<p>We are relocating to the LA area in early June and are in the unenviable position of having to transfer our son to a new high school for his sophomore year. Fortunately, we aren’t yet locked into a specific area and have a good degree of flexibility regarding where we live. Most of the schools are open until mid-June, so we’ll be making school visits as soon as we arrive. </p>
<p>I’ve been reading about the dire situation many CA school districts are facing and frankly, I’m a little freaked out. My son is an honors student and will be taking at at least one AP class in the coming year. Beyond that, we were also looking at a couple of IB programs. My concern is about how deep these cuts are likely to go in the next few years. Will they affect any of the AP or IB programs? </p>
<p>We’ve been looking at the Conejo Valley and Los Virgenes high schools, Calabasas HS, Palisades Charter HS and Santa Monica HS. Given the economic situation, I’m thinking we might also want to take a serious look at the Palos Verdes schools and Beverly Hills. We’ve even considered looking in Orange County. I’ve been doing research, but it’s hard to gauge each district’s real situation based on news stories.</p>
<p>Anyone have any insights into any of these school districts or other HS suggestions for a highly motivated student (other than homeschooling, which my son refuses to consider)? </p>
<p>I’ll start by saying that you’re not going to like this reply very much. Apologies in advance. </p>
<p>The schools you’ve mentioned are fine as far as they go. Add La Canada/La Crescenta to the list, though it’s inland. In Orange County, look to Irvine. </p>
<p>Sorry to say that the people already here are pretty freaked out, too. With no one really knowing yet how the state budget cuts will be doled out, the crystal ball is looking very cloudy. The school year may be shorter, and there will probably be far fewer teachers (and therefore larger classes). Absolutely no idea how it will influence AP courses. Random wild speculation: They could be kept. Or, their quality could be diluted if schools boost the number of kids in the courses to keep non-AP class size from ballooning. Or, they could be eliminated in some districts because the districts would no longer be able to subsidize the cost of low-income students taking the tests. One of my children attends a magnet school that offers transportation to the local community college so high schoolers can take college courses. I’d guess that the bus will be cut, and that the community college district, saddled with its own huge budget cuts, will say that they cannot accomodate high schoolers. </p>
<p>A small wealthy school district with a low foreclosure rate might be the best bet, assuming that parental fundraising remains constant AND that parent volunteerism can be deployed creatively. Even that’s not going to be able to insulate all of the pain. Consider renting, not buying, so that you’re poised to make a quick change. Think about if you want to consider private school, though it’s also hard to say how easy it will be to be admitted. On the one hand, with the lousy economy people are putting their kids in publics. On the other hand, if the public cuts are horrendous, people may decide to put their kids back into privates. </p>
<p>I’m hoping that someone will post something far more optimistic to rebut this!</p>
<p>Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes (Peninsula?) are excellent programs and have been around for a long time. But housing in this cities is extremely expensive, in no small part due to the public school system.</p>
<p>You should also look at Oak Park, Westlake, Agoura and La Canada high schools. Of this group, my favorites are Oak Park (right next to Agoura but has its own small school district) and La Canada (another older school with a fine reputation). Westlake and Calabasas are also good, although quite large. The advantage with any of these schools is that the vast majority of residents living in these districts send their kids to the local public schools. I don’t believe that the same can be said for SaMo and Pali. In addition, housing in the Palisades-Brentwood area that Pali serves is expensive even by LA standards, and you don’t get a lot for your money in Santa Monica, either. Malibu High is a newer school (part of the Santa Monica school district) which is good, but again, housing is expensive in Malibu. Also consider Arcadia, San Marino, and Yorba Linda; as well as Fullerton Troy if you’re looking in Orange County. The California Assessment Program website, listing the API results for each public high school and district in California, can be found here: [Accountability</a> Progress Reporting (APR) (CA Dept of Education)](<a href=“http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ar/]Accountability”>Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) - Programs No Longer Administered by CDE (CA Dept of Education))</p>
<p>Does your son have any special interests? That may help tip the balance in favor of one school over another. If sports is his thing, you can look up the CIF Southern Section website here: [url=<a href=“http://www.cifss.org/]CIF[/url”>http://www.cifss.org/]CIF[/url</a>]
