Soto Street Elementary vs Charles H. Kim Elementary

Charles H. Kim Elementary ranks #9 out of 9,533 California schools, placing it in the top 0.1% statewide. Soto Street Elementary, at #293, is itself a strong performer — top 3% in California — but the gap between the two is significant. Charles H. Kim's overall rating of 9.6/10 sits 0.7 points above Soto Street Elementary's 8.9/10, a delta that reflects meaningful differences in academic outcomes rather than a marginal edge.

On academics, Charles H. Kim Elementary scores 9.5/10 versus Soto Street Elementary's 7.9/10 — a 1.6-point gap that represents the largest measurable difference between the two schools. Growth scores are closer: Charles H. Kim earns 9.8/10 against Soto Street's 9.2/10, a 0.6-point difference. Both schools demonstrate strong student growth trajectories, but Charles H. Kim converts that growth into higher measured academic proficiency at a notably greater rate.

The two schools serve nearly identical populations by economic measure — both carry an 88% free and reduced-price lunch rate — which makes Charles H. Kim Elementary's academic advantage particularly striking since it is achieved with the same demographic profile. Where they differ structurally is size: Charles H. Kim enrolls 472 students compared to Soto Street Elementary's 205, making it more than twice as large. The student-teacher ratio at Soto Street is slightly lower at 17.1:1 versus 18.2:1 at Charles H. Kim, meaning Soto Street offers marginally more classroom attention per student despite its smaller overall footprint.

One practical distinction affects families with older elementary-age children: Soto Street Elementary serves grades KG through 6, while Charles H. Kim Elementary tops out at grade 5. A family with a rising sixth-grader would find Soto Street the only option of the two for that transition year. The schools sit 5.9 miles apart in Los Angeles, making geography a realistic factor in daily logistics for most families choosing between them.