Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Independence Elementary ranks 2746 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 440 students attended Independence Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 98% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : South Gate Middle High : International Studies Learning Center at Legacy High School Complex High : Sci Technical Engr Arts and Math at Legacy High School Complex High : South East High High : South Gate Senior High High : Visual and Performing Arts at Legacy High School Complex

Independence Elementary

Summary:

Independence Elementary is a public elementary school located in South Gate, California, serving 438 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is ranked 871 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independence Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of California elementary schools, with student performance on standardized tests generally below the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy ranged from 23.53% (3rd grade) to 45.33% (5th grade), compared to the district's 41.21% to 44.18% and the state's 42.8% to 47.37%. The school has also experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 12.5% in 2017-2018 to 53.3% in 2021-2022, significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, 96.35% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Hope Street Elementary, Liberty Boulevard Elementary, and Willow Elementary, have similar demographic and performance characteristics to Independence Elementary, with most ranking in the bottom half of California elementary schools. However, some nearby schools, like Willow Elementary and Victoria Avenue Elementary, have shown stronger academic performance, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to Independence Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

8435 Victoria Ave.
South Gate, CA 90280-2353

(323) 249-9559

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2746^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,364

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	South Gate Middle
High:	International Studies Learning Center at Legacy High School Complex
	Sci Technical Engr Arts and Math at Legacy High School Complex
	South East High
	South Gate Senior High
	More...
	Visual and Performing Arts at Legacy High School Complex

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 440

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

98.2%

Two or more races:

0.9%

White:

0.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Elementary ranks better than 53.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 188^th among 486 ranked elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.73. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (98.2%), two or more races (0.9%), White (0.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Elementary is 19.1, which is the 175^th best among 486 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Independence Elementary employs 23 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Elementary is $10,364. 363 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Independence Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Elementary 2746^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Independence Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Los Angeles Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Los Angeles Unified 871^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Elementary?

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Rank History for Independence Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	15.02	4342^nd	4809	9.7%
2005	16.47	4212^th	4822	12.7%
2006	15.48	4324^th	4818	10.3%
2007	22.63	4080^th	5113	20.2%
2008	22.68	4149^th	5113	18.9%
2009	23.24	4190^th	5193	19.3%
2010	26.90	4087^th	5314	23.1%
2011	43.96	2952^nd	5377	45.1%
2012	41.19	3193^rd	5390	40.8%
2013	38.19	3445^th	5530	37.7%
2015	36.52	3232^nd	5611	42.4%
2016	29.70	3799^th	5614	32.3%
2017	29.82	3846^th	5692	32.4%
2018	28.28	3965^th	5662	30.0%
2019	33.82	3629^th	5789	37.3%
2022	45.10	2791^st	5883	52.6%
2023	39.50	3170^th	5874	46.0%
2024	46.73	2746^th	5862	53.2%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.15	3139^th	3246	3.3%
2019	30.02	2494^th	3275	23.8%
2022	31.72	2474^th	3311	25.3%
2023	27.46	2711^th	3250	16.6%
2024	47.98	1298^th	3160	58.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.80	1556^th	2420	35.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	41.95	2891^st	5084	43.1%
2019	46.82	2619^th	5173	49.4%
2022	68.77	1223^rd	5264	76.8%
2023	58.04	1872^nd	5374	65.2%
2024	59.22	1848^th	5511	66.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.80	4108^th	5413	24.1%
2019	29.41	3867^th	5492	29.6%
2022	50.42	2393^rd	5635	57.5%
2023	48.59	2482^nd	5617	55.8%
2024	45.74	2672^nd	5605	52.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.47	1617^th	2128	24.0%
2019	26.70	1973^rd	2585	23.7%
2022	40.09	1070^th	2227	52.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.29	3599^th	5431	33.7%
2019	38.74	3130^th	5510	43.2%
2022	38.56	3094^th	5663	45.4%
2023	29.67	3810^th	5650	32.6%
2024	47.50	2602^nd	5636	53.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	39.08	2926^th	4830	39.4%
2019	47.52	2447^th	4963	50.7%
2022	64.54	1402^nd	5084	72.4%
2023	57.54	1795^th	5098	64.8%
2024	64.58	1441^st	5102	71.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Independence Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1998	7	1	2	764	0	n/a	n/a	0	774
1999	10	2	2	943	0	n/a	n/a	0	957
2000	5	2	2	1020	1	n/a	n/a	0	1030
2001	7	1	3	1002	0	n/a	n/a	0	1013
2002	3	3	1	1029	0	n/a	n/a	0	1036
2003	3	3	1	1029	0	n/a	n/a	0	1036
2004	3	1	3	1006	3	n/a	n/a	0	1016
2005	7	3	4	954	3	n/a	n/a	0	971
2006	5	2	4	913	1	n/a	n/a	0	925
2007	4	0	3	846	0	n/a	n/a	0	853
2008	3	n/a	1	824	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	828
2009	3	2	1	813	0	0	1	0	820
2010	2	1	1	780	1	0	2	0	787
2011	2	2	1	764	0	0	4	0	773
2012	2	5	0	762	0	0	1	0	770
2013	1	4	1	766	0	0	0	0	772
2014	4	2	1	822	0	0	0	0	829
2015	7	2	1	742	0	1	1	0	754
2016	8	2	1	737	1	1	5	0	755
2017	11	2	1	735	1	1	3	0	754
2018	10	4	2	688	0	1	4	0	709
2019	10	3	1	692	0	1	4	0	711
2020	8	2	1	628	0	1	3	0	643
2021	5	2	1	551	0	0	2	0	561
2022	0	1	1	444	0	0	1	0	447
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	438	438
2024	2	1	1	432	0	0	4	0	440

