Culver City Unified Schools Ranked Top In CA

CULVER CITY, CA — The Culver City Unified School District was named a top school district in the state of California this week and also recognized as the most diverse in Los Angeles County, officials said.

CCUSD ranked 19th in Los Angeles County and 37th in California out of 440 districts in the 2021 Best School Districts in California by national academic ranking service, Niche.

The website helps parents discover schools and neighborhoods that are right for them and named Culver City Unified School District the third most diverse school district in the golden state. The site also identified CCUSD as the 29th best place to teach in California (among 690 districts).

The rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of student and parent reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Niche ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings and more.

Check out the Niche 2021 report.

Niche awarded El Marino Elementary School an A+, and Culver City High School, Culver City Middle School, Farragut Elementary School, Linwood E. Howe Elementary School and El Rincon Elementary School an A for their educational outcomes, a category that includes academic data such as SAT and ACT scores with special consideration given to schools whose students matriculate to high-ranked colleges and universities. The schools also received an A in academics, which includes proficiency in math and reading, and graduation and college enrollment rates. The ranking formula also includes facilities, safety, clubs, sports and other factors.

“We are honored to be recognized for the incredible learning environment our students, teachers, staff and community have created on our campuses – and even online as we deal with distance learning,”CCUSD Superintendent Leslie Lockhart said in a news release. “We believe academics are only part of the equation and work hard every day to address all of our students’ social-emotional needs, mental health and physical health. It is nice to be recognized for our efforts, and we will continue to be focused on equity, inclusion and preparing our students for lifelong learning.”

Lockhart added that she is especially proud of the district’s diversity.

“We know, and live, the diversity of our schools and community each and every day,” she said. “This ranking affirms the value we place on our differences and the beauty of our teaching and learning experiences together.”

CCUSD students are 51% male and 49% female. The district is also 37.2% Hispanic, 26.5% white, 12.9% African-American, 12.1% Asian, 10.8% multi-racial, 0.2% Pacific Islander and 0.2% Native American.

CCUSD has always celebrated its diversity. The district was the first in the nation to create a Spanish Immersion program and among the first to create a Japanese Immersion program. Culver City High School offers a slew of student clubs and organizations that celebrate diversity, including the Asian Student Union, Black Student Union, Intercultural Student Union, Latinos Unidos, Korean Culture Club, Multi-Ethnic Club, Muslim Student Association and more.

“Though our schools are diverse, the best way to honor our diversity is to dive into the work that we as a school community must do to promote equity in all of our practices and policies,” Lockhart said.“There is much work to be done. We have adopted an Equity Plan, which was the collaborative effort of our various stakeholders, students, parents, and staff. This plan will outline the steps that we as a district will take over the next three years which will make CCUSD an even better district or all of our students.”

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