We just moved to this school from NYC and placed our two kids in the dual language program. I…read morehonestly didn't even know this school existed but it's an underground gem-- mainly shared and known by word of mouth. Our two kids are in the dual language program and we've been astounded by the quality of the teachers (most have tenures of 10+ years), the extra curricular classes (art, science, gardening, innovation lab) and the parent community. Plus the classes are under 20 kids each and the campus is huge with lots of green space. It's such a local treasure.

We live down the street from this community school. When we moved to the neighborhood we were…read morehopeful that this would be a good option for us in the future. Our son is now in 2nd grade and after 2 years at the school in the dual language (Spanish immersion) program, we are thrilled to have made this choice for our family! We love the teachers and the close-knit community. This is a small school of approximately 350 students TK-6th so the best part is that we really get to know each other. This is an incredible experience to have this true neighborhood feel within this sprawling city. The parent community is incredibly engaged and we've been able to add programs like visual arts & a brand new music program for every single child at the school. There are after school offerings like LA's Best plus afterschool enrichment classes, Girls on the Run, HawksLA, and other occasional offerings like ukulele or Folklorico dance. Our new principal, Ms. Salcedo has been an absolute pleasure and everyone is very enthusiastic about her leadership at our school. If you drive past the school you'll see beautiful murals, including an Eric Junker. A sweet Enrich LA Garden where the kiddos have gardening classes. Our massive green field - aka "the lawn" is a beautiful sight to behold within the concrete jungle of Los Angeles AND plans are on the tracks for many more greening initiatives that will only improve the already sweet school. We are so grateful for this school and the community. It has become the heartbeat of Atwater Village for us and look forward to at least 4 more years at this awesome school. Please do your research and come visit and see for yourself. Please check out the Friends of group on Instagram, Facebook, & email friendsofatwaterelementary@gmail.com if you would like to be linked up with any current families as you make your schooling decision for your family.

My child has been with Kids World School since preschool and was in their daycare before that. I do…read morenot have the words to convey how I feel about the administrator and teachers of this school. They genuinely care deeply for the children's well-being and growth. Their personal approach to education is incredibly unique. My daughter loves them so much, she refers to them as her other family and misses them on weekends. The piece of mind I have knowing that my girl is not only learning and growing but in a safe and positive environment is worth everything to me! Thank you Kids World School and all you do for our future generations!

My daughter did not like school. It was getting harder and harder to get her to go…read more The reasons became clear during a parent-teacher meeting when my wife and I noticed how rudely the teacher treated the children. Our daughter doesn't need a heavy handed approach but getting a tenured teacher to change her style not easy. Finally we pulled her out and started researching everything from home schooling to charter schools. Thank goodness we came across Kids' World/Cornerstone Academy. Our daughter loves school again and more importantly loves learning. It's no longer a chore to get her to go to school. The teachers really care about her and the scholastic progress is obvious. Thank you Kids World!

Teachers actually care about kids in that school . I am so happy that my kid has the opportunity to…read morebe part of the school and my kid is happy there.

We love this school from an education standpoint, which is most important. However, there is a…read morenotable con that prevents me from giving 5-stars--beginning with the odd release hours. They release early quite often. Every Tuesday is 1pm release, and during conference weeks or teacher planning weeks, every single day is 12pm (half day) release. That being said, as a working parent, it's been tough (sometimes near-impossible) at times to bend my schedule to accommodate. Why don't I just do after school care, you wonder? There was a waitlist and it filled immediately. We moved from out of state, and didn't have a chance to apply to the waitlist. There is currently nothing to do but put your child on the waitlist and hope you can get in. There are also no buses at this school, so there is no option to have your child bussed to childcare facilities. If you work a 9-5, just be prepared for this. No one warned us of these somewhat difficult workarounds, so I wanted to make other working parents aware. Education-wise, like I said, the school is excellent. Our child is thriving and the teacher is great, our child loves her.

