Best Public Schools in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

The city of Rancho Palos Verdes, California is home to 10 schools, including 7 elementary schools and 3 middle schools, across two school districts - Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified and Los Angeles Unified. The data reveals a stark contrast in academic performance, with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified schools consistently ranking among the top in the state, while the lone Los Angeles Unified school, Crestwood Street STEAM Magnet, lags behind.

The standout schools in the area are Ridgecrest Intermediate, which ranks among the top 50 middle schools in California, and the elementary schools of Silver Spur and Cornerstone at Pedregal, which also rank in the top 50 and 40 in the state, respectively. These schools boast exceptional test scores, with over 80% of students proficient in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

However, the data also reveals significant disparities in factors like chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch rates across the schools, which may be contributing to the performance gaps. While the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified schools have low chronic absenteeism rates, the Crestwood Street STEAM Magnet school has a rate as high as 29.8%. Similarly, the free/reduced lunch rates range from as low as 4.8% at Silver Spur Elementary to as high as 76.05% at Crestwood Street STEAM Magnet.