Vision & Profile

PROFILE

The Centinela Valley Union High School District consists of three traditional high schools (Hawthorne, Lawndale, and Leuzinger) a continuation high school (R.K. Lloyde), and Centinela Valley Independent Study School. CVUHSD serves approximately 5,700 (2022-23) students in grade 9-12 students from neighborhoods in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County. The projected enrollment for the 2023-24 school year is 5,580. The district enrolls students from the cities of Hawthorne, Lennox, and Lawndale. The district’s population is 76.2% Hispanic, 15.1% African American, 3% Two or More Races, 2.1% Asian, 1.5% White, 0.8% Filipino, 0.9% Pacific Islander, and 0.1% American Indian/Alaska Native. 15.2% of CVUHSD students are English Learners. 

As a high school district, our mission is very clear: 100% of our students must graduate ready for college, career, and life. The aspirations we hold for our students go far beyond a high school diploma. The true measure of our success will take place when the diploma has been earned and our students face both the challenges and opportunities of the real world as adults. To succeed, we must first provide students with as many options for furthering their education after high school as possible. Students must complete the UC/CSU A-G requirements, score solid marks on college entrance exams, participate in numerous clubs and extra-curricular activities as well as submit lengthy applications before unwavering deadlines. At each step of the process, our staff is ready to assist students and their families with as much guidance and support as necessary. 

We are committed to providing as many options as possible for our students to thrive in high-quality, high-standard programs that will increase their chances of being accepted into the college of their choice. Our Dual Enrollment Program offers students the opportunity to get a jump start on their college career by dually earning credits from El Camino Community College while completing select classes at our high schools. Our Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program allows students to fully engage in both the Spanish and English languages and graduate having attained biliteracy and bilingualism with academic and professional proficiency to better appreciate and fully engage in the rich diversity of our multicultural communities.

Our schools must also prepare their students for careers. Our students must have the knowledge and skills necessary to earn a living. We are a Linked Learning District committed to connecting the learning that takes place in the classroom with the needs of business and industry in our global economy. Our schools offer numerous opportunities for work-based learning through our 12 career academies and pathways that incorporate field trips, guest speakers, job shadowing, pre-apprenticeships and internships into their curriculum. We aim to prepare our students to enter the competitive job market and land a job that meets both their social-emotional and financial needs. 

We want our students to be prepared for life. We want them to be good people that care about others. We want them to be able to make good decisions that make their life and this world better. We want them to value diversity, respect the views of others even when they are different from their own, and work collaboratively with individuals from multiple cultural backgrounds. We want them to be informed citizens as well as wise leaders in our community, our state, and our nation. We want them to lead fulfilling lives and to have greater opportunities and accomplishments than any previous generation. 

Centinela Valley has many lofty aspirations, and we have committed ourselves to ensuring all of our students are ready for college, career, and life. We know that each student is unique and will face a number of barriers to success along the way. We also know that countless students have overcome similar challenges in the past. We are committed to working together with students, families, and our community at large to make each student's dream come true and transform Centinela Valley into a model 21st century urban district that is a leader in student-centered education.