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Chester W. Nimitz Middle · Huntington Park

Chester W. Nimitz Middle: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Chester W. Nimitz posts 33% meeting the standard and 12.1% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

6021 Carmelita Avenue, 90255 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Huntington Park·Grades 6-8·1,057 students·95% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(323) 887-5400·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3643
% Exceeded12%17%
% Met+33%39%
Growth-10.1+1.5
Absence22.9%18.5%
Suspension0.8%3.7%
Scope Score
36
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,413 statewide · #151 of 226 in Los Angeles Unified

Chester W. Nimitz Middle scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 37th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “33% proficient” and call it done. Chester W. Nimitz deserves a closer read. The school sits in Huntington Park, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has stayed near the 37th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 33% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 636%32%28%41%40%
Grade 741%38%29%33%46%
Grade 835%35%33%30%33%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 622%19%19%26%33%
Grade 731%16%17%15%27%
Grade 824%15%15%16%20%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

14%
26%
60%
Grade 6 · 40% proficient
11%
34%
55%
Grade 7 · 45% proficient
9%
24%
67%
Grade 8 · 33% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.4pp across grades; the floor slips 7.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.1%
State 16.8%
4.7pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-10.1pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
32.9%
State 39.3%
6.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
22.9%
State 18.5%
4.4pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 3.7%
2.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.4%
State 18.0%
3.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Chester W. Nimitz Middle in Huntington Park, 38.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chester W. Nimitz Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 2.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 38.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 945 students tested.

All students at this school: 33% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 33%, district —, state 39%33%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 33%, district 36%, state 32%33% · +0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 33%, district 36%, state 32%33% · −0 vs school
MaleMale: this school 30%, district 41%, state 42%30% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 35%, district 42%, state 44%35% · +3 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 6%, district 14%, state 15%6% · −26 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 1%, district 9%, state 11%1% · −32 vs school

7 of 14 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 6.9pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -0.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 22.9%, district 24.5%, state 18.5%22.9% · +4.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.8%, district —, state 3.7%0.8% · −2.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–620.0%
Grades 7–824.4%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 17:1, district 20:117:1
Teaching staff61 teachers
Avg. experience17.2 years
Fully credentialed69%
First-year teachers8%
Intern / emergency permit3.0%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,420 – $122,706
Principal salary$154,576 – $170,030
Superintendent salary$440,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,341, CA average $14,815$24,341 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$1,897 per student

$1,897 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$29,292 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction52%
Instruction support16%
Student services12%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other2%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$18,180 per pupil
2019$16,355 per pupil
2018$15,793 per pupil
2017$13,247 per pupil
2016$13,549 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic97.6%
District 73.2% · CA 56.1%
White1.9%
District 9.9% · CA 19.9%
Black0.4%
District 7.2% · CA 4.8%
Other0.1%
District 6.3% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 95.4% (32pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$65K · CA $85K
Median home value$580K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+9% · CA 35%
ZIP population69,349
Median age35 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 21% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chester W. Nimitz Middle a good middle school?

Chester W. Nimitz Middle has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 37th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,413 statewide. 12.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.7 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Chester W. Nimitz Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 32.9% of students at Chester W. Nimitz Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.1% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 2,005 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Chester W. Nimitz Middle rank in California?

Chester W. Nimitz Middle ranks #1,413 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 37th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

Is Chester W. Nimitz Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Chester W. Nimitz Middle decreases by 10.1 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Chester W. Nimitz Middle?

22.9% of students at Chester W. Nimitz Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 0.8%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Chester W. Nimitz Middle compare to other schools in Huntington Park?

Chester W. Nimitz Middle scores 36/100 (37th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 1,057 students. Use the schools in Huntington Park page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Chester W. Nimitz Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Chester W. Nimitz Middle in Huntington Park, 38.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chester W. Nimitz Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 2.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 38.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 945 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
12.1%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 45th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-10.1pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 43th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
32.9%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
22.9%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 44th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.4%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 40th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 630514%26%22%38%40%−7
Grade 733711%34%20%34%46%−2
Grade 83569%24%30%37%33%−14
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 630719%14%19%49%33%−2
Grade 734212%15%27%46%27%−7
Grade 83588%12%19%61%20%−12
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113605%17%63%16%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged94538.9%−2+1
Hispanic/Latino97539.6%−1+1
Students with Disabilities1628.0%−8−9
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Chester W. Nimitz Middle ←3612.1%32.9%−10.10.8%
South Gate Middle2.3 mi4414.1%34.8%−0.50.0%
Orchard Academies 2C0.5 mi4212.7%32.7%−0.10.1%
Walnut Park Middle A School of Social Justice and2.2 mi4214.7%38.5%+0.40.1%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193130#14069.8%31.7%16.1%0.3%+0.2pp
20223135#14127.5%25.8%31.6%0.0%-0.1pp
20233639#13358.0%23.6%29.2%0.2%+0.1pp
20243031#15298.7%26.8%24.4%0.1%-10.8pp
20253637#141312.1%32.9%22.9%0.8%-10.1pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female13.0%21.5%+8.5pp
Male19.1%24.3%+5.2pp
Hispanic/Latino16.1%23.0%+6.9pp
Students with Disabilities26.3%28.7%+2.4pp
English Learners25.7%27.8%+2.1pp
Foster Youth66.7%33.3%-33.4pp
Homeless34.0%40.9%+6.9pp
Military-Connected20.0%18.2%-1.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged16.5%23.4%+6.9pp
All Students16.1%23.0%+6.9pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction