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Wesley Gaines · Paramount

Wesley Gaines: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Wesley Gaines posts 40% meeting the standard and 15.1% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

7340 East Jackson Street, 90723 (opens in new tab)·Paramount Unified·Paramount·Grades TK-5·449 students·97% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(562) 602-8012
2025–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3645
% Exceeded15%21%
% Met+40%43%
Growth+5.3-2.9
Absence21.8%17.9%
Suspension0.5%1.6%
Scope Score
36
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #3,823 statewide · #5 of 11 in Paramount Unified

Wesley Gaines scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 33rd 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 →

📈 On the Rise — Ask how many years the improvement has held, not just the latest one — one strong cohort and a real turnaround can look identical in a single year of data.

Most rating sites would stop at “40% proficient” and call it done. Wesley Gaines deserves a closer read. The school sits in Paramount, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

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.

12%
22%
66%
Grade 3 · 34% proficient
16%
29%
55%
Grade 4 · 45% proficient
28%
20%
52%
Grade 5 · 48% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 16.4pp across grades; the floor rises 14.3pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
15.1%
State 21.3%
6.2pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+5.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
40.4%
State 42.7%
2.3pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
21.8%
State 17.9%
3.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 1.6%
1.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.4%
State 18.0%
9.6pp 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 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 Wesley Gaines in Paramount, 42.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Wesley Gaines trails its district average for low-income students by 0.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (37.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 203 students tested.

All students at this school: 40% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 40%, district —, state 43%40%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 40%, district 34%, state 32%40% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 41%, district 35%, state 32%41% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 41%, district 36%, state 44%41% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 39%, district 32%, state 42%39% · −1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 19%, district 10%, state 11%19% · −22 vs school

7 of 13 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 rises by 15.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.6pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 21.8%, district 24.3%, state 17.9%21.8% · +3.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.5%, district —, state 1.6%0.5% · −1.1pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (36.7% vs 16.3%). 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 4–616.3%
TK/K36.7%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Wesley Gaines
36/100
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 22:1, district 20:122:1
Teaching staff22 teachers
Avg. experience22.0 years
Fully credentialed100%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$73,292 – $138,335
Principal salary$188,208 – $204,698
Superintendent salary$316,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,886, CA average $14,815$24,886 · spent at this school
Federal share$140 per student

$140 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$26,268 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
Instruction68%
Instruction support11%
Student services7%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$15,272 per pupil
2019$13,970 per pupil
2018$13,949 per pupil
2017$12,942 per pupil
2016$12,153 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic87.8%
District 88.5% · CA 56.1%
Black7.3%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Other2.7%
District 2.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.8%
District 0.9% · CA 10.2%
White0.5%
District 0.9% · CA 19.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 97.1% (33pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$75K · CA $85K
Median home value$534K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population52,050
Median age33 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), 28% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wesley Gaines a good elementary school?

Wesley Gaines has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 33rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,823 statewide. 15.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.2 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 Wesley Gaines's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 40.4% of students at Wesley Gaines met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 15.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 15.1% 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. 420 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Wesley Gaines rank in California?

Wesley Gaines ranks #3,823 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 33rd 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 Wesley Gaines getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Wesley Gaines increases by 5.3 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. 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 Wesley Gaines?

21.8% of students at Wesley Gaines are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 Wesley Gaines compare to other schools in Paramount?

Wesley Gaines scores 36/100 (33rd 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 449 students. Use the schools in Paramount page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Wesley Gaines serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Wesley Gaines in Paramount, 42.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Wesley Gaines trails its district average for low-income students by 0.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (37.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 203 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%
15.1%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 44th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+5.3pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 39th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
40.4%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 48th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.8%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 44th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 59th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.4%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36712%22%31%34%34%−9
Grade 46916%29%19%36%45%+0
Grade 57428%20%22%30%49%+1
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36712%28%31%28%40%−5
Grade 4699%29%36%26%38%−4
Grade 57414%23%24%39%36%+1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11749%19%54%18%

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 Disadvantaged20342.4%−1+4
Hispanic/Latino19044.2%−0+5
English Learners7017.1%+5+7
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Wesley Gaines ←3615.1%40.4%+5.30.5%
Foster Elementary2.4 mi7936.2%64.8%+9.30.1%
Holmes Elementary2.7 mi6035.4%61.5%+18.52.6%
Kelly Elementary1.6 mi5523.0%45.2%+0.91.1%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female12.4%20.1%+7.7pp
Male9.8%23.9%+14.1pp
Black/African American11.9%18.2%+6.3pp
Hispanic/Latino10.5%22.7%+12.2pp
Students with Disabilities8.8%19.0%+10.2pp
English Learners8.5%22.4%+13.9pp
Foster Youth33.3%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.5%22.2%+10.7pp
All Students11.0%22.1%+11.1pp
Homeless42.9%
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