Solano Avenue Elementary vs Third Street Elementary

Third Street Elementary holds a commanding position in California's school rankings, sitting at #8 of 9,533 statewide compared to Solano Avenue Elementary's #224 — a gap that puts Third Street in the top 0.1% of all elementary schools in California. Both schools earn strong marks, but Third Street's 9.6/10 overall rating edges Solano Avenue's 9.0/10 by 0.6 points, a difference driven primarily by academic performance and student growth rather than any single program distinction.

The academic score delta is the sharpest numerical divide between these two schools. Third Street Elementary scores a perfect 10.0/10 in academics against Solano Avenue Elementary's 9.3/10, a 0.7-point gap that reflects measurable differences in proficiency outcomes. The growth score follows the same pattern: Third Street earns a 9.9/10 while Solano Avenue posts an 8.9/10, a full point lower. That growth gap matters because it measures how much students improve year over year — not just where they start — suggesting Third Street outperforms on both absolute achievement and academic trajectory.

The two schools serve noticeably different student populations. Third Street Elementary enrolls 691 students versus Solano Avenue Elementary's 184, making Third Street nearly four times larger. Solano Avenue carries a 61% free and reduced-price lunch rate compared to Third Street's 43%, indicating a higher concentration of economically disadvantaged families. Solano Avenue's student-teacher ratio of 20.4:1 is modestly lower than Third Street's 22.3:1, meaning slightly smaller average class sizes despite the school's lower enrollment overall.

One structural difference separates the two schools by grade span: Solano Avenue Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade, while Third Street Elementary runs kindergarten through fifth grade only. Families with a rising sixth-grader would need to plan a middle school transition a year earlier if attending Third Street. The two campuses sit 5.9 miles apart within Los Angeles, making direct comparison practical for families in the corridor between them.