4615 Orange Knoll Ave
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011

Let’s just be clear. The reason the school is rated so well is because the parents are very wealthy. Many are extremely wealthy. And colleges LOVE full pay wealthy parents. They prefer them! So when they see LCHS on the collleg app they get excited. The other reason why La Cañada high school students get into selective schools is because their parents wealth allows them to enjoy the perks of expensive tutoring, SAT prep, expensive college consulting, and highly educated and involved parents, who are helicoptering all of their kids curriculum can pay for very very expensive sports and extracurriculars. I can’t tell you the number of high school kids who had studies published in medical journals before applying to college. Of course all orchestrated by mom and dad. Many stay at homeMoms here make it their full time job to get their kids into the right college. Literally! Their rigorous high school curriculum is planned in elementary school. These wealthy kids have huge advantages over most of America from the day they are born. But there is nothing unique or special about the school or its teachers or administration. Or the kids. It’s average at best. I would know I put three kids through here .

I’ve had two children go through this school with similar experiences. Neither had any standout years to look back on. While a few of the teachers are better and more experienced than others, there is a lack of creativity and seems many just tow the line. Projects and assignments are exactly the same despite our children attending the school many years apart. Parents and many teachers seem to be focused primarily on social relationships within the community above all else which leads to a toxic environment. Out of the three public elementary schools here, this one has the reputation for having the most drama among kids and parents. Palm Crest has a much better reputation. A large overhaul is needed in this district to bring in new teachers that can think beyond the box and spark joy in learning as this has been absent when speaking with other parents. There are however many opportunities for families to get involved especially in the earlier grades, but that can also be a huge negative. Having the same certain parents takeover leads to a lot of favoritism among the teachers which is painfully apparent for all to see. Covid was a blessing and a curse in that it was a much needed break and reset from the nuances of the school, but it was also clear that other districts were way ahead in regards to instruction, even during that unprecedented event.