Robert E. Peary Middle

Robert E. Peary Middle is a high-enrollment junior high in Gardena, California, run under Los Angeles Unified. The school hosts 1,082 students in grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 659 students per school, that is 64% larger than typical.

Across the 784 schools in Los Angeles Unified (406,887 students total), Robert E. Peary Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Robert E. Peary Middle shows that 63% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest reads as 27% Black, 4% Asian, 4% multiracial. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 48%.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 58 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 18.6:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 20.7:1 average. An estimated 91% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Los Angeles County (around 70%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Robert E. Peary Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 25.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 24.1%.

Across the wider county, Los Angeles County reports that median household earnings sit near $90,112, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Robert E. Peary Middle is one of 2244 public schools in Los Angeles County (combined enrollment of about 1,265,907 students).

Nearest neighbor: KIPP Generations Academy, around 0.0 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Robert E. Peary Middle at 6th of 6; the average score across the group is 40.7%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 16%: 1,287 students in 2018 compared to 1,082 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 21.6:1 in 2018 to 18.6:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.