C17 Pacific Ave #G
Surfside, CA 90743

My wife and I are both Los Al grads and we have both a freshman and senior attending there now. Since I have very little exposure to other schools, it’s difficult to compare Los Al to them. But here’s what I do know…The Academics are hard to beat in this area, especially for a public school. Just like other schools, I’m sure Los Al has a few bad teachers, but by and large, they are all very good educators that care about their students. There are also many elective options available as well as AP courses and Honors courses for freshmen. I’ve been told that colleges look favorably upon many of the AP courses because of the rigor compared to other schools. The Musical Arts are top-notch. In fact the choir program is the largest organization on campus and has won multiple national championships on several levels over the past 15 years. If your child is a musician, the Los Al Jazz band is extremely good as well. When it comes to Sports, Los Al sends multiple teams to the CIF playoffs every year. As a local, my only complaint here is that lots of good athletes from other schools are recruited to Los Al, which takes opportunities away from our local kids. The level of play is tremendous, but it’s difficult seeing good players sit on the sideline just to get a win. I do know that the district pays their teachers well, which helps attract good talent. The administration also does a really good job running the school and keeping everyone informed. They care about the safety and well-being of the students. They’re also mindful of the social complexities of teenagers in a high-stress environment and have a wellness center staffed with some really good people.I don’t particularly care for how large the school is. When I was a student, enrollment was less than 2,000. Now, I believe it’s almost double that. I suppose that’s to be expected with a school everyone wants to attend. I’m quite certain that the school is pushing the limits on out-of-district transfer requests every year. As someone said in another review, you get out of Los Al what you put into it. If your child wants no part in learning, growing and improving themselves, they can certainly get lost in the crowd. But, if they want to be at the top of their class and be involved in multiple sports, activities and social programs to set them up for the next chapter in their life, there is plenty of opportunity at Los Al. There is also no shortage of volunteer opportunities for parents.

As many other people sit on this site administration it’s a joke.

We moved our child from Long Beach Unified to McGaugh and the difference has been astounding. The teachers and administration genuinely care about the growth, development, mental and emotional health of the children. My child has grown leaps and bounds since the switch. The principal and VP are so involved and active and it has a trickle down effect throughout the school. I feel so much more confident in the academic success of my child here than at her Long Beach School.