Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary

Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary is a primary school of mid-tier scale in Garden Grove, California, run under Garden Grove Unified, hosting 447 students in grades K through 6.

Across the 64 schools in Garden Grove Unified (36,994 students total), Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary lists that Hispanic students make up the majority at 57%; the rest consists of 35% Asian, 4% multiracial, 3% White. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 34%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school employs 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 22.4:1. The state averages about 22.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 85% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is noticeably above Orange County's rate of about 55%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 29.0%; this one delivers 41.2%.

Around the school, census data for Orange County shows median household income runs about $116,289, 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Across Orange County's 649 public schools (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students), Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Alamitos Intermediate, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 44.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary has declined 19%, going from 549 students in 2018 to 447 in 2025. Asian enrollment moved from 29% to 35% across the same window.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.