First Street Elementary vs Sierra Vista Elementary

Sierra Vista Elementary and First Street Elementary sit 4.6 miles apart in Los Angeles, California, but their overall ratings tell a striking story: Sierra Vista Elementary holds the top spot in California — ranked #1 of 9,533 schools — while First Street Elementary ranks #283 of 9,533, itself a strong statewide standing. Sierra Vista Elementary scores 9.8/10 overall versus First Street Elementary's 8.9/10, a 0.9-point gap that, given the density of California's elementary school field, represents a meaningful positional difference.

The sharpest contrast between the two schools lies in academic performance. Sierra Vista Elementary earns a 9.5/10 academic score against First Street Elementary's 7.4/10 — a 2.1-point delta that drives most of the overall rating difference. On growth, the two schools are effectively equal: First Street Elementary scores 9.9/10 and Sierra Vista Elementary scores a perfect 10.0/10. This means students at First Street Elementary are gaining ground at nearly the same exceptional rate as those at Sierra Vista Elementary, even as their absolute proficiency levels differ substantially.

First Street Elementary enrolls 353 students compared to Sierra Vista Elementary's 151, making it more than twice the size. The student-teacher ratio reflects this: First Street Elementary runs at 20.8 students per teacher, while Sierra Vista Elementary sits at 16.8:1 — four fewer students per teacher, which typically translates to more individualized attention. On economic need, First Street Elementary serves a higher-poverty population, with 94% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch versus 84% at Sierra Vista Elementary, a 10-point difference. Both figures indicate predominantly low-income student bodies, which makes Sierra Vista Elementary's #1 statewide academic ranking particularly notable.

Both First Street Elementary and Sierra Vista Elementary serve grades KG–06, so families with children across the elementary years can plan long-term at either campus without a mid-stream school transition. The key structural difference is that Sierra Vista Elementary pairs its top-ranked academics with a smaller, lower-ratio environment, while First Street Elementary offers a larger community and near-identical growth outcomes despite serving a somewhat higher-need population.