to see which division each school belongs to and how each school is ranked. </p>
<p>Good luck! As Slithey in the post above me says, this is not a good time to be relocating to California.</p>
<p>Irvine district (in The OC) is one of the best in the state. But, as is any top HS out here, they are all extremely competitive, i.e., 5-6 AP’s are standard.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the helpful info. It’s very much appreciated. We used to live in LA about 10 years ago, so I’m familiar with the area. Since we don’t plan on buying there anytime soon, if at all, that gives us more flexibility in choosing a location. </p>
<p>To ease the transition as much as possible, we’re giving my son a lot of leeway in helping to choose his new school. He has a friend who attends Newbury Park HS, so it’s on the list as well. I know they have an IB program (of which I’m a big fan). But beyond that, I haven’t heard much one way or the other. My son also plans on playing HS basketball, so that factors into the equation as well. And he’s very interested in taking film and video classes.</p>
<p>Has anyone had any personal experience with any of the schools already mentioned? If so, it would be great to hear the good, the bad and the ugly – before we enroll. In the meantime, we’ll be narrowing our list down and I’m going to try to meet with the principal at the top four or five schools. </p>
<p>My number one priority is that I find a school where my son will thrive, not just academically, but also socially and culturally. We’ve been living in Boulder, Colorado, and I’m concerned that LA might be a bit of a culture shock as he was in preschool when we moved away.</p>
<p>You are right to be concerned. As an LAUSD parent who is involved in my son’s high school government council, etc. I know that it’s a really bad situation and it isn’t going to bounce back next year. The ramifications of what’s happening now will be felt for a very long time to come, in my opinion. That said, if I was in your situation, I’d consider a few things. One is private school. None of my kids attended private schools but it might be cost effective to live where housing is less expensive and commute to a strong private school. If I was deciding about high school now and I could possibly afford it, I think I would seriously consider private school. The public schools you mention are all in areas with very expensive housing. I myself attended Beverly Hills High School back in the stone age. It was one of the top high schools in the country at the time. I’m not sure how it compares now to what it was then but I do still have high school friends who live in that area and send their kids to school there and I think they are happy. A few years ago at a reunion, I wandered around the school and they had their college acceptance list posted – it was impressive. BHHS does take some kids from outside the district but I think it’s for very specific criteria. The campus is in good shape and the performing arts program has always been top-notch with amazing facilities.
Re Pali High, you should read this article
[Charter</a> school staff face dilemma on benefits - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/business/la-me-benefits30-2009apr30,0,7422776.story]Charter”>Charter school staff face dilemma on benefits)
which explains why Pali may lose a great many teachers due to the district cutting health benefits for this charter – too complicated to explain here and I’m not sure how it played out in the end – worth checking on because there may be a lot of new teachers there next year. Others have commented on other geographic areas. I know my son’s high school will not be cutting AP courses but this is a magnet program which has a bit more control. Anyhow, two other suggestions. You might call some of the stronger magnet programs in the area (and you can PM for a list if you want) and get on their wait lists. In the midst of all this budget craziness, the district dramatically increased the size of magnet programs for next year which means this is the easiest year to get in as a walk-in. Also, in LA, you might want to look at SAS programs which are gifted programs within high schools. They are not all created equal however and there a student has to meet the criteria established. I know Cleveland High School (in Reseda) is supposed to have a very strong program. One last thought – independent charters – not ones tied to the district – there are two types. Charters are not being hit nearly as hard as LAUSD schools, not because they aren’t losing money, but because they control the money at a local level and much more of it gets directly to students. The amount of money wasted in the bloated and dysfunctional LAUSD is an abomination – in my opinion.</p>
<p>Why not save money by not having to rent in a Beverley Hills and send him to private school? It is getting very, very ugly in CA, I would consider putting my child into private school before each and every one is flooded when the worst starts to be really felt.</p>
