Third Street Elementary vs Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy

Third Street Elementary and Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy are both Los Angeles elementary schools serving grades KG–05, but they sit at very different positions in the state rankings. Third Street Elementary holds a 9.6/10 overall rating and ranks #8 of 9533 schools in California, placing it in the top 0.1% statewide. Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy earns an 8.6/10 overall rating and ranks #559 of 9533 in California — still elite territory, but a full rating point and 551 rank positions behind Third Street Elementary.

The academic score gap is the sharpest distinction between these two schools. Third Street Elementary scores a perfect 10.0/10 on academics versus Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy's 7.6/10 — a 2.4-point delta that drives most of the overall rating difference. Growth scores are much closer: Third Street Elementary posts a 9.9/10 while Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy earns a 9.5/10, a gap of just 0.4 points. Both schools demonstrate strong year-over-year student progress; academic proficiency is where Third Street Elementary separates itself.

The demographic picture differs significantly. Third Street Elementary enrolls 691 students, nearly double Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy's 378. The free and reduced-price lunch rate — a common proxy for family income — stands at 43% at Third Street Elementary compared to 93% at Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy. That 50-point gap reflects meaningfully different community contexts. Student-teacher ratios are nearly identical: 22.3:1 at Third Street Elementary and 22.2:1 at Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy, so classroom size offers no practical distinction.

Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy's name signals a STEM and arts focus embedded in its identity as a SMArT Academy, which may appeal to families seeking a thematic instructional approach. Third Street Elementary operates as a traditional neighborhood elementary school. The two campuses sit 6.5 miles apart in Los Angeles, and both cap at 5th grade, so families weighing the choice are comparing a top-ten California school against a still-highly-ranked STEM-themed alternative serving a much higher proportion of lower-income students.