Edward J. Richardson Middle

Edward J. Richardson Middle, an average-sized middle-grades school in Torrance, California, one of the schools within Torrance Unified, instructs 651 students, covering grades 6 through 8.

Torrance Unified runs 31 schools in total, collectively educating 21,890 students. Edward J. Richardson Middle is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Edward J. Richardson Middle reports that 34% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest breaks down as 34% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, 2% Black. Compared to Los Angeles County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Edward J. Richardson Middle has 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 27.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 20.7:1, putting Edward J. Richardson Middle higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 19% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Los Angeles County runs at roughly 70%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Edward J. Richardson Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 68.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 73.7%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Los Angeles County put median household earnings sit near $90,112, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Edward J. Richardson Middle is one of 2244 public schools in Los Angeles County (combined enrollment of about 1,265,907 students).

Nearest neighbor: South High, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Edward J. Richardson Middle at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 73.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Edward J. Richardson Middle has edged down 9%, going from 715 students in 2018 to 651 in 2025. Asian enrollment moved from 29% to 34% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 24.6:1 in 2018 to 27.1:1 today.

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