Virginia Road Elementary vs Charles H. Kim Elementary

Charles H. Kim Elementary outranks Virginia Road Elementary by a significant margin in California's statewide standings: Kim sits at #9 of 9,533 California schools while Virginia Road Elementary ranks #79 of 9,533 — a 70-position gap that places both schools in the state's top 1 percent, though Kim's edge is substantial. Their overall ratings are close on paper (9.6 vs. 9.3 out of 10), but that 0.3-point difference compresses a meaningful academic gap.

The academic score tells the sharper story. Charles H. Kim Elementary scores 9.5/10 in academics compared to Virginia Road Elementary's 8.4/10 — a 1.1-point delta that reflects measurably stronger tested proficiency at Kim. Virginia Road Elementary closes the gap on growth, earning a near-perfect 9.9/10 growth score versus Kim's 9.8/10, meaning students at both schools are making strong year-over-year gains, with Virginia Road fractionally ahead on that single dimension. Families prioritizing absolute academic achievement will find Kim the stronger performer; families prioritizing learning velocity relative to starting point will find Virginia Road essentially equal.

Charles H. Kim Elementary enrolls 472 students versus Virginia Road Elementary's 209, making Kim more than twice the size. The student-teacher ratio difference is modest — 18.2:1 at Kim versus 19.0:1 at Virginia Road — but Kim's larger enrollment gives it more classroom sections and potentially broader extracurricular offerings. Both schools serve high-need populations: Virginia Road Elementary's free and reduced-price lunch rate is 94%, compared to 88% at Charles H. Kim Elementary. That 6-point gap means Virginia Road's student body faces slightly greater economic disadvantage on average, which makes its 9.9/10 growth score particularly notable.

Both schools cover grades KG through 05 and sit 3.4 miles apart in Los Angeles, California — close enough that either is a realistic choice depending on address and enrollment zone. Neither school offers differentiated grade configurations that would make one more suitable for a particular developmental stage, so the comparison comes down entirely to the academic, growth, and demographic data above.