Is Howard Wood Elementary a good school?

Howard Wood Elementary ranks 1094 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Howard Wood Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 379 students attended Howard Wood Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Howard Wood Elementary?

Students at Howard Wood Elementary are 49% Hispanic, 21% Asian, 16% White, 9% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Howard Wood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Howard Wood Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : J. H. Hull Middle High : Torrance High

Howard Wood Elementary

Summary:

Howard Wood Elementary is a public elementary school in Torrance, California, serving 343 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Torrance Unified School District, which is ranked 191 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Howard Wood Elementary consistently performs above the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with proficiency rates of 60.34% and 64.8%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 47.04% and 35.54%. The school also excels in the performance of its Hispanic and Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) student groups, ranking in the top 5% and top 15% of California elementary schools in these categories. However, the school's White student group performs relatively lower, ranking in the bottom 30% of California elementary schools. While Howard Wood Elementary has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism, its rate of 21.1% is still lower than the nearby Fern Elementary (18.2%) and significantly lower than Walteria Elementary (9.7%).

The school's consistent academic performance, coupled with its above-average test scores, suggests it is providing a solid educational foundation for its students. Additionally, the school's ability to effectively serve its Hispanic and low-income student populations is a notable strength. However, the school should continue to address the rising chronic absenteeism and ensure that all student demographics, including its White student group, are achieving at high levels.

Detail:

Public K-5

2250 West 235th St.
Torrance, CA 90501-5705

(310) 533-4484

District: Torrance Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1094^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,212

Students who attend Howard Wood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	J. H. Hull Middle
High:	Torrance High

Student/teacher ratio: 21.4

Number of students: 379

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.3%

Asian:

20.8%

White:

16.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Howard Wood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Howard Wood Elementary ranks better than 81.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 11^th among 17 ranked elementary schools in the Torrance Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.32. (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 Student population at Howard Wood Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (49.3%), Asian (20.8%), White (16.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 44.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Howard Wood Elementary is 21.4, which is the lowest among 17 elementary schools in the Torrance Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Howard Wood Elementary employs 17.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Howard Wood Elementary is $5,212. 9 elementary schools in the Torrance Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Howard Wood Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Howard Wood Elementary 1094^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Howard Wood Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Torrance Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Torrance Unified 191^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Howard Wood Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Howard Wood Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	69.33	1327^th	4809	72.4%
2005	69.87	1339^th	4822	72.2%
2006	72.91	1222^nd	4818	74.6%
2007	70.61	1343^rd	5113	73.7%
2008	59.14	1887^th	5113	63.1%
2009	55.07	2180^th	5193	58.0%
2010	66.26	1658^th	5314	68.8%
2011	53.01	2407^th	5377	55.2%
2012	49.63	2642^nd	5390	51.0%
2013	64.79	1843^rd	5530	66.7%
2015	72.47	1399^th	5611	75.1%
2016	59.71	2002^nd	5614	64.3%
2017	66.97	1704^th	5692	70.1%
2018	75.05	1360^th	5662	76.0%
2019	73.36	1455^th	5789	74.9%
2022	72.46	1509^th	5883	74.3%
2023	88.55	792^nd	5874	86.5%
2024	81.32	1094^th	5862	81.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	44.68	289^th	445	35.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	69.21	1220^th	5084	76.0%
2022	83.93	599^th	5264	88.6%
2023	94.91	197^th	5374	96.3%
2024	83.56	683^rd	5511	87.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.70	2047^th	5413	62.2%
2019	65.46	1721^st	5492	68.7%
2022	75.61	1297^th	5635	77.0%
2023	89.02	690^th	5617	87.7%
2024	82.63	978^th	5605	82.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	83.50	909^th	5431	83.3%
2019	76.13	1252^nd	5510	77.3%
2022	66.83	1643^rd	5663	71.0%
2023	85.40	850^th	5650	85.0%
2024	75.45	1258^th	5636	77.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	77.57	786^th	4830	83.7%
2019	78.77	757^th	4963	84.7%
2022	74.04	978^th	5084	80.8%
2023	93.37	224^th	5098	95.6%
2024	89.17	379^th	5102	92.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Howard Wood Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.31	1709^th	2737	37.6%
2019	42.85	1767^th	2834	37.6%
2024	69.84	811^th	2647	69.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White 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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Howard Wood Elementary.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Howard Wood Elementary, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Howard Wood Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	221	2	94	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	351
1989	226	6	98	33	2	n/a	n/a	0	365
1990	221	4	109	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	373
1991	252	7	108	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	404
1992	249	11	113	39	2	n/a	n/a	0	414
1993	247	9	125	53	1	n/a	n/a	0	435
1994	222	20	135	64	1	n/a	n/a	0	442
1995	232	13	131	75	9	n/a	n/a	0	460
1996	232	13	131	75	9	n/a	n/a	0	460
1997	237	17	139	76	11	n/a	n/a	0	480
1998	228	13	133	95	15	n/a	n/a	0	484
1999	221	12	134	91	10	n/a	n/a	0	468
2000	195	8	134	96	14	n/a	n/a	0	447
2001	175	22	146	79	11	n/a	n/a	0	433
2002	172	13	144	81	4	n/a	n/a	0	414
2003	172	13	144	81	4	n/a	n/a	0	414
2004	170	23	142	83	3	n/a	n/a	0	421
2005	164	25	135	78	4	n/a	n/a	4	410
2006	158	20	130	68	2	n/a	n/a	13	391
2007	136	21	109	68	1	n/a	n/a	55	390
2008	114	17	106	72	1	n/a	n/a	0	310
2009	112	15	95	63	1	2	106	0	394
2010	133	21	88	69	1	2	59	0	373
2011	132	17	77	71	1	1	56	0	355
2012	130	26	75	75	1	1	64	0	372
2013	126	22	70	97	3	1	52	0	371
2014	95	26	65	138	4	1	45	0	374
2015	94	23	64	140	2	2	41	0	366
2016	100	24	70	161	2	4	41	0	402
2017	94	25	74	168	2	7	54	0	424
2018	88	20	77	177	2	8	47	0	419
2019	85	11	70	187	1	5	43	0	402
2020	76	14	70	192	0	4	35	0	391
2021	77	13	84	180	0	3	30	0	387
2022	56	11	79	181	0	2	27	0	356
2023	50	13	71	176	0	3	30	0	343
2024	62	11	79	187	1	5	34	0	379