<p>Moving from Boulder to, aaah, LA? I was just there last week - really nice place. You have a GOOD reason for moving, huh? And it’s too late to change your minds? Better sleep on it.</p>
<p>Have relations who did a similar move (DC to LA) with 3 kids. 2 boys went to Beverly Hills High and 1 girl to Brentwood. 1 boy finished in 3 years and went on to Cal Tech, other to Columbia and girl to Harvard. All seemed to find challenging enough courses in all schools and all got a good education.</p>
<p>I, too, am in LAUSD and have been very involved in the school governance council. Bottom line, I am glad we are through with LAUSD in a few weeks! My d has gotten a great education and seems really ready and prepared to move on, but I fear for the future. She, too, has been in the magnet system since 3rd grade. Although the magnets, like all of LAUSD, are forced to increase class size, most have long waiting lists and it will be very difficult to just walk in although some might be able to accomodate a 10th grader due to kids not returning, etc. Please PM me if you want some specific suggestions as to which magnets might be worth contacting to see if there is a possibility of transferring in without having been in LAUSD prior to now. Also, the SAS program does work for many kids and does not have the difficulties of getting in like the magnets.</p>
<p>I’m a high school teacher in Ventura County and the parent of two kids who have been through the public schools here (one is now at Berkeley and the other at Seattle Pacific). I highly recommend Oak Park High School for your son. My children did not attend (we are on the other side of the county) and I have no direct experience with the school or staff, but I have experience with some of the students who do attend there. They run a quality high school and they are always at the top of the API index with their test scores. The scores just came out for last year’s test and they received a 10-9, I believe, meaning they are in the top 10% of schools in the state (probably more like top 5% because they do not have any entrance requirements). </p>
<p>Newbury Park does have a fine IB program and if your son is interested in that, coupled with the friend he already has at the school, that would be a fine alternative to Oak Park. The IB program is rigorous and the school is good. I know lots of parents who seek interdistrict transfers into that school even though it means a commute from Camarillo up the Conejo Grade every day. </p>
<p>I would stay out of LAUSD at all costs. The district is completely dysfunctional and in crisis due to the budget.</p>
<p>My kids are graduates of the Beverly Hills system (as am I). We are also familiar with Calabasas and Peninsula, as well as the private schools. First note: The premium private schools are EXTREMELY expensive…equal to college tuition, plus “voluntary” contributions. And, unless the economy has changed things, the waiting lists are long. (And since there are people here who always have money, there might not be long waiting lists but there are lists, and the “less” qualified kids with LOTS of money.) However, the premium private schools are (in no particular order) Harvard/Westlake, Brentwood, Oakwood, Crossroads…lesser tier include Windward…single sex education Marlborough (for girls), religious: Milken Community (Jewish) and a less expensive Catholic school in the valley, Notre Dame. (I am not sure about their academics.)</p>
<p>Beverly Hills is about to go to refusing state aid and funding the school on our own. That makes us less vulnerable to California’s catastrophe. When will it happen? I’m not sure. The school itself is very integrated (Yes, America we aren’t the all white rich kids that the world believes us to be) socially and economically. We have rent controlled apartments and megamansions. Placement in universities (obviously depends on class was excellent this year.)</p>
<p>Peninsula and its smaller relative Palos Verdes are excellent. Both have good sports, bright kids. Peninsula is HUGE…4,000 kids. The area is beautiful and less urban than Beverly Hills.</p>
<p>Calabasas, located in the far end of the San Fernando Valley, is also a good district. I am not sure about this or Peninsula’s state funding, but I do know that Peninsula (sorry for jumping back) is very aggressive in fund raising from the parents clubs. It is a very white area. Don’t know what that means to you one way or another.</p>
<p>San Marino has outstanding test scores and the area is beautiful, although smoggy.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Samo or Malibu (same district) except that Samo has a very diverse area that it pulls from and Malibu is quite isolated. </p>
<p>I think that Charter Schools (totally my opinion here folks) will be the first to lose out. I love the Palisades, but I would be wary of that.</p>
