Is Mervyn M. Dymally High a good school?

Mervyn M. Dymally High ranks 1650 th of 2323 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Mervyn M. Dymally High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 720 students attended Mervyn M. Dymally High.

What is the racial makeup of Mervyn M. Dymally High?

Students at Mervyn M. Dymally High are 77% Hispanic, 21% African American.

What schools feed into Mervyn M. Dymally High?

Mervyn M. Dymally High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Dr. Lawrence H. Moore Math Science Technology Academy Elementary : Dr. Owen Lloyd Knox Elementary Elementary : Gil Garcetti Learning Academy Elementary : Judith F. Baca Arts Academy Elementary : Loren Miller Elementary Elementary : McKinley Avenue Elementary Elementary : Miramonte Elementary Elementary : Parmelee Avenue Elementary Elementary : Russell Elementary Elementary : Seventy-Fifth Street Elementary Elementary : Sixty-Sixth Street Elementary Elementary : South Park Elementary Elementary : Wisdom Elementary Middle : Mary McLeod Bethune Middle Middle : Thomas A. Edison Middle

Mervyn M. Dymally High

Summary:

Mervyn M. Dymally High is a public high school in Los Angeles, California, serving 751 students in grades 9-12. 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.

Mervyn M. Dymally High consistently ranks in the bottom 25% of California high schools, with significantly below-average performance on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 31.4% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 55.73% statewide and 49.56% in the district. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 7.56%, compared to 27.9% statewide and 21.41% in the district. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 75.8% to 83.3% in recent years, lower than the state and district averages, and its dropout rate has been high, ranging from 12.2% to 21.0%.

The challenges faced by Mervyn M. Dymally High are not unique, as nearby schools such as Thomas Riley High, John Hope Continuation, and John C. Fremont Senior High also struggle with low academic performance, high dropout rates, and high chronic absenteeism. However, some nearby charter schools, such as Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy, Animo Pat Brown, and Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High, have significantly higher academic performance, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism, suggesting that alternative educational models may be more effective in this area.

Detail:

Public 9-12

8800 South San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90003-3541

(323) 565-4600

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1650^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,101

Feeder schools for Mervyn M. Dymally High:

Elementary:	Dr. Lawrence H. Moore Math Science Technology Academy
	Dr. Owen Lloyd Knox Elementary
	Gil Garcetti Learning Academy
	Judith F. Baca Arts Academy
	More...
	Loren Miller Elementary
	McKinley Avenue Elementary
	Miramonte Elementary
	Parmelee Avenue Elementary
	Russell Elementary
	Seventy-Fifth Street Elementary
	Sixty-Sixth Street Elementary
	South Park Elementary
	Wisdom Elementary
Middle:	Mary McLeod Bethune Middle
	Thomas A. Edison Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 720

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

77.1%

African American:

20.6%

White:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.3%

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Compare Mervyn M. Dymally High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mervyn M. Dymally High ranks worse than 71% of high schools in California. It also ranks 101^st among 158 ranked high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.96. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Mervyn M. Dymally High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (77.1%), African American (20.6%), two or more races (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mervyn M. Dymally High is 16.2, which is the 52^nd best among 158 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Mervyn M. Dymally High employs 44.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mervyn M. Dymally High is $13,101, which is the 80^th highest among 158 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mervyn M. Dymally High:

SchoolDigger ranks Mervyn M. Dymally High 1650^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Mervyn M. Dymally High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American 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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Rank History for Mervyn M. Dymally High

