2721 Midtown Ct
Palo Alto, CA 94303

The special education department this year is doing a tremendous job and the kids feel very welcomed and happy to learn. The ELOP and other supporting programs from the district also help these in many ways. Happy to be here.

Many of the older reviews are extremely outdated. The students are very welcoming to new students, most of the teachers are willing to help and answer questions in class or outside of class time, and the school provides extensive student rights, as can be seen by their journalism program, which is one of the best in the country. Although there are students that take drugs, they are few and they all belong to the same groups, and typically don't interact much with others. I personally do not have much interaction with special education, but I am aware that the students in special education are looked after, and sometimes the department even provides dances just for them, though rarely. There is also known there are many students who feel academically pressured, as it is an extremely competitive school, but the school provides help, and most of the time the problem originates from home and parents. All in all, the environment is safe for everyone as long as they do not make unsafe decisions, the teachers are great and welcoming, and the school does address its problems.

If your child ends up having any problems out of your control, the staff will be relentless in their handling of the situation while treating it as if it is the parent's or student's fault for their unfortunate circumstances. In my time here I have also witnessed mistreatment by both faculty and students toward students with disabilities, not understanding the accommodations required for those students to excel in a safe environment. I have friends who still talk about JLS staff and teachers in their therapy sessions well into their college years.