<p>Advantages: Your son won’t be just a number, everybody knows everybody. Some excellent teachers, particularly in the upper grades. Because it’s a small school, it’s relatively easy to become involved in extracurricular activities - you don’t have to be an All American to play on a team, or an American Idol finalist to sing solos in the choir. Anyone can start a new club, and a lot of students do. Strong arts programs, AP classes open to all by petition, a relatively new film and video program taught by two great teachers. Students and teachers take advantage of the community’s resources - 10th grade Biology students walk to Zuma Beach each week to observe and take samples, for example, and turn in a massive (and dreaded) end-of-year report on their findings. Lots of parent involvement, active (and aggressive) fundraising which provides a lot of extras. Many of the kids have gone to school together since preschool, so they are always happy to see a new face. Because of its relative isolation, Malibu feels like a small town within the big city, and its high school reflects that.</p>
<p>Disadvantages: MHS’s small size means that course offerings are limited - only AP sciences are Physics and Enviro, only languages offered are Spanish and French. (Some kids go to SMC or UCLA during the summer to take classes not offered at MHS.) The motivated kids flock to honors and AP classes, so some of the regular college-prep classes aren’t too stimulating. There’s really not a lot for kids to do in Malibu, aside from outdoor activities - there’s only one movie theater, no malls, not a lot of inexpensive places for kids to hang out. As you might imagine, there is a small and obnoxious group of wealthy and entitled kids at the school, though you’d be surprised at how many students come from middle-class families. Not a lot of diversity. The school is about to embark on an ambitious remodeling project which will greatly enhance its facilities, but there will be major disruption from construction for the next few years. And of course, like everyone else, we’re worried about budget cuts. Class sizes will probably increase, we’ll likely lose some teachers and an administrator, and there’s a rumor that the college counselor’s position will be eliminated.</p>
<p>We’ve been very happy with the school overall. I hope the budget cuts don’t do too much damage.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on Malibu. We have friends in the area who decided to send their kids private. Their kids went to a religious (girls Catholic) school in the valley.</p>
<p>The other thing about the “good” or prestigious schools in this area is that you have to apply…in September. And, as a transfer there are VERY few openings. Harvard/Westllake opens up a bunch in 9th grade, but in general you are dealing with just a few openings. (And I mean 4 or 5 and under). I am not sure whether you child would have to take the ISEEs as a high school transfer. But, unless you are famous, extremely wealthy and can gift the school upfront, the chances of getting into a private school in September are really slim, if nonexistant. And all the acceptances for next fall are out. (They come out in March.)</p>
<p>If you are attending a prestigious private school in, New York, for example (Dalton for example) you might be able to enlist your current school in assisting placement. If you have a “record” of involvement (physical and financial) and your child is a top student, you may get some wiggle room there. But in general, this is a tough place to be. </p>
<p>I also have to add you haven’t said what your educational philosophy is: Crossroads is quite liberal, Brentwood is not. There are some startup schools: NewRoads in west LA, but again, their philosophy and the student population may not be what you’re looking for in a school.</p>
<p>Mimk6, momof2inca: Thanks for your insights. It was quite helpful.</p>
<p>Ellebud: Do you think there would be any social issues for my son going into Beverly Hills as a sophomore? I’ve heard the school can be very materialistic, which is the exact opposite of how my son relates to the world. I’m hoping there’s a decent-size group of more down-to-earth kids to balance it out.</p>
<p>Pamavision, that’s good to know about Malibu. I heard there was a big issue regarding drugs and the school’s lack of attention in dealing with it. What’s your take on this? Is this primarily the small group of bored, rich kids that you mentioned?</p>
<p>Regarding Pali High, isn’t their school budget separate from LAUSD? I still plan on looking into this option, although it sounds risky. For that reason, I’ll probably skip looking into any other LAUSD schools or programs.</p>
<p>Having lived in LA many years ago, I’m familiar with some of the private schools and the admissions process. Truth is, I’m not really a big fan of that approach. My daughter attended a public school and went on to graduate cum laude from Barnard College last year. So the way I see it, this money would be better spent on college. And because my son is fairly self-motivated, he could always take college-level classes in the area as a supplement.</p>
<p>Toodleoo, believe me, we need to move to LA; it’s job-related. If there was an option to stay in Boulder, I’d be all over it.</p>
