Studio City or Woodland Hills -- schools (Los Angeles, Burbank: house, neighborhood)

[Excited about STL]

I am moving to LA and have been focusing on non-LAUSD districts. But lately I am looking into Studio City and Woodland Hills. Traffic to work is the same, and so my main concern is the schools.

My kids are in elementary and middle schools. They are smart but no gifted (no plan for any magnets). One of them also needs special ed. So I want them to be in schools with generally higher performance (so that "they can be all they can be") and teachers that (are paid high enough to) care.

For example, what are the views regarding Woodland Hills Elementary Charter for Enriched Studies vs. Carpenter? Taft high vs. North Hollywood high? How do those schools generally compare to, say, Los Alamitos or PV schools?

[Kings Gambit]

The schools you mentioned (Carpenter Elem, Woodland Hills Elem Charter, Taft and NHHS) are all LAUSD. How exactly have you been focusing on "non-LAUSD" districts in your research?

As far as elementary schools go, there really isnt much difference from one to another. Its when you get to Middle and High school is where you really really have to be picky about where to send your kids as there could be HUGE differences from one school to another even if they are just a mile or two apart. North Hollywood high is on no ones list of good high schools. I had one kid who went to El Camino Real in Woodland Hills/Calabasas and another at Taft. Both are good LAUSD schools with El Camino being only slighter better academically but Taft a better high school participation/school spirit/college prep experience.

You say both locations (Woodland Hills and Studio City) will have same commute to work, where exactly do you work or plan on working with your move to LA? I ask because if you are up for a longer and more uncomfortable commute, you can expand your choices to either Calabasas to the west or Burbank to the east. Calabasas would put you in Las Virgenes school district and Burbank would put you in either Burbank HS or Burroughs HS area (however these Burbank schools are about the same as NoHo but maybe only slightly slightly better but with very large first generation Armenian student population).

[Excited about STL]

Originally Posted by Kings Gambit

The schools you mentioned (Carpenter Elem, Woodland Hills Elem Charter, Taft and NHHS) are all LAUSD. How exactly have you been focusing on "non-LAUSD" districts in your research?

As far as elementary schools go, there really isnt much difference from one to another. Its when you get to Middle and High school is where you really really have to be picky about where to send your kids as there could be HUGE differences from one school to another even if they are just a mile or two apart. North Hollywood high is on no ones list of good high schools. I had one kid who went to El Camino Real in Woodland Hills/Calabasas and another at Taft. Both are good LAUSD schools with El Camino being only slighter better academically but Taft a better high school participation/school spirit/college prep experience.

You say both locations (Woodland Hills and Studio City) will have same commute to work, where exactly do you work or plan on working with your move to LA? I ask because if you are up for a longer and more uncomfortable commute, you can expand your choices to either Calabasas to the west or Burbank to the east. Calabasas would put you in Las Virgenes school district and Burbank would put you in either Burbank HS or Burroughs HS area (however these Burbank schools are about the same as NoHo but maybe only slightly slightly better but with very large first generation Armenian student population).

I have been avoiding LAUSD in my house hunting, but am now looking into select areas in the LAUSD. The non-LAUSD districts I have been looking into are PV, Malibu, and Los Alamitos.

I work in Culver City, and I am used to 2-hour-each-way commute in the last ten years or so. Currently I have been commuting to Culver City 4-days-a-week from my temp housing in Yorba Linda, and it's fine -- I treat driving as meditation.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Excited about STL

I have been avoiding LAUSD in my house hunting, but am now

Don't forget that there are charter schools within LAUSD.

https://www.lausd.org/charter

https://www.lausd.org/Page/1816

[Excited about STL]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

Don't forget that there are charter schools within LAUSD.

https://www.lausd.org/charter

https://www.lausd.org/Page/1816

Don't know how to play the charter game -- kind of just want to buy into a neighborhood and get the good schools as a sure thing. If I live within a "preferred" zone of a given charter, do I get a sure thing (>90%) or is it still very chancy?

[Kings Gambit]

Originally Posted by Excited about STL

I work in Culver City, and I am used to 2-hour-each-way commute in the last ten years or so. Currently I have been commuting to Culver City 4-days-a-week from my temp housing in Yorba Linda, and it's fine -- I treat driving as meditation.

I dont believe this. You do not make this commute on a daily basis. And you say you have two kids? Do they recognize you when they see you?

Originally Posted by Excited about STL

Don't know how to play the charter game -- kind of just want to buy into a neighborhood and get the good schools as a sure thing. If I live within a "preferred" zone of a given charter, do I get a sure thing (>90%) or is it still very chancy?

If you live within the zone you are in.

[Excited about STL]

Originally Posted by Kings Gambit

I dont believe this. You do not make this commute on a daily basis. And you say you have two kids? Do they recognize you when they see you?



If you live within the zone you are in.

In NY/CT my commute is the about same, 1.5 hours door-to-door one way. And the hours are much worse, 6:30AM leaving home to 10PM arriving. My weekdays are just write-offs. Here, I probably could get home faster if I leave office after 8:30PM.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Mgodi

If you don't mind the commute and can afford to live in PV, Malibu, or Los Alamitos, this is a no-brainer.

While those cities three have top ranked public schools, the commute would be awful (as has been pointed out).

[Excited about STL]

Originally Posted by Mgodi

Do people really commute from CT to NYC?

Here in L.A. the magic five words are "live near where you work" - something in my 28 years of working age years here I have rarely accomplished. However, my driving commute has never been more than 1 hour (I won't get into the years I spent travelling L.A.rge distances via public transportation).

Do you really want to live on the freeway?

I was told that 70% of my town folks in CT (that work) commute to NYC. I mean I could always get a seat at my stop, but it would be packed at the next.

At the end of the day, i actually look forward to the long commute -- again I treat it as meditation, or the only time-off during a workday.

[Kings Gambit]

Originally Posted by Mgodi

Do people really commute from CT to NYC?

Here in L.A. the magic five words are "live near where you work" - something in my 28 years of working age years here I have rarely accomplished. However, my driving commute has never been more than 1 hour (I won't get into the years I spent travelling L.A.rge distances via public transportation).

Do you really want to live on the freeway?

Originally Posted by Excited about STL

I was told that 70% of my town folks in CT (that work) commute to NYC.

Mgodi is absolutely right on this. You really really need to live as close as possible to where you work here in Los Angeles. Remember, commuting from CT to NYC is NOT AT ALL THE SAME as commuting in Los Angeles traffic. There is nothing calming or meditative about being stuck on traffic on the 405 or 101.