As a parent who has spent years navigating special education, private providers, assessments, IEPs,…read moreoutside experts, and placement decisions, my experience left me with one overriding impression: the district is exceptionally good at process and far less effective at solving problems. There is no shortage of meetings, assessments, documentation, scheduling emails, committees, consultations, and procedural steps. The challenge is that families often mistake activity for progress. When your child is struggling, you assume everyone is focused on finding the right educational environment. Over time, I came to feel that preserving the process itself frequently became the priority. Many individual staff members were professional and well-intentioned. This review is not about any one teacher, psychologist, therapist, or administrator. It is about a culture that too often appears designed around institutional protection rather than meaningful responsiveness to families. Parents should be prepared to become experts in special education law, assessment reports, accommodations, placement options, and procedural safeguards. You will likely need to keep meticulous records, follow up repeatedly, and advocate consistently. What surprised me most was how difficult it could be to obtain straightforward answers to straightforward questions. The amount of time, energy, and emotional bandwidth required from families can be extraordinary. Our child ultimately made meaningful progress in a highly individualized setting. That experience reinforced a lesson I wish I had understood earlier: educational progress is often the result of the supports a child receives, not merely the system in which they are placed. Families considering this district should go in with open eyes, detailed documentation, and realistic expectations.

I am a parent in the Las Virgenes Unified School District and want to share my recent experience…read morewith the district's student retention process -- particularly as it relates to support for students with developmental needs. After submitting a formal request to retain my child, I provided extensive documentation from the Regional Center outlining his developmental delays and social-emotional concerns. Despite this, I was told that the information was not reviewed as part of the official appeal process. Even more troubling, I learned that most of the individuals involved in the decision-making process had little or no personal knowledge of my child -- raising serious concerns about how informed the final decision truly was. As a parent, I expected a process that was personalized, child-centered, and inclusive of expert and parental input. Instead, the process felt procedural, closed off, and disconnected from the realities of my son's daily challenges. When I requested a meeting with Superintendent Dr. Dan Stepenosky to share my concerns in person, I was denied based on a policy that gives final authority to a designee -- in this case, Jana Davenport -- even when significant concerns remain unaddressed. The stress and emotion this process has caused cannot be understated. It is incredibly disheartening to advocate for your child's well-being, only to feel that the system values procedure over people. In my experience, the district seems more focused on preserving its Blue Ribbon reputation, test scores, and public image than on providing individualized support for students with developmental or emotional needs. I'm sharing this review not to criticize individuals, but to advocate for a more compassionate, transparent, and genuinely collaborative process for families -- especially those navigating developmental, behavioral, or learning differences. Families deserve to be heard. Children deserve decisions made by people who actually know them. I hope the Las Virgenes Unified School District reflects seriously on how its current practices affect the very children and families it is meant to serve. -- A Concerned Parent Marina

Cool athletics team here and clean school! Senior night was fun and everybody looks very happy hereread more

Every year, my student take six classes and every year without fail they only have one acceptable…read moreteacher. Non of these teachers are teaching! The reason that students still score well is that we live in an affluent community where every family invests thousands of dollars in tutoring.

Graduated a long time ago but know that the level of education is top notch…read more Expensive but most private schools are!

Seeing that Viewpoint has 4 stars and not 5 is proof that noting is perfect for everyone...not even…read morea school like Viewpoint. I will say, however, that Viewpoint is as close to "perfect" as a school could be. It is 6 stars in my book. I can't say enough about how the school is run, the individualized care, the facilities, the programs, curriculum. My son started in 7th grade and he is now is 11th and I literally have a smile on my face when I picture him being at Viewpoint. Easily, what stands out the most is the fact everyone in the faculty and administration seem to know my kid, personally...they are invested in all the kids..they aren't anonymous...my son feels like he is in a family type environment where people truly care about his welfare inside and outside of the classroom. That is a very rare characteristic for a school. I can't think on one single aspect of my son's education, from academics to administration, to sports, etc., that have not been handled with the highest level of care and professionalism. And, he has built a tremendous friend base at Viewpoint...definitely his second family. If Atticus Finch were to teach at a school...he just might pick Viewpoint. I will look back on Viewpoint and say it was perhaps the best money I have ever spent...and easily one of the proudest contributions that I have made to my son's young life. His mom and I got this one right!

As a parent of a student who has been attending Manzanita for 4 years since Forest Kindergarten (…read morenow in 3rd grade ) and another child that is soon to enroll - We are so grateful to have this amazing school so close by. The campus is incredible, grounding , and inspiring for the students and parents - who get to spend time on the land , connecting to nature and learning in symbiosis with the world around them. We have seen our daughter flourish in the last 4 years - first in her confidence, creativity and sense of self - and then in her academics . Her teachers have worked incredibly hard to overcome any challenges she has experienced - gently encouraging and finding the best ways for her to learn. The community is strong and the school works hard to involve the parents in the culture and learning experience. Our personal primary goal as parents is to raise happy and healthy children who will have the ability to adapt, listen and learn in their future. We are very happy with our experience at Manzanita and can't wait to continue our journey under Big Rock.