<p>Your son will be successful at Beverly if he has a niche, be it social/educational/sports. The school population is very diverse (heavy Persian population for example), Asian, African American etc. In fact my kids were in the minority. As you probably know this is a materialistic place. The kids from the rent controlled apartments wear the same stuff other kids do. I think that clothing wise it is tougher on girls. But, there are all kinds of kids here. </p>
<p>In the AP and honors classes there is a different pull so you very well may find kids that your son fits in with. And, to categorize a school with only rich kids with BMWs…well, we are different. </p>
<p>I would go to the school and district websites to get a feel for the schools. You should also google our local newspapers the Courier and Beverly Hills Weekly to see what we are about. And I will say that, if I were to do schooling over again (we were initially in LAUSD for one year, private for 4…then moved back to BH) I would stick in BH public schools. I am far more saavy a consumer than I was in the beginning, but the kids tend to go to great schools…and a lot go to SMC, be it for financial or educational reasons. I would do it again.</p>
<p>pcaz, how sad that all you’ve heard about Malibu High, way out in Colorado, is what a druggy school it is.</p>
<p>The issue surfaced earlier this school year. A mom and dad were shocked, SHOCKED to find out that their son was smoking pot, and they wrote a letter to the local papers blaming the school. The MHS e-network chat group took up the discussion, and there was much heated back-and-forth about school policies regarding drug use. The bottom line: there are lots of support services on campus for kids with drug and alcohol problems (some of them funded by the district, some funded by the PTA), but unless kids are referred by their parents or caught on campus under the influence there’s not much the school can legally do. Hearsay doesn’t cut it as evidence, to the chagrin of some parents.</p>
<p>And far from turning a blind eye to the problem, the MHS administration has been proactive in trying to curb drug and alcohol use among students. Prom was last weekend, and when the administration heard that a student was planning a large after-prom party - and that other students were planning to sneak drugs and alcohol into the supposedly dry event - they called the student in and made it clear that the party was a very, VERY bad idea. The party was canceled. I don’t think that kids in a larger school would get that level of scrutiny.</p>
<p>I’ve been an involved parent at Malibu High for 11 years now (They should give ME a diploma next year!) and I’ve known a lot of kids. Some of them drank, some of them smoked pot, but the vast majority of them didn’t and don’t. I’d bet you large amounts of money that there’s no more drug use at MHS than at any of the other schools in the area. (In fact, at the 35th reunion of my class at a Catholic girls school in the Valley - possibly the same one ellebud’s friends attended- some of my classmates reminisced about ditching class to smoke pot behind the convent. Plus ca change…)</p>
<p>I would agree with you that every school has issues with drugs. (When I was at Beverly the principal had a “special” meeting of the PTA where he assured the parents that not one kid from Beverly smoked pot.) I admire the school that steps up to help the student and family. But good golly Miss Molly…this school is responsible for the kid smoking?</p>
<p>We have family and friends who live in Southern Ca. Those that live in Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Malibu and Palos Verdes and Thousand Oaks send their children to public schools. Our family that live in LAUSD send their children to private high schools including Harvard-Westlake.
I think any public school in Ca is going to be hurting next year. From the little knowledge I have of school funding at least in Santa Barbara where I live is the districts that are Basic Aid will see some cuts but not as drastic. I would ask if the districts are basic aid. Also having lived in different parts of Southern Ca I would think about what type of weather and air quality you are looking for. After living in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara I would not ever want to live inland again. I don’t care for heat. The air quality in any of the beach cities is going to be better in the summer versus the Conejo Valley or Pasadena.
Also before making a choice based on any special programs make sure your child will be able to have a spot in the program. We recently went to a presentation at a public high school where they highlighted a special engineering academy. With more detailed questioning they revealed that the admittance to the program was decided by an application process at the end of grade 8. The students in our group were all incoming 10th graders and could only hope for a spot in this special academy if someone dropped out and a space opened up.
My child is going back to public school in Ca after 4 yrs at a private. I have no idea what we are going to find. I think the schools at this point don’t either.</p>