Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary vs Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary

Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary edges out Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary by 0.3 points overall — 9.3 versus 9.0 on a 10-point scale. Both schools rank among California's top elementary programs, but Milk's margin translates to a meaningful state-rank difference: Milk sits at #90 of 9,533 schools in California while Lilienthal comes in at #242 of the same pool, placing Milk in roughly the top 1% statewide and Lilienthal in the top 3%.

The academic and growth scores tell a split story. Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary posts a notably stronger academic score — 9.7 versus Milk's 8.1, a 1.6-point gap — suggesting higher absolute proficiency on standardized measures. Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary counters with a perfect 10.0 growth score against Lilienthal's 8.8, meaning students at Milk are advancing faster relative to their starting points. Families who prioritize year-over-year learning velocity will find Milk's growth edge compelling; those focused on peak proficiency benchmarks will lean toward Lilienthal.

The two schools differ substantially in scale and demographics. Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary enrolls 154 students compared to Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary's 670 — more than four times the population. That size difference carries through to classroom ratios: Milk averages 19.2 students per teacher versus Lilienthal's 22.3, giving Milk families more individual teacher contact per child. Milk also serves a somewhat higher share of economically disadvantaged students, with 31% qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to Lilienthal's 21%, reflecting a modestly broader socioeconomic mix.

One structural distinction separates the schools at the grade level. Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade only, so families will navigate a middle-school transition at the end of sixth grade. Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary extends through eighth grade, keeping students in the same building from kindergarten through middle school — a meaningful continuity advantage for families who want to defer that transition.