.5/10 and First Street Elementary at 8.9/10, and the gap is driven almost entirely by academic proficiency rather than any deficiency in school culture or student growth.

The academic score tells the sharpest story: Multnomah Street Elementary scores 9.3/10 versus First Street Elementary's 7.4/10, a 1.9-point delta that reflects meaningful differences in tested proficiency levels. Where the two schools converge is growth — First Street Elementary posts a 9.9/10 growth score against Multnomah Street Elementary's 9.8/10, an essentially identical result. That near-perfect growth score at First Street Elementary signals that its teachers are moving students forward at an exceptional rate relative to academic starting points, even as absolute proficiency trails.

First Street Elementary enrolls 353 students compared to Multnomah Street Elementary's 336, and both campuses are similarly sized. First Street Elementary's student-teacher ratio is 20.8:1 versus 19.8:1 at Multnomah Street Elementary — a one-student difference per classroom that is unlikely to affect daily experience. The more consequential demographic difference is the free and reduced-price lunch rate: 94% of First Street Elementary students qualify versus 71% at Multnomah Street Elementary. First Street Elementary serves a significantly higher share of economically disadvantaged students, which makes its 9.9/10 growth score all the more notable as a measure of instructional effectiveness.

First Street Elementary serves grades KG through 6, giving families one additional year on campus before the middle school transition, while Multnomah Street Elementary covers KG through 5. Both schools are public Los Angeles elementary schools, so the grade-span difference is a logistical factor for families with incoming kindergartners weighing how many school transitions their child will face in the coming years.