Franklin Avenue Elementary vs Multnomah Street Elementary

Franklin Avenue Elementary ranks #360 of 9,533 schools in California with an overall rating of 8.8 out of 10, while Multnomah Street Elementary sits at #20 of 9,533 statewide — a remarkable difference for two elementary schools just 5.9 miles apart in Los Angeles. That 0.7-point overall gap understates the separation in state rank terms: Multnomah Street Elementary lands in roughly the top 0.2% of all California schools, while Franklin Avenue Elementary, itself a strong performer, places in the top 4%.

The academic and growth scores tell a split story. Franklin Avenue Elementary edges ahead on raw academic achievement at 9.6 out of 10 versus Multnomah Street Elementary's 9.3, meaning current proficiency levels are slightly higher at Franklin. But Multnomah Street Elementary pulls sharply ahead on growth — 9.8 versus Franklin Avenue Elementary's 9.0 — indicating its students are gaining ground at an accelerated pace relative to their starting points. A family weighing where kids test today against where kids are heading will see different schools win on each metric.

Multnomah Street Elementary serves 71% of its 336 students through free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 28% of Franklin Avenue Elementary's 405 students. That demographic difference carries real meaning: Multnomah Street Elementary is delivering near-perfect growth scores with a substantially higher-need population, which reflects notably effective instruction. Franklin Avenue Elementary runs a student-teacher ratio of 23.8 to 1; Multnomah Street Elementary's ratio is 19.8 to 1, giving it roughly four fewer students per teacher — a meaningful classroom-size advantage.

Both schools serve kindergarten through fifth grade on the same K–5 structure, so grade access and school transitions are equivalent. The distinction lies in how each school performs within that identical footprint: Franklin Avenue Elementary combines strong academic scores with a lower-need enrollment, while Multnomah Street Elementary produces its #20 statewide ranking from a higher-need student body with a lower student-teacher ratio and the stronger growth trajectory of the two.