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 Howard Wood Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	351	15.0	23.4	n/a
1989	365	16.0	22.8	n/a
1990	373	16.5	22.6	n/a
1991	404	18.0	22.4	n/a
1992	414	18.3	22.6	6.5
1993	435	18.0	24.2	9.7
1994	442	18.0	24.6	12.7
1995	460	19.5	23.6	15.7
1996	460	19.5	23.6	15.7
1997	480	23.5	20.4	17.3
1998	484	23.5	20.6	17.1
1999	468	23.5	19.9	14.3
2000	447	24.5	18.2	14.5
2001	433	23.5	18.4	15.9
2002	414	23.5	17.6	17.1
2003	414	23.5	17.6	17.1
2004	421	22.5	18.7	17.6
2005	410	22.0	18.6	19.7
2006	391	20.0	19.6	21.4
2007	390	20.0	19.5	23.3
2008	310	22.0	14.1	28.4
2009	394	18.0	20.2	25.1
2010	373	16.5	22.6	25.5
2011	355	n/a	n/a	31.5
2012	372	14.4	25.7	n/a
2013	371	16.4	22.5	39.9
2014	374	15.0	24.9	35.8
2015	366	15.0	24.4	35.2
2016	402	15.0	26.8	38.8
2017	424	17.0	24.9	37
2018	419	17.8	23.4	37.9
2019	402	18.0	22.3	36.6
2020	391	n/a	n/a	36.1
2021	387	20.6	18.7	31.5
2022	356	16.5	21.5	33.1
2023	343	17.5	19.6	38.2
2024	379	17.7	21.4	44.3

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 Howard Wood Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	351	15.0	23.4	n/a
1989	365	16.0	22.8	n/a
1990	373	16.5	22.6	n/a
1991	404	18.0	22.4	n/a
1992	414	18.3	22.6	6.5
1993	435	18.0	24.2	9.7
1994	442	18.0	24.6	12.7
1995	460	19.5	23.6	15.7
1996	460	19.5	23.6	15.7
1997	480	23.5	20.4	17.3
1998	484	23.5	20.6	17.1
1999	468	23.5	19.9	14.3
2000	447	24.5	18.2	14.5
2001	433	23.5	18.4	15.9
2002	414	23.5	17.6	17.1
2003	414	23.5	17.6	17.1
2004	421	22.5	18.7	17.6
2005	410	22.0	18.6	19.7
2006	391	20.0	19.6	21.4
2007	390	20.0	19.5	23.3
2008	310	22.0	14.1	28.4
2009	394	18.0	20.2	25.1
2010	373	16.5	22.6	25.5
2011	355	n/a	n/a	31.5
2012	372	14.4	25.7	n/a
2013	371	16.4	22.5	39.9
2014	374	15.0	24.9	35.8
2015	366	15.0	24.4	35.2
2016	402	15.0	26.8	38.8
2017	424	17.0	24.9	37
2018	419	17.8	23.4	37.9
2019	402	18.0	22.3	36.6
2020	391	n/a	n/a	36.1
2021	387	20.6	18.7	31.5
2022	356	16.5	21.5	33.1
2023	343	17.5	19.6	38.2
2024	379	17.7	21.4	44.3

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates