One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary vs Third Street Elementary

Third Street Elementary ranks #8 of 9,533 California schools with an overall rating of 9.6/10, while One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary holds an overall rating of 8.6/10 and ranks #546 statewide. That 1.0-point overall gap is driven almost entirely by academics: Third Street Elementary scores 10.0/10 on academic performance versus One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary's 6.3/10 — a 3.7-point difference that reflects a substantial gap in measured proficiency outcomes. Both schools sit in the top tier of California elementaries, but Third Street's academic standing places it among a rare group of schools in the state.

On growth — how much students improve relative to academic starting points — the two schools are nearly identical. One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary earns a 9.7/10 growth score and Third Street Elementary earns a 9.9/10, a difference of just 0.2 points. This means One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary is producing exceptional student growth even as its overall proficiency scores lag, a signal that its teachers are effectively accelerating learning for the students they serve.

The demographic profiles of the two schools diverge sharply. One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary enrolls 330 students with 96% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high-poverty population. Third Street Elementary enrolls 691 students — more than double — with 43% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student-teacher ratio also differs meaningfully: One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary's 18.3:1 ratio provides notably smaller class sizes than Third Street Elementary's 22.3:1, giving students at the smaller school more individualized adult attention despite serving a more economically concentrated community. Both schools serve grades KG–05 and are located 10.2 miles apart in Los Angeles.

Both schools operate at the same grade span and within the same district, but they serve different communities and deliver different academic outcomes. Third Street Elementary's combination of top-decile proficiency and enrollment scale makes it a high-demand option, while One Hundred Ninth Street Elementary's extraordinary growth score and lower ratio suggest a school punching well above its circumstances for the families it serves.