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Joseph A. Gascon Elementary · Los Angeles

Joseph A. Gascon Elementary: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Joseph A. Gascon posts 30% meeting the standard and 12.5% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

630 South Leonard Street, 90022 (opens in new tab)·Montebello Unified·Los Angeles·Grades TK-5·513 students·88% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(323) 721-2025·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3945
% Exceeded12%21%
% Met+30%43%
Growth-0.2-2.9
Absence15.5%17.9%
Suspension0.8%1.6%
Scope Score
39
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,429 statewide · #7 of 17 in Montebello Unified

Joseph A. Gascon Elementary scores 39 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 40th percentile of 5,744 California elementary 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 “30% proficient” and call it done. Joseph A. Gascon deserves a closer read. The school sits in Los Angeles, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 21st to the 40th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 900 elementary schools.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 30% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 335%22%18%29%32%
Grade 442%26%29%25%35%
Grade 530%23%27%28%31%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 330%23%23%31%25%
Grade 430%16%16%18%29%
Grade 525%11%18%20%26%

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.

15%
17%
68%
Grade 3 · 32% proficient
16%
19%
65%
Grade 4 · 35% proficient
11%
20%
69%
Grade 5 · 31% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.4pp across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. The state average rises 4.5pp 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
12.5%
State 21.3%
8.8pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-0.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
29.8%
State 42.7%
12.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.5%
State 17.9%
2.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 1.6%
0.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.3%
State 18.0%
6.7pp 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 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 Joseph A. Gascon Elementary in Los Angeles, 31.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Joseph A. Gascon Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 3.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (32.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 223 students tested.

All students at this school: 30% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 30%, district —, state 43%30%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 30%, district 30%, state 32%30% · −0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 29%, district 30%, state 32%29% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 35%, district 33%, state 44%35% · +5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 25%, district 30%, state 42%25% · −5 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 12%, district 9%, state 11%12% · −18 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 2%, district 9%, state 15%2% · −28 vs school
AsianAsian: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
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 rises by 3.5pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +2.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 15.5%, district 19.3%, state 17.9%15.5% · −2.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.8%, district —, state 1.6%0.8% · −0.9pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (22.0% vs 10.0%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–610.0%
TK/K22.0%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Joseph A. Gascon Elementary
39/100
This school
High School

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 21:121:1
Teaching staff26 teachers
Avg. experience23.2 years
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,726 – $137,243
Principal salary$169,862 – $185,072
Superintendent salary$343,200

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $22,788, CA average $14,815$22,788 · spent at this school
Federal share$493 per student

$493 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$24,535 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
Instruction59%
Instruction support12%
Student services13%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%

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$17,377 per pupil
2019$14,931 per pupil
2018$13,993 per pupil
2017$12,986 per pupil
2016$12,547 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic99.0%
District 95.8% · CA 56.1%
Asian0.6%
District 2.2% · CA 10.2%
Black0.4%
District 0.4% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 87.5% (24pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$68K · CA $85K
Median home value$630K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+10% · CA 35%
ZIP population60,343
Median age35 years

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

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 19% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Joseph A. Gascon Elementary a good elementary school?

Joseph A. Gascon Elementary has a Scope Score of 39 out of 100, placing it in the 40th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,429 statewide. 12.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.8 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 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 Joseph A. Gascon Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 29.8% of students at Joseph A. Gascon Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.5% 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. 515 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Joseph A. Gascon Elementary rank in California?

Joseph A. Gascon Elementary ranks #3,429 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 40th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 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 Joseph A. Gascon Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Joseph A. Gascon Elementary decreases by 0.2 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 elementary 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 Joseph A. Gascon Elementary?

15.5% of students at Joseph A. Gascon Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. 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 Joseph A. Gascon Elementary compare to other schools in Los Angeles?

Joseph A. Gascon Elementary scores 39/100 (40th percentile) among California elementary 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 513 students. Use the schools in Los Angeles page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Joseph A. Gascon Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Joseph A. Gascon Elementary in Los Angeles, 31.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Joseph A. Gascon Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 3.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (26.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (32.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 223 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%
12.5%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 41th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-0.2pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
29.8%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 40th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.5%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 54th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 57th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 41th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37515%17%23%45%32%−11
Grade 49316%19%18%46%35%−9
Grade 58911%20%11%57%31%−16
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37512%13%33%41%25%−20
Grade 49310%19%30%41%29%−13
Grade 59011%14%18%57%26%−10
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11906%13%50%31%

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 Disadvantaged22331.8%−4−6
Hispanic/Latino25432.7%−3−6
English Learners10415.4%+7+5
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Joseph A. Gascon Elementary ←3912.5%29.8%−0.20.8%
Monterey Vista Elementary3 mi6349.1%70.9%−9.50.6%
Monterey Highlands Elementary2.6 mi6145.8%69.8%−16.50.1%
Bitely (Arlene) Elementary3.4 mi6034.5%61.6%−16.81.0%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193121#43549.5%32.0%7.3%0.3%-5.3pp
20222315#48666.2%20.3%33.4%0.6%-5.3pp
20233232#38717.7%21.9%29.3%0.9%+2.2pp
20243430#40398.6%25.2%19.2%0.3%-6.3pp
20253940#342912.5%29.8%15.5%0.8%-0.2pp
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
Female6.9%13.1%+6.2pp
Male7.5%17.6%+10.1pp
Filipino8.3%
Hispanic/Latino7.3%15.6%+8.3pp
Students with Disabilities13.8%20.8%+7.0pp
English Learners5.2%11.2%+6.0pp
Homeless23.1%42.9%+19.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.0%16.6%+8.6pp
All Students7.2%15.4%+8.2pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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