California has many excellent qualities. It has diversity at its very core, beautiful landscapes, and appealing national monuments, such as the Golden Gate Bridge. Furthermore, it has an overabundance of public schools. Not only can the largest school districts in California give us a glimpse into this state and its overall rankings in education, but also teacher-to-student ratios and the top-performing schools. In particular, this article will explore all of this information and more.
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Los Angeles Unified School District
333 S. Beaudry Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90017
Total Schools: 778
Students: 435,958
Los Angeles Unified School District has 778 total schools and 435,958 students. As a result, it is the largest school district in California. Additionally, according to Public School Review, it ranks number 497 out of the 1,200 school districts in California.
Academically, Los Angeles Unified School District ranks on state average with 29% mastery in math and 54% mastery in reading. Furthermore, the graduation rate is 80%.
Specifically, this school district ranks number 16 in California's best school districts for athletes. Furthermore, the Canyon Charter Elementary School is among the top-performing schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It has a teacher-to-student ratio of one to 20. Yet the math mastery is 91%, and the reading mastery is 94%.
The schools in this district break down as follows:
Elementary Schools: 516
Middle Schools: 130
High Schools: 182
San Diego Unified School District
4100 Normal St. San Diego, CA 92103
Total Schools: 176
Students: 95,233
San Diego Unified School District ranks number seven in the best school districts in the San Diego Area. It has 95,233 students and 176 schools. Moreover, the San Diego Unified School District ranks seventh in California's most diverse school districts.
The average graduation rate in this school district is 89%. Additionally, the overall testing rankings are 29% proficiency in reading and 19% proficiency in math.
The top-performing schools in the San Diego Unified School District are Scripps Ranch High School and R. Rowe Elementary School. Scripps Ranch High School has 1,950 students and ranks in the top five percent of the schools in California. Its math and reading mastery is 80% above the state average. Additionally, R. Rowe Elementary has 361 students and is in the top five percent of schools in California. Its math and reading mastery is 84%.
The schools in the San Diego Unified School District break down like this:
Elementary Schools: 125
Middle Schools: 42
High Schools: 35
Fresno Unified School District
2309 Tulare St. Fresno, CA 93721
Total Schools: 100
Students: 69,873
The Fresno Unified School District has 100 schools, with 69,873 scattered throughout its school district. When it comes to academics, this school district has a 47% mastery in reading and an 18% mastery in math. Additionally, the average graduation rate is 87%.
Above all, out of the 100 Fresno Unified School District schools, the top-performing one is Manchester Gate. Manchester Gate is an elementary school with 714 students in grades second through sixth. Ultimately, the student-to-teacher ratio average is 55 to one. However, it ranks number one in the Fresno Unified School District and fourth in California Elementary Schools. Furthermore, the overall testing rankings fall well above the state average at 94% in math and 96% in reading.
When breaking down the Fresno Unified School District, it looks like this:
Elementary Schools: 69
Middle Schools: 19
High Schools: 16
Long Beach Unified School District
1515 Hughes Way Long Beach, CA 90810
Total Schools: 84
Students: 67,292
Long Beach Unified School District ranks 24 in the best school districts in California for athletes and 29 in the most diverse school districts in California. It has 84 schools and 67,292 students. Furthermore, the student-to-teacher ratio is slightly higher than average, with 25 to one.
Also, Long Beach Unified School District falls academically in the state average range. The math mastery is 34%, and the reading mastery is 50%.
Without a doubt, the best-performing school in this school district is Naple Elementary. It ranks as number one for the elementary schools in the Long Beach Unified School District. The grade levels are kindergarten through fifth grade, with 321 students. The all-around testing rankings also fall above the state average, with math between 75-79% and reading between 85-89%.
The schools break down in the Long Beach Unified School District as follows:
Elementary Schools: 55
Middle Schools: 23
High Schools: 15
Elk Grove Unified School District
9510 Elk Grove-Florin Rd. Elk Grove, CA 95624
Total Schools: 88
Students: 62,229
Elk Grove Unified School District ranks number two in Sacramento County. Additionally, it ranks as the number two most diverse school district in California. It has 88 schools and 62,229 students.
Regarding academics, the Elk Grove Unified School District performs beyond the state average. The mastery in reading is 51%, and the mastery in math is 40%. Additionally, the graduation rate is 93%.
Undoubtedly, Pleasant Grove High School is the top-performing high school in the Elk Grove Unified School District. It ranks number one in this school district with a 96% graduation rate and a 48.8 college readiness rating. The math mastery in this school is 57%, and the reading mastery is 74%, putting it sufficiently above the state average.
Also, the top-performing elementary school in this school district is Arnold Adreani Elementary. It ranks as the number one elementary school in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Currently, it has 831 students and offers grades kindergarten through sixth. Moreover, this school ranks in the top ten percent in all testing ratings, with 70% mastery in math and 77% in reading.
This school district breaks down this way:
Elementary Schools: 44
Middle Schools: 11
High Schools: 15
Corona-Norco Unified School District
2820 Clark Ave. Norco, CA 92860
Total Schools: 53
Students: 50,889
The Corona-Norco Unified School District has 53 schools and 50,889 students. It is rated the number nine best school district for athletes in California.
Additionally, when it comes to academics, the Corona-Norco Unified School District ranks above the state average. Furthermore, the reading mastery in this school district is 61%, and the math mastery is 46%. The graduation rate of this school district is also higher than the state average at 96%.
Temescal Valley Elementary School is the top elementary school in the Corona-Norco Unified School District. It has 908 students and a student-teacher ratio of 27 to one. However, even though their teacher-to-student ratio is past the average California student-to-teacher ratio, the test rankings are well beyond the state average. When looking at the overall testing rates, this school has a math mastery of 76% and a reading mastery of 81%.
The schools in the Corona-Norco Unified School District break down like this:
Elementary Schools: 35
Middle Schools: 14
High Schools: 11
San Francisco Unified School District
555 Franklin St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Total Schools: 113
Students: 49,204
The San Francisco Unified School District ranks as number five most diverse school districts in California. It has 113 schools with 49,204 students. Therefore, this puts the teacher-to-student ratio at 19 to one.
Moreover, the San Fransico Unified School District academically performs well above the state average. In addition, the reading mastery is 77%, and the math mastery is 67%. Additionally, the graduation rate average is 87%.
One of the top-performing schools in the San Fransico Unified School District is the Chinese Immersion School at Deavila. It has 383 students and offers grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Further, the student-to-teacher ratio is 24 to one. The overall rankings are well above average, with the math mastery between 90-94% and the reading mastery between 85-89%.
When the schools break down in this school district, it looks like this:
Elementary Schools: 77
Middle Schools: 21
High Schools: 18
One Last Note
When it comes to schools, there is no one size fits all. Every child goes on their learning journey at their own pace. However, the largest school districts in California can tell you quite a bit about the state averages, resources, and performance of the specific areas. Regardless of where you send your child to school, one truth remains. Each school offers different qualities that benefit various students, from well-allocated funds to diversity and teachers with excellent experiences. The largest school districts in California are no exception!
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