Jessie Nelson Academy

1951 Cherry Ave.
Signal Hill, CA 90755

834 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

Jessie Nelson Academy, located at 1951 Cherry Ave. in Signal Hill, California, is a specialized educational facility operating under the Long Beach Unified School District. The academy is designed as an alternative education environment, focusing on providing a structured and supportive setting for students who require a more individualized approach to their learning than what is typically offered in a traditional comprehensive high school.

The school emphasizes academic recovery, behavioral growth, and personal development, aiming to help students earn the credits necessary to graduate and transition successfully into post-secondary life. By maintaining smaller class sizes and a dedicated support staff, Jessie Nelson Academy works to address the unique challenges of its student population, fostering an environment that prioritizes student engagement, credit acceleration, and the development of essential life skills.

834

Total Students

33.8

Full-Time Teachers

24.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

80.3%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Jessie Nelson Academy
Demographic	Student Count
White	14
Hispanic	515
Black	101
Asian	173
Two or More	30
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
515 (61.8 %)
Asian
173 (20.7 %)
Black
101 (12.1 %)
Two or More
30 (3.6 %)
White
14 (1.7 %)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.1 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Long Beach Unified
Phone:	(562)591-6041
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	834
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	33.8
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	24.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	632
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	38

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 263

Grade 7 283

Grade 8 288