Best School Districts for Your Buck in California. Southern California school districts plan reopenings despite dire spread of COVID-19. California had 553 school districts supporting 2,605 high schools in the 2017-18 academic year. Cypress. With A+ ratings across most all measured categories, this school district consistently receives recognition for being a top performing district. 30 reviews. The entire district has received a high score on the API (Academic Performance Index) making it one of the top performing districts in all of California. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institution’s Terms and Conditions. There are four schools in the San Marino Unified School District with approximately 3,100 students attending these schools. College readiness for the class of 2013 is 30% of the total score. This school district based in Los Alamitos includes 10 schools with approximately 10,000 students in Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Los Alamitos, and parts of Cypress. The district embraces its core values of service, integrity and honor through academics and extracurricular activities. Arcadia Unified School District in Los Angeles County has 11 schools that offer student-teacher ratios of about 22:1. This district has received the California Distinguished Schools label 48 times since 1986. Most public school districts in California are planning to reopen campuses on their regular start dates in late August and September — but … High school programs are comprehensive and popular — about three-quarters of the student body participate in at least one program. South Pasadena Unified School District, in Los Angeles County, has five schools just outside downtown Los Angeles. NerdWallet writer Anna Helhoski contributed to this article. This year, Northwood and University high schools were both named 2015 California Gold Ribbon Schools. Since much of the district is on a military base, the median home values in Muroc are the lowest on our top 10 at $66,000. As well, several new classrooms were built from recycled shipping containers. Temple City’s average SAT score is 1713, and 78% of students pursue a post-secondary education. Students see average SAT scores of 1813, the second highest on our top 10 list. according to the California Association of Realtors. Sophomore: The teachers put lots of effort into teaching, and it definitely shows! We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. For the 2021 school year, there are 218 top special education private schools in California serving 12,219 students. In addition to general academics, the district also features targeted learning in areas such as Chinese languages, STEM, health, design, performing arts, college prep and advanced placement. Both high schools have International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs, while two elementary schools offer International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Serving the city of Beverly Hills, this district has close to 5,000 students in attendance across 6 schools in the district. Get more stories delivered right to your email. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. The average number of top enrollment districts in a state is 20. The school board also recently picked a new superintendent for the district. Love SoCal? For the 2021 school year, there are 156 special education public schools in California, serving 21,962 students. About 84% of all students go on to postsecondary education, and the average SAT score is 1783. Irvine Unified’s unique academic offerings include an Elementary Science Specialist Program, comprehensive visual and performing arts education and an Integrated Mathematics Pathway that focuses on math programs. We want to hear from you and encourage a lively discussion among our users. If you are raising children in Southern California, or plan to at some point in the future, it’s important to know where the best schools are in this region. The district is in the middle of a massive renovation project, including a new two-story classroom facility at the high school as well as updates at the middle and elementary schools. Some of the best school districts in the nation are found in sunny Southern California. With A+ ratings across most all measured categories, this school district consistently receives recognition for being a top performing district. » MORE: Best mortgage lenders in California. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Schools in this district have received several California Distinguished School awards. Data are from the 2013 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The more affordable the area, the higher the cost score. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. The Feasibility of Using a Common Application or Application Software for the Public School Construction Programs Administered by the California Departments of Education and General … Earlier this year, the district was the site of protests by faculty and staff over contract negotiations, but a resolution was reached in May. Capistrano Unified. School districts in California are similar to those in the rest of the United States. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included.We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data are up-to-date. Online public schools in California powered by K12 provide high school students with college and career counseling to help them advance in their academic career. (California) K-12 district serving students in the Boroughs of Allenport, California, Coal Center, Elco, Long Branch, Roscoe and most of West Brownsville and West Pike Run Township in Washington County. The median home value in the area is $820,200, which is higher than most other places on our top 10 list. 6. However, it has received lower marks in sports/fitness and culture/diversity. Increasing the number of schools will cut into each school’s share of the $130 million in California’s Title I funding mandated for school improvement. Based on API scores, this is the top performing school district in Los Angeles. The district offers honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs as well as school-to-career opportunities, intervention programs and support for all kinds of learners. Student-to-teacher ratio, or class size, is 10% of the score. This score was manually calculated by dividing the number of full-time teaching staff in a school by the number of students enrolled. However, it receives lower marks in student/parent surveys in regard to extracurriculars and sports/fitness. The district offers a range of rigorous academic and advanced courses, along with emphasis on arts and athletics. They have plenty of resources, from mental health programs to dozens of different computers. Standardized testing score is 35% of the total score. Angela is the staff writer for Only in Your State - Southern California. Anaheim Union High. With A+ ratings for teachers, academics, educational outcomes and administrative policies, this district ranks high on the top schools list. Learn more about the schools, student demographics, and academics within the state, read parent reviews of local schools, and find information about specific cities and school districts. Our opinions are our own. NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Data came from the California Department of Education. About 63% of all students pursue post-secondary education. Centralia Elementary. If you know of a local business that could use some extra support during these times, please nominate them here: There are 8 schools in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District serving close to 7,000 students. But Southern California is one of the priciest places to live: In Orange County, the median housing price is upward of $700,000, according to the California Association of Realtors. Enrollment and number of school districts by type: 2019–20 In recent years, several schools have been selected as California Distinguished Schools. The district includes the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and surrounding areas. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. As well, the most affluent areas also tend to produce high-performing schools, posing a challenge for families who are looking for great schools and affordable homes. School Districts of Southern California We are proud to be served by the following School Districts in Simi Valley and Westlake Village, including the surrounding communities. Ventura County, California, image via iStock. Of the 481 schools, 34 are charter schools and the rest are district schools or those run by county departments of education. This section of the California HomeTownLocator Gazetteer provides basic information for California schools including name, address, phone number, school district contact information plus maps of school locations, attendance zones or boundary maps where availiable. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Irvine Unified School District in Orange County has 39 schools in the district, including an independent study high school. But it's important to note that these are approximations … The graduation rate is 99.3%, the highest on our top 10 list, and 85% of students go on to postsecondary education. This time, we crunched the numbers to compare Southern California schools only — in the 10 counties in the region from San Luis Obispo, Kern and San Bernardino counties to San Diego and Imperial counties. The public schools are organized into 2,203 public school districts. To find the best schools in Southern California, we weighed a district’s affordability, standardized test scores, college readiness and student-to-teacher ratio. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion® directly. Muroc Joint Unified School District serves the communities of Boron, North Edwards and Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more. The district’s SAT scores are on the lower end of our list with an average of 1471. The board of education recently approved a Dual Immersion Language Program in both Spanish and Mandarin, beginning in kindergarten. School District. Anaheim Elementary School District. There are 11 schools in the Arcadia Unified School District with approximately 9,700 students in attendance. Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Visit the About the Directory web page to learn more. SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education. This school district in Orange County includes 36 schools in the city of Irvine with approximately 30,000 students in attendance. While we continue to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, please take proper precautions or add them to your bucket list to see at a later date. Buena Park. Los Gatos, CA. California Schools There are 25,827 public and private PK-12 schools in California. Melody Isley. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. The schools in Irvine consistently receive recognition as having some of the best schools in SoCal. STAR tests that were included for our rankings were summative math, integrated math 3, biology and English language arts. Report of various statistics about California's public schools and districts for the 2019–20 school year. Please choose your school district in California from the list below to view a calendar of your 2020-2021 school holidays. Poway Unified School District. California special education public schools have an average math proficiency score of 9% (versus the California public school average of 38%), and reading proficiency score of 12% (versus the 50% statewide average). The 2021 Best School Districts ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. With a K12-powered school, your child can receive a quality education. Housing cost for each school district is 25% of the total score. Here are some of the cities that made the list for having the best schools. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institution’s Terms and Conditions. Here students are challenged by rigorous coursework, compete in athletic and academic events and create outstanding performances and visual art. Southern California Roc School District: Torrance Los Angeles Southern Humboldt … Data are from the California Department of Education. 22 January 2021 This week California has crossed … About 84% of all students go on to postsecondary education. San Marino Unified School District, located in the affluent city of San Marino in Los Angeles County, has just four schools. Students are assessed via mathematics and English proficiency tests. But it doesn’t mean you can’t find districts with more reasonably priced homes and schools with award-winning programs to match your needs. In the past few years, schools in the district have received numerous awards including California Distinguished School designation, National Blue Ribbon award, California Business for Educational Excellence Scholar School and a 2014 California Gold Ribbon Schools Award. If you want to reference the original article and learn more about the ranking methodology used by Niche, you can check out more information here. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific product’s site. The California School Directory (Directory) contains information about California public schools, private schools (including nonpublic nonsectarian schools), school districts, and county offices of education. As President Trump is pushing for schools to reopen this fall, California, true to form, is leading the drive for schools to stay shut down. A+ ratings in multiple areas including teachers, academics, sports/ fitness, educational outcomes and administrative policies put this district on the top schools list. Over the past few years, the district modernized schools, installing new roofs, repaving parking lots, replacing playground equipment, renovating bathrooms and updating athletic facilities. Brea Olinda Unified. It’s no wonder that most of the cities that received some of the highest ratings for schools are also some of the most affluent areas in Southern California. K-12 School Districts. Student-teacher ratios are low — for every 19 students there is one teacher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_districts_in_California Oak Park Unified School District, in the Simi Hills of Ventura County, is made up of eight schools. District Community Day Schools: N: Los Angeles: Bellflower Unified: Bellflower Alternative Education Center: CSI Low Perform: District Community Day Schools: N: San Bernardino: Chino Valley Unified: Chino Valley Learning Academy: CSI Low Perform: District Community Day Schools: N: Tulare: Tulare Joint Union High: Countryside Community Day: CSI Low Perform Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District. The students in these districts also have high rates of graduation and enrollment in postsecondary education. There are 13 schools in the Redondo Beach Unified School District with approximately 9,000 students attending these schools. The high school offers several Advanced Placement and honors courses, and earlier this year, the school unveiled a $3.8 million library, media center and cafeteria. This school district based in Encinitas has approximately 12,500 students attending the 10 schools in the district. The score for each district was calculated from these measures: We defined Southern California as the counties of Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The students in these districts also have high rates of graduation and enrollment in postsecondary education. Every school is a California Distinguished School and the district consistently receives accolades. Property and Casualty insurance services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc.: Licenses, NerdWallet Compare, Inc. 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