Zela Davis

Zela Davis Elementary sits in Hawthorne, a working-class city in the South Bay that's seen a lot of change in recent years thanks to its proximity to tech and aerospace hubs along the 105 corridor. The school serves a tight-knit community and tends to draw families who are rooted in the neighborhood and value a local, familiar school environment over a long commute to a magnet program. While test scores sit in the mid-to-lower range statewide, math is a relative strength here, and families who get involved and supplement at home often find it a warm, manageable place for younger kids to get their footing.