Ivanhoe is an incredible school, driven by wonderful faculty and staff and most importantly, the…read morecommunity it serves. Parents dedicate a lot of time and money into the school and it really shows through with the extra staff and programs that the school is able to support. Ivanhoe is actually one of the lowest funded schools in the LAUSD but you would never know it upon visiting. The children are offered programs like technology, art, dance, music and a library just to name a few. They have beloved events like the IvanhoeDown, the Holiday Market, the Hoops Classic, Art Night, and The Ivanhoe Social. It's a very well rounded school with a lot of community involvement and solid educational foundations. I've had one daughter go through Ivanhoe already, one son currently attending, and another son that will be in TK in a couple years. I wouldn't choose another school if given an option!! Ivanhoe all the way!!

I must caution you about this school and more importantly the Principal at this school…read more We moved to the area due to the school rating on great schools website. The fact is, the teachers and staff at this school are tired and not taking the children's needs at this school seriously. If there are complaints of bullying, the staff should listen and investigate. But the principal did not, She has a LONG LIST of bad boys and girls and still insists there is no bullying at her school! She insisted THE child Not on the bad kid list is the problem!? Complete denial... only when we threatened contacting a lawyer did she take any action. And in the meantime making the Childern suffer as many parents clearly spoke out. Another note: if your child starts to fall behind and they will, with the lack of teaching in teachers. They will not care! They do not inform parents but instead ignore the duties they are responsible for. A Warning about Ivanhoe Elementary, and the principal! Don't move to the neighborhood for this school!

Franklin Ave Elementary school is the best and we love it and the teachers are the best and so kindread more

In my experience, Franklin Avenue's greatest strength is its teachers and the parents and…read moreadministration who support them. We've had three wonderful teachers in a row (Kinder, 1st and 2nd). The teachers made it work during the pandemic during online learning, and didn't miss a beat, which is saying a lot. They are strict, but fair. And the kids can tell that they really care. The PTA works hard to fundraise, funding classroom supplies for teachers, an art program, a music program, and teacher assistants. Thank God for TAs. The campus is fine -- it could use more shade, some grass, and another play structure... Some day, the new building will get done and replace the junky portables. That being said, I've discovered that what really makes the kids happy is how much they like their teachers and the quality of the instruction. And that Franklin has in spades.

This school has been amazing for my kids. We stumbled upon it post pandemic, my son starting TK…read morehardly able to hold a pencil, and I was so blown away by how much he learned in such a short amount of time. The arts programs instantly brought out his passion for all things drawing. Most importantly, he has always been happy there. Five years later and neither of my kids have ever said "I don't want to go to school today". Besides the arts programs, which include music, dance and physical arts, they also have a garden program ran by California Climate action fellows. The social emotional education has been invaluable to both of my children as well. Absolutely love the diversity the school offers and the strong parent community. Volunteers are welcomed and encouraged and I always feel at home there. While we absolutely love it here, individual experiences will always vary, even in the absolute best schools. The school as a whole has wonderful teachers and a great philosophy. It works so well for so many kids, especially if you're invested in your kids education and supporting them from home. Definitely worth a tour if you're just starting off with schooling or in search of a new fit for your kid!

Our family has been part of this school since 2020. Over the years, we watched many families leave…read moreand often thought, "It's not that bad." For our children, it wasn't--until this year. The school year began in complete disarray, with inadequate supervision, students without assigned teachers or classrooms, and widespread confusion. Unfortunately, conditions only deteriorated from there. Throughout the year, students experienced repeated injuries, classroom evacuations, student elopements, frequent fire alarm disruptions, and recurring lice outbreaks that were not consistently communicated to families. One particularly troubling incident involved a substitute teacher who told a student with autism that autism "isn't real" and threatened to "call the cops" on a group of elementary students. Despite repeated efforts to raise concerns with school leadership, the board, and LAUSD, there was no accountability or communication with the affected families. LAUSD has already voted to close the middle school, and the elementary school's renewal will be reviewed during the 2026-2027 school year. I regret not taking other parents' concerns more seriously. We have decided to enroll our three children elsewhere next year. Our focus now is helping them recover academically and emotionally from a school environment where chaos often felt normalized and leadership seemed unresponsive. Parents should understand that this independent charter school operates under highly centralized leadership, with limited transparency or accountability. Many families, including ours, ultimately leave only after feeling they have exhausted every other option. I am genuinely glad for families whose children had positive experiences. However, those experiences do not erase the injuries, trauma, learning loss, and challenges many other students faced. Please consider a school with proven curriculum, healthy leadership and above all - safety.