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	774	34.0	22.8	95
1999	957	47.0	20.4	95
2000	1030	52.0	19.8	96.4
2001	1013	54.0	18.8	95.5
2002	1036	54.0	19.2	89.7
2003	1036	54.0	19.2	89.7
2004	1016	52.0	19.5	87.4
2005	971	51.0	19.0	93.3
2006	925	49.0	18.9	92.3
2007	853	42.0	20.3	94.4
2008	828	48.5	17.1	92.6
2009	820	43.0	17.8	92.8
2010	787	40.0	19.6	93.1
2011	773	n/a	n/a	92.4
2012	770	34.0	22.6	n/a
2013	772	34.0	22.7	89.4
2014	829	34.0	24.3	89.9
2015	754	32.0	23.5	85.8
2016	755	32.0	23.5	92.2
2017	754	32.0	23.5	86.2
2018	709	31.0	22.8	92.7
2019	711	31.0	22.9	89.5
2020	643	n/a	n/a	95.5
2021	561	29.0	19.3	95.9
2022	447	29.0	15.4	94.4
2023	438	25.5	17.1	96.3
2024	440	23.0	19.1	92.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	774	34.0	22.8	95
1999	957	47.0	20.4	95
2000	1030	52.0	19.8	96.4
2001	1013	54.0	18.8	95.5
2002	1036	54.0	19.2	89.7
2003	1036	54.0	19.2	89.7
2004	1016	52.0	19.5	87.4
2005	971	51.0	19.0	93.3
2006	925	49.0	18.9	92.3
2007	853	42.0	20.3	94.4
2008	828	48.5	17.1	92.6
2009	820	43.0	17.8	92.8
2010	787	40.0	19.6	93.1
2011	773	n/a	n/a	92.4
2012	770	34.0	22.6	n/a
2013	772	34.0	22.7	89.4
2014	829	34.0	24.3	89.9
2015	754	32.0	23.5	85.8
2016	755	32.0	23.5	92.2
2017	754	32.0	23.5	86.2
2018	709	31.0	22.8	92.7
2019	711	31.0	22.9	89.5
2020	643	n/a	n/a	95.5
2021	561	29.0	19.3	95.9
2022	447	29.0	15.4	94.4
2023	438	25.5	17.1	96.3
2024	440	23.0	19.1	92.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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