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Public school district · California

Torrance Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Torrance Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Walteria ElementaryAnza ElementaryWest HighEdward J. Richardson MiddleSouth HighNorth HighCalle Mayor MiddleTorrance HighTowers ElementaryRiviera ElementaryJefferson MiddleArlington ElementaryBert M. Lynn MiddleHickory ElementaryLincoln ElementaryMadrona MiddleJoseph Arnold ElementarySeaside ElementaryVictor ElementaryCasimir MiddleFern ElementaryEvelyn Carr ElementaryHoward Wood ElementaryEdison ElementaryPhilip Magruder MiddleJohn Adams ElementaryYukon ElementaryTorrance ElementaryJ. H. Hull MiddleShery (Kurt T.) High (Continuation)Torrance UnifiedN ↑
30 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary17 schools
avg 58.3/10012 Strong, 5 Solid
Middle8 schools
avg 60.1/1006 Strong, 2 Solid
High5 schools
avg 62.0/1004 Strong, 1 Needs Support

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

The elementary schools average 58.3/100 — 19.4 points above the state average, with 12 of 17 in the Strong band.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

36 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 17 elementary schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Walteria Elementary (79/100) holds the Strong band — 57.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 39.1%. 4 schools here rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

36 points separate the top and bottom elementary schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

98th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100
Anza Elementary
High Ceiling
98th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100
Towers Elementary
Growth Engine
95th percentile · StrongScope Score 72/100

All 17 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

The middle schools average 60.1/100 — 21.5 points above the state average, with 6 of 8 in the Strong band.

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34 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 8 middle schools — the average hides more than it tells.

The strength

Edward J. Richardson Middle (75/100) holds the Strong band — 46.8% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 35.5%. 1 school here ranks as a Growth Engine — returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide.

The catch

34 points separate the top and bottom middle schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

96th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
Calle Mayor Middle
Strong All-Around
95th percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
Jefferson Middle
Strong All-Around
92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100

All 8 middle schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

64 points separate West High (76) from Shery (Kurt T.) High (Continuation) (12) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.

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64 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 5 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

West High (76/100) holds the Strong band — 41.0% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 31.0%. 4 schools classify as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.

The catch

64 points separate the top and bottom high schools — the district average won't predict the school in front of you.

West High
Strong All-Around
93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100
South High
Strong All-Around
91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
North High
Strong All-Around
91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100

All 5 high schools, ranked, in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Walteria Elementary at 79/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 6 campuses here rank as Growth Engine (5) or On the Rise (1), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

Walteria Elementary 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100Edward J. Richardson Middle 96th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100West High 93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Torrance Unified has 30 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

17 comparable schools · average 58.3/100 · range 42.8–79.2

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

8 comparable schools · average 60.1/100 · range 40.8–75.1

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 74.5/100 · range 73.7–75.8

Explore Torrance Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Torrance Unifiedthis district61.0 / 10029Walteria Elementary—
Redondo Beach Unified65.2 / 10011Redondo Union High2.2 mi
Manhattan Beach Unified80.6 / 1007Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary4.4 mi
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified73.7 / 10015Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary4.8 mi
Wiseburn Unified49.6 / 1007Da Vinci Science5.8 mi
El Segundo Unified74.3 / 1004El Segundo High7.1 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Torrance Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Torrance Unified · 17 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Walteria Elementary
Torrance Unified High Ceiling
57.6%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 79/100
Anza Elementary
Torrance Unified High Ceiling
51.8%98th percentile · StrongScope Score 77/100
Towers Elementary
Torrance Unified Growth Engine
46.4%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 72/100
Riviera Elementary
Torrance Unified Growth Engine
49.4%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 71/100
Arlington Elementary
Torrance Unified Growth Engine
43.4%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 65/100
Hickory Elementary
Torrance Unified Solid Base
46.2%89th percentile · StrongScope Score 62/100

Middle schools in Torrance Unified · 8 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Edward J. Richardson Middle
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
46.8%96th percentile · StrongScope Score 75/100
Calle Mayor Middle
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
49.7%95th percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
Jefferson Middle
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
39.6%92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100
Bert M. Lynn Middle
Torrance Unified Solid Base
41.6%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 64/100
Madrona Middle
Torrance Unified Growth Engine
29.4%88th percentile · StrongScope Score 59/100
Casimir Middle
Torrance Unified Culture First
32.5%83rd percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100

High schools in Torrance Unified · 5 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
West High
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
41.0%93rd percentile · StrongScope Score 76/100
South High
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
39.1%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
North High
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
39.5%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
Torrance High
Torrance Unified Strong All-Around
35.7%91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100
Shery (Kurt T.) High (Continuation)
Torrance Unified continuation high school
0.0%9th percentile · Needs SupportWithin its own school classScope Score 12/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Torrance Unified spent $16,002 per student in FY 2024–25 — $4,489 less than the median California district ($20,491), about 22% lower. About 63 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction63%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services9%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance9%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$62,009–$122,300
Teaching staff1,024 · FTE
District enrollment22,490 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 37.4% · White 19.3% · Black 4.3% · Asian 24.3% · Other 14.8%
Free/reduced lunch36% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Torrance Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 30 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Torrance Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 30 public schools in Torrance Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Torrance Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Walteria Elementary (79/100). Middle: Edward J. Richardson Middle (75/100). High: West High (76/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Torrance Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.