This was a very good elementary school. The teachers taught well and were very enthusiastic each…read moreday. I only attended for about a year and a quarter, but I grew very attached to the school and my teachers. I highly recommend this school.

Averall the school is pretty good. I am a parent from Mr Salazars class and that school is very…read morelucky to have him. He goes above and beyond his capability to make your child succeed and i am very thankful for him. However the front desk workers are terrible. Specially if you have a quick question on the phone not only it will take more then 10 minutes to answer your Simple question but most of the time they just hang up on you. Am giving this school 5 star because of Mr. Salazar otherwise poor communication and luck of understanding a parent in front office...

I am a former student now in high school, but I still wish I went to Elysian Heights…read more I had a really good time at this little arts magnet! When I was in kindergarten about a decade ago, this school was small, and I mean SMALL. The magnet program was just starting, so I was lucky to have arrived when I did. I believe that art is the number one thing that should be inputted into a student's curriculum, and Elysian is the perfect place for that. If you're planning to send your kid there, expect them to come home with art projects and wanting to be lead of the school's annual play. Expect attending every event the school has: the harvest festival, multicultural fest (if that still happens), holiday shows, spring shows, arts fest...etc! I'm not surprised that Elysian has become a competitive school recently...it's a really great place!! I still go to the harvest and arts festivals every year, and I'm still close friends with people I've known since kinder. Hear this from a former student: this is a really good little arts magnet.

best charter school in LA Best staff…read moreBest parents Lucky to be a part of it -please check out the After School Program called Prime Time ! It is now a summer sports camp that kids love

Our son recently started preschool at LILA. We were drawn to the school for it's international…read moredemographic and the French immersion - which has all been fabulous - but what we've also gotten are teachers and staff who care deeply about our son adjusting to school and succeeding both interpersonally, developmentally and educationally. There are about 12-13 kids in his class and somehow each drop off and pick up feels personal to us. The teachers are so focused on each child's individual needs and we feel very supported as a new family at LILA.

As a parent of a 1st grader who started last year in Kinder at the LF campus, we could not be…read morehappier with LILA and my daughter's experience. It was our first choice, and the last few months of her enrollment have only reinforced our decision to enroll her. I was familiar with the rigors of the French academic system as well as the IB program, and this was something we really wanted for our child. It's a very different and richer experience than most American schools. "Diversity" has become narrowly defined. But the international diversity of the students' families is unmatched at other SoCal schools. Yes, many French and Western European family's, as might be expected. But we have families in our class from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, for example. My five year old is already correcting my French (which is admittedly terrible!) and she loves the school and it's the emphasis on language and expression. The teachers are patient and supportive and providing a good balance between structure and flexibility.

I am so happy my son goes to Holy Trinity School. There was never a question in my mind that this…read moreis where he would attend. When I looked into other schools, none of them felt like home the way Holy Trinity did. My husband and many of his friends also attended HTS and received an incredible education, so it means a lot to our family that our son now gets to have that same positive experience. This school truly stands out for its supportive and welcoming environment. From the moment you walk through the doors, you can feel the warmth and positivity created by both the staff and the students. The teachers and staff are amazing -- they are incredibly dedicated, always willing to help, and genuinely invested in the success and well-being of every child. One of the things that makes Holy Trinity so special is how approachable and caring the educators are. They create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and growing both academically and personally. The communication between staff, students, and families is also wonderful, which really strengthens the sense of community. We feel so grateful to be part of a school where the teachers truly care and where children are encouraged to grow, learn, and thrive. Holy Trinity is not just a school -- it's a community, and it's a place our family is proud to be part of.

This place has been a game-changer for my family. The staff and faculty are nice as they come, and…read morethe best part is they still use pencil and paper for homework assignments (with Ipads optional), and require reading from a book every school night (each kid's choice of which one). We had tried public and private schools previously, and this is by far the best school experience we have had so far. We are not members of the parish, but from day one have felt exceptionally welcome by teachers, the office, and parents. Whether you are Catholic parents or not, the school offers the perfect balance for children between academic and religious studies. And if your child has ADHD, in our experience, the teachers have been exceptionally supportive of helping our child advance in a way that fits him best while still maintaining a studious environment for everyone. And the students are WONDERFUL!