Simply an outstanding educational experience in every way. Manzanita is an entirely new model for…read morelearning, one that doesn't neatly fit into any established category. Students learn on the land and from the land, supported by teachers trained as mentors for a truly personal, close-knit experience. Your child will be seen, known, and understood here. They will be taught how to think, not what to think. They will be prepared to show up as their most authentic selves. They will be exposed to a curriculum that is much more nuanced and engaging than most people can imagine. Your child will be in community with people who are committed to making the world a better place and often live lives far outside the mainstream. The lunch program is incredible. Tour the school to experience firsthand. Truly amazing.

I came here for Graduation ceremony. I love that there ceremony went quickly. Some of the speakers…read morewere also entertaining, making it a fun environment. The ceremony was like a breeze. It was fun since one of the speakers mentioned that his kid told him to don't be boring. For a few moments, he had the crowd laughing. Then he continued with his speech. I really appreciate he made it fun and pleasant. The 4-star is because parking was a real challenge since their parking lot is limited. Street parking only available. For this event, we had to park almost 3/4 of a mile from the school since it was really full. Overall, it seemed like the students were and teachers got along well.

I transferred hear after seventh grade from AE weight. let me say I really recommend you send your…read morekids her. The community is amazing the teacher always go out of there way and everybody is just good there. They also have a stable after school program the boys and girls club there where kids can play video games and do their homework. This school is the best send your kids there and do not send your kids to AE wright that school is all wrong and toxic. Send your kids here they have more and provide more in so many ways you can imagine.

Although the school looks absolutely post-card perfect, that beautiful exterior barely conceals the…read moretoxicity that lies within. For the parent of a child with special needs, this facility is to be avoided at all costs and for those lucky parents of mainstream children: beware. There is no one watching over your student. Blake, my son's case coordinator, conducts himself like a pre-adolescent Neanderthal on muscle relaxants. He is incompetent, unresponsive, unprofessional and lazy. He has no knowledge of special education beyond that of a first year psych under-grad and he is proud to announce in meetings that he is unavailable the day after Halloween because he is planning on partying too much. Often, when his responses are actually intelligible, he is typically saying something along the extremely erudite lines of, "I don't know what you want me to do about it." Drug and alcohol abuse run rampant on campus and students walk off campus as they please despite not having passes. Administrators are distant and uninvolved and do not seem to mind having unprofessional individuals under their employ, who do irreparable damage without sanction or consequence. Parents, look elsewhere and do so quickly. Do not let the pretty buildings fool you.

This school is very interesting to say the least. I just wanted to give my advice on how the school…read morecan perhaps improve a bit to get five stars (first the good) -This school exceeds any expectations of what a public school is and looks like in Los Angeles. The school overlooks beautiful hills and houses. -They have a better arts center than most community colleges. -The facility is clean. -Beautiful sports facilities:including a pool, baseball field, track, football/lacrosse field -The custodians are friendly -FOOTBALL HAS GONE UP IN RANKINGS and THEY HAVE RECRUITED A FEW PEOPLE FOR CERTAIN SPORTS so needless to say they are projecting in the right direction with that (back in the day they were a joke) -The parents seem very actively involved especially with donations -many kids I have met here were very studious and went off to good colleges. However I am not certain that it is because of the school itself that allowed for that to happen. Most of the parents are college educated. -Los virgenes is a very small school district and a good one at that -the parking lots make the school look like a luxury car dealership (lol) The real reason why I am writing this review though is because Ive seen some weird stuff here. To be honest it is not unusual for students to be behaving the way I am about to explain (they are teenagers after all) but I am complaining because I know that if I had children who went here I know I would want there to be more security. There is a serious problem with the gate that stays open by the track. i see kids coming in and out whenever they please: During second period, right after first period or whenever! They just walk out in groups. And no one says anything. Not the PE teachers who are teaching their classes nor the maintenance or whatever. They get into the car and literally speed off and some come back later. Some are actually staying in their cars (doing who knows what...very suspicious behavior). As i said earlier this is really common in high school (so just because I am saying this does not mean that you should be worried, it's virtually everywhere), but I think what Im trying to say is that the school does not care if your child stays. Maybe the parents dont either sooo i guess it's all swell! but just thought id say something!

8th grade at Fusion has been the most positive experience for our family. After an abusive public…read moreschool experience, our child had an understandably poor relationship with school. Across this school year, we've seen him reconnect with a love of learning, we've seen anxiety subside and confidence grow. I joked that he learned more in his first week at Fusion than he had in a month at public school. The teachers and staff were so communicative and encouraging. In their assessments, it was clear they really saw my kid for who he is and tailored their teaching styles to help him reach his potential. I'll always be grateful for our time at Fusion Westlake.