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Rank History for all students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2015	17.35	1538^th	1994	22.9%
2016	18.36	1548^th	2039	24.1%
2017	22.12	1479^th	2021	26.8%
2018	17.56	1552^nd	2017	23.1%
2019	16.93	1697^th	2133	20.4%
2021	15.90	1067^th	1290	17.3%
2022	18.16	1702^nd	2123	19.8%
2023	18.93	1726^th	2348	26.5%
2024	20.96	1650^th	2323	29.0%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.49	730^th	938	22.2%
2019	28.06	868^th	941	7.8%
2021	21.16	416^th	467	10.9%
2022	28.83	870^th	1044	16.7%
2023	23.59	1144^th	1323	13.5%
2024	23.00	1177^th	1350	12.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.86	1246^th	1547	19.5%
2024	23.14	1241^st	1534	19.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	20.18	1394^th	1862	25.1%
2019	18.37	1536^th	1937	20.7%
2021	17.78	920^th	1126	18.3%
2022	20.37	1542^nd	1943	20.6%
2023	22.14	1614^th	2247	28.2%
2024	24.95	1542^nd	2235	31.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.46	1431^st	1760	18.7%
2019	15.38	1525^th	1833	16.8%
2021	11.51	943^rd	1054	10.5%
2022	22.35	1446^th	1858	22.2%
2023	23.03	1520^th	2118	28.2%
2024	33.29	1267^th	2098	39.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.95	797^th	1052	24.2%
2019	32.98	695^th	1117	37.8%
2021	17.38	522^nd	555	5.9%
2022	19.69	1082^nd	1161	6.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.66	1472^nd	1834	19.7%
2019	14.60	1578^th	1880	16.1%
2021	14.64	954^th	1122	15.0%
2022	13.81	1675^th	1916	12.6%
2023	14.64	1753^rd	2207	20.6%
2024	13.38	1763^rd	2172	18.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.96	492^nd	582	15.5%
2019	19.78	481^st	592	18.8%
2022	26.14	393^rd	522	24.7%
2023	31.71	465^th	720	35.4%
2024	19.81	613^th	721	15.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	21.22	1291^st	1742	25.9%
2019	18.90	1425^th	1814	21.4%
2022	22.05	1457^th	1861	21.7%
2023	22.71	1549^th	2142	27.7%
2024	29.28	1387^th	2125	34.7%

See the entire list of Best California High 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 Mervyn M. Dymally High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2013	1	87	0	240	0	0	0	0	328
2014	2	141	0	432	1	0	0	0	576
2015	1	153	1	491	1	0	1	0	648
2016	5	166	1	529	1	0	1	0	703
2017	5	149	2	564	1	0	2	0	723
2018	4	154	2	545	0	0	2	0	707
2019	4	196	0	535	0	0	1	0	736
2020	2	129	1	509	0	1	6	0	648
2021	3	142	0	518	1	1	7	0	672
2022	5	138	0	530	0	2	7	0	682
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	751	751
2024	6	148	2	555	0	3	6	0	720

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 Mervyn M. Dymally High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	328	13.0	25.2	66.8
2014	576	22.0	26.1	67.5
2015	648	28.0	23.1	68.5
2016	703	28.0	25.1	92
2017	723	29.5	24.5	84.2
2018	707	29.8	23.7	93.8
2019	736	33.8	21.7	90.9
2020	648	n/a	n/a	98
2021	672	34.3	19.5	98.2
2022	682	35.5	19.2	97.9
2023	751	38.5	19.4	98.1
2024	720	44.2	16.2	98.3

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 Mervyn M. Dymally High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	328	13.0	25.2	66.8
2014	576	22.0	26.1	67.5
2015	648	28.0	23.1	68.5
2016	703	28.0	25.1	92
2017	723	29.5	24.5	84.2
2018	707	29.8	23.7	93.8
2019	736	33.8	21.7	90.9
2020	648	n/a	n/a	98
2021	672	34.3	19.5	98.2
2022	682	35.5	19.2	97.9
2023	751	38.5	19.4	98.1
2024	720	44.2	16.2	98.3

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mervyn M. Dymally High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$13,101

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mervyn M. Dymally High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1697^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 1726^th of 2348 High schools	6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Mervyn M. Dymally High)	23	31	8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Los Angeles Unified)	51.7	48.9	2.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Mervyn M. Dymally High)	5.6	4.9	0.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Los Angeles Unified)	25.3	20	5.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
11th Grade Science (Mervyn M. Dymally High)	3.7	7.1	3.4%
11th Grade Science (Los Angeles Unified)	22.1	21.6	0.4%
11th Grade Science (California)	30.4	31.7	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	736	751	2%
African American	196	0	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	535	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	4	0	100%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	90.9%	98.1%	7.2%

