Multnomah Street Elementary vs Richland Avenue Elementary

Multnomah Street Elementary and Richland Avenue Elementary are both high-performing Los Angeles elementary schools, but their ratings diverge at the top of California's rankings. Multnomah Street Elementary holds an overall rating of 9.5/10, ranking #20 of 9,533 California schools, while Richland Avenue Elementary earns a 9.3/10 and ranks #76 of 9,533 — still elite, but 56 positions back. That 0.2-point gap is narrow in absolute terms yet meaningful given how competitive the top tier is statewide.

The academic score separates them by 0.3 points: Multnomah Street Elementary earns a 9.3/10 versus Richland Avenue Elementary's 9.0/10. Neither advantage extends to growth — both schools score an identical 9.8/10 on student growth, meaning each is pushing its students forward at the same exceptional rate regardless of where they start. The academic delta reflects baseline proficiency, not momentum, suggesting Multnomah Street's incoming population may arrive better prepared on average.

The demographic contrast between the two schools is stark. Multnomah Street Elementary enrolls 336 students with 71% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating it serves a predominantly lower-income community. Richland Avenue Elementary is smaller at 252 students and has only 15% on free or reduced-price lunch — a 56-percentage-point gap that reflects very different family economic profiles. Richland Avenue also carries a slightly higher student-teacher ratio of 21.0:1 compared to Multnomah Street Elementary's 19.8:1, giving Multnomah Street a modest structural edge in classroom density. That Multnomah Street achieves a higher academic score and near-identical growth while serving a much higher share of economically disadvantaged students is a notable equity accomplishment.

One structural difference affects families with older children: Richland Avenue Elementary serves grades KG–07, extending two years beyond Multnomah Street Elementary's KG–05 range. Families who value keeping siblings together through seventh grade, or who want to delay a middle school transition, will find that continuity only at Richland Avenue. The two schools sit 14.4 miles apart, so proximity will factor into most families' decisions as much as any rating difference.