BALDWIN PARK – Two Baldwin Park Unified elementary schools have been named 2020 Los Angeles County Top Public Schools for narrowing the opportunity gap for low-income Latino students and increasing their chances to attend a public university.

Kenmore Elementary and Santa Fe School earned the distinction for their strength in English language arts (ELA) proficiency; Kenmore was also recognized for its math proficiency.

This is the third consecutive year Kenmore has been recognized as an L.A. County Top Public School and the first year it has placed in the top ten of the county’s non-charter affiliated elementary schools for ELA. Santa Fe was previously recognized in 2018.

“Kenmore and Santa Fe continue to serve our community by ensuring high achievement for all learners and developing a districtwide culture of high expectations,” Superintendent Dr. Froilan N. Mendoza said. “By creating nurturing environments, these two very special schools are putting our children on the path to academic success and a college education.”

Kenmore has a low-income Latino enrollment of 88%, an ELA proficiency of 61% and a math proficiency of 44%. Santa Fe has a low-income Latino enrollment of 68% and an ELA proficiency of 50%.

Of the 1,346 L.A. County elementary schools that serve a significant number of low-income Latino students, only 254 have been designated as Top Public Schools.

Kenmore and Santa Fe have been recognized consistently for academic achievement. Santa Fe was named a 2020 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education, a distinction Kenmore also earned in 2018.

The Top Public Schools list is compiled by Innovate Public Schools in partnership with the USC Sol Price Center for Innovation and the USC Rossier Center on Education Policy, Equity and Governance. The group considers multiple factors in its rankings, including math and reading scores, college eligibility data and suspension data.