Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary vs Gil Garcetti Learning Academy

Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary and Gil Garcetti Learning Academy rank among California's top elementary schools, sitting just 35 spots apart in state rankings out of 9,533 schools. Hamasaki holds the edge at #42 in California with an overall rating of 9.4/10, while Garcetti Learning Academy comes in at #77 with a 9.3/10 — a gap of just 0.1 points at the top of the statewide distribution. Both schools are outliers in a positive sense, and parents choosing between them are selecting from an exceptionally strong pair.

The clearest measurable difference between the two schools is academic proficiency. Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary scores 9.0/10 on academics versus Gil Garcetti Learning Academy's 8.3/10 — a 0.7-point gap that signals meaningfully higher tested proficiency at Hamasaki. That said, both schools post identical growth scores of 9.9/10, meaning students at both campuses are making exceptional year-over-year progress regardless of where they start. Garcetti's strong growth score relative to its academic score suggests it is effectively accelerating students who begin with lower baseline achievement.

The two schools differ in size and economic profile. Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary enrolls 340 students versus Gil Garcetti Learning Academy's 513 — a 51% larger student body at Garcetti. Student-teacher ratios are close: 20.0:1 at Hamasaki and 19.0:1 at Garcetti, a marginal difference. Free and reduced lunch eligibility tells a sharper story: 94% of Hamasaki students qualify, compared to 99% at Garcetti, indicating Garcetti serves a slightly higher concentration of economically disadvantaged families. Both figures reflect deep community need, and both schools are delivering top-tier outcomes despite that context.

One structural difference worth noting for families with older elementary students: Gil Garcetti Learning Academy serves grades KG–06, while Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary runs KG–05 only. Garcetti keeps sixth graders on campus rather than transitioning them to middle school a year earlier, which may matter for families who prefer delaying that transition. The two campuses sit 8.2 miles apart within Los Angeles, making them a genuine geographic choice for families near either boundary.