Schools Near Mervyn M. Dymally High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)		CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 9th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Mervyn M. Dymally High	Public	9-12	8800 South San Pedro St.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 565-4600	720	44	16.2	98.3%	6 (0.8%)	148 (20.6%)	555 (77.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	6 (0.8%)	21	1650^th of 2323 public high schools	29.0%		18.9	1726^th of 2348 public high schools	26.5%	76	0.0	0.0	10.0		10.3	31.4	31.4	7.6	7.6	$13,101
John Hope Continuation	Public	9-12	7840 Towne Ave.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 565-1292	81	4	19.8	93.8%	3 (3.7%)	7 (8.6%)	71 (87.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.8	2260^th of 2323 public high schools	2.7%		8.3	2181^st of 2348 public high schools	7.1%	79			0.0		0.0	2.8	2.8	0.0	0.0	$14,112
John C. Fremont Senior High	Public	9-12	7676 South San Pedro St.	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 565-1200	2,002	106	18.9	96.2%	33 (1.6%)	162 (8.1%)	1,784 (89.1%)	3 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (1.0%)	26.7	1509^th of 2323 public high schools	35.0%		25.4	1548^th of 2348 public high schools	34.1%	39	3.0	4.2	9.4	0.0	8.6	37.4	37.4	14.4	14.4	$10,992
Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High	Public, Charter	9-12	10101 South Broadway	Los Angeles	90003	Los Angeles County	Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 920-6125	605	26	23.2	96.2%	2 (0.3%)	11 (1.8%)	591 (97.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	84.7	254^th of 2323 public high schools	89.1%		77.2	381^st of 2348 public high schools	83.8%	127			47.9		48.3	74.3	74.3	43.1	43.1
University Pathways Public Service Academy	Public	9-12	1415 Firestone Blvd.	Los Angeles	90001	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 277-1800	173	14	12.4	97.7%	1 (0.6%)	34 (19.7%)	138 (79.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.8	1286^th of 2323 public high schools	44.6%		25.8	1539^th of 2348 public high schools	34.5%	253			18.5		17.9	48.2	48.2	7.4	7.4
Youth Opportunities Unlimited	Public	9-12	915 West Manchester Ave.	Los Angeles	90044	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 789-4731	56	6	9.4	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	16 (28.6%)	39 (69.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	9.1	2086^th of 2323 public high schools	10.2%		9.4	2096^th of 2348 public high schools	10.7%	10			0.0		0.0	11.5	11.5	3.9	3.9	$18,563
Alliance Piera Barbaglia Shaheen Health Services Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	8515 Kansas Ave.	Los Angeles	90044	Los Angeles County	Alliance Piera Barbaglia Shaheen HLT SRVs Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 972-9010	452	24	18.4	98.5%	0 (0.0%)	62 (13.7%)	383 (84.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	33.2	1325^th of 2323 public high schools	43.0%		34.5	1292^nd of 2348 public high schools	45.0%	33			20.0		19.8	40.5	40.5	11.5	11.5
Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	325 East 111th St.	Los Angeles	90061	Los Angeles County	Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 420-2170	1,189	63	18.9	94.6%	24 (2.0%)	248 (20.9%)	910 (76.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.5%)	14.7	1823^rd of 2323 public high schools	21.5%		21.5	1653^rd of 2348 public high schools	29.6%	170			4.7	0.0	4.0	25.1	25.1	4.9	4.9
Animo Pat Brown	Public, Charter	9-12	8255 Beach St.	Los Angeles	90001	Los Angeles County	Animo Pat Brown District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 585-3312	602	28	21.7	96.3%	7 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	592 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.6	735^th of 2323 public high schools	68.4%		47.5	923^rd of 2348 public high schools	60.7%	188			31.7		31.7	58.6	58.6	18.6	18.6
Thomas Riley High	Public	7-12	1524 East 103rd St.	Los Angeles	90002	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(323) 563-6692	20	4	4.9	95.0%	0 (0.0%)	7 (35.0%)	13 (65.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$26,915

Mervyn M. Dymally High

Mervyn M. Dymally High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Los Angeles Unified:

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Rank History for Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for all students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for Special Education students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for Female students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for Disabled students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for Male students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for African American students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Enrollment information for Mervyn M. Dymally High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mervyn M. Dymally High

Student/Teacher Ratio Mervyn M. Dymally High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mervyn M. Dymally High

Impact of COVID-19 on Mervyn M. Dymally High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Mervyn M. Dymally High

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