John Marshall Senior High vs Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet

John Marshall Senior High and Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet sit 6.2 miles apart in Los Angeles, yet occupy very different positions in California's school landscape. Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet ranks #35 of 9,533 California schools, placing it in the top 0.4 percent statewide. John Marshall Senior High ranks #689 of 9,533 — solidly in the top 8 percent, a strong result, but 654 positions behind its neighbor. The overall rating gap is 0.9 points, with Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet scoring 9.5/10 against John Marshall Senior High's 8.6/10.

Both schools post identical academic scores of 9.0/10, meaning their students' measured proficiency levels are on equal footing. The decisive gap is in growth: Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet earns a 9.7/10 growth score while John Marshall Senior High scores 7.4/10 — a 2.3-point difference that signals students at the magnet program are accelerating substantially faster relative to their starting points. For a family weighing whether a school will push their student to improve year over year, that 2.3-point growth delta is the central data point.

The two schools serve meaningfully different populations. John Marshall Senior High enrolls 1,903 students at a 19.6:1 student-teacher ratio, with 69% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet enrolls just 131 students — roughly one-fifteenth the size — at a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio and serves an even higher-need population, with 98% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The smaller headcount and lower ratio translate directly to more instructor attention per student.

Both schools cover grades 9–12. The defining structural difference is program type: Boyle Heights Sci Tech Engr and Math Magnet is a focused STEM magnet, meaning admission is selective and the curriculum centers on science, technology, engineering, and math. John Marshall Senior High is a comprehensive neighborhood high school, offering broader course variety across academic, elective, and extracurricular tracks without a single disciplinary focus.