Just wanted to add that my daughter that hated school now talks about going to college. The…read more"sparkle in her spirit" is back, & she actually enjoys school. Our home life has greatly improved. I cannot thank Fusion, Academy enough, and only wish we had found them sooner.

Both my teenage sons attended public elementary school, then went to Topanga Mountain School, then…read moretransitioned successfully back into public high school at El Camino. TMS provided a nurturing haven during the middle school years which has made my kids more resilient, better citizens of the world, and confident advocates for themselves and for others. Here are some of the experiences my boys had: - going on at least three one-week camping trips each year - learning to cook for themselves and to shop for their camping group on a budget - taking elective classes in pottery, archery, swimming, fencing, and aerial silks - composing and performing original songs during the music trimester - practicing public speaking in a variety of formats, from in-class debates to presentations to full-length plays - sitting in "council" and honoring the feelings and values of their classmates, even whey disagreed with them - burning off energy by playing soccer, basketball, and "mushroom tag" after lunch each day - exploring DTLA via public transportation - evaluating what constitutes a reliable source in traditional media and on social media - gaining an appreciation for nature through weekly hikes - feeling they had an actual relationship with their teachers (with whom they continue to stay in contact) - mastering the five-paragraph academic essay - working in small groups at a pace that was appropriate to their skill level, especially in math - graduating with a strong sense of self Sending my sons to TMS is one of the best investments I have made in their education and their personal growth. The only caveat I would offer is that, due to its small size and flexible curriculum, TMS tends to have more last-minute changes than a traditional school. There is no such thing as a "typical" week at TMS; the teachers may adjust the day's schedule if an issue arises and they feel the kids need to process events in the news or resolve interpersonal conflicts which impact the entire group. I f this to be a virtue, but if you are expecting rigid consistency, it's best to look to a more traditional school.

TMS has been a gift to our son and our family! Middle school can be difficult and distressing for…read moremany kids, but every morning my son wakes up excited to go to school. I've talked to other parents, and the sentiment is the same: kids love TMS! TMS is a mixture of appropriately challenging academics (with some room for individualization because the school is small), social-emotional development, the arts, and outdoor education. The school goes on four trips a year, and I love how the curriculum is integrated into the trips. For example, last year, they read a book that took place at a Japanese internment camp during WWII, and then they visited the actual camp during one of their trips. Also, there is a focus on making the learning applicable to the "real world." For some of the trips, kids are divided into groups, given a food budget, and work together to plan their meals and buy food. There is also a great community feeling amongst the parents at TMS. There is also a culture of kindness and acceptance at TMS. All-in-all, I am confident that my son will emerge from his middle school experience self-confident, ready for high school, and equipped to make the world a better place!

Attended from 2006 - 2010. Not the best, not the worst either…read more My teachers were great, I didn't really bond with too many of them, but there were a few gems in there who really cared. Melinda Owen, an English teacher comes to mind. Probably one of my favorite teachers. Honors, AE (if that exists anymore), or AP are the way to go. Regular classes are a joke, a daycare for the inconsiderate, awful bottomfeeders of society but that goes for any high school. Try to aim higher if you want teachers that will help you with college preparedness. Gym was tough but I willingly took two more years than I needed to, the teachers were great though not always understanding. Food was bland, and it's apparently gotten worse. Classrooms and halls are OVERCROWDED. Can't imagine it's getting any better now, as Woodland Hills/West Hills/Canoga Park etc are now more crowded than ever. If you're a kid who falls under the categories of "different" (specifically in regards to interests and how you dress), you're not gonna have a good time. You're going to high school in Los Angeles county and there are tons of superficial, narcissistic, two faced people who populate the school and if not they're druggies. Or both. It's just how it is, try to find people like yourself or be very involved in your studies and don't mind them. Otherwise, socially you'll get along fine if you're "normal", but hey, that's just high school for you.

Do not take an ACT test at this school. They have a complete disregard for the amount of time our…read morestudents put in to preparing and trying to achieve their colllegial goals. For September 2025 test they had a band practice right in the middle of the test. When approached the band said they had every right to be there. The test administrator assured me that it was a one time mistake and it would be fixed for October. Sure enough, the band started playing again and their adult representative did not care about the gravity of the testing situation. I am disgusted and this was our last chance for an ACT test before merit scholarships are awarded. Shame on this administration and the band teacher.

Very large and clean campus, staff were very friendly and welcoming and the students were friendlyread more

Best school around the area: The children are very…read moreintelligent and well-mannered, and the activities offered are the best; my son attended this school years ago and has grown into a fine man. I have no regrets and recommend this school to everyone.