Bay Laurel Elementary School

24740 Paseo Primario

School District

Las Virgenes Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for Las Virgenes Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on February 14, 2024

While I liked the sense of community, the education is terrible. If you can afford to live in Calabasas, you can afford private schools and that truly is the best route. It is appalling that there is no spelling being taught. The writing is so minimal. These kids aren't getting a good foundation. My child felt the principal is "fake" and "should run a preschool with how she talks to kids." Class sizes are ridiculously large and the combined grade combo class splits are a disservice to the kids and teachers. Obiously, this is an LVUSD and state issue, but I found the local public school to be lacking in basic education and specialist classes are a joke.
Submitted by other on January 03, 2024

This. school has amazing teachers and staff.They build together to learn and develop their skills at any subject
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2022

The school has great teachers who are really involved with the kids. My child’s teacher, who was accessible at all times, explained all aspects of my child’s education, and our child is thriving there. My child can’t wait to go to school every day and learn more. The school has an academically advanced curriculum to challenge kids and a great sense of community. Being a good citizen is paramount and it’s apparent as the campus is thriving with lots of happy kids. Overall a great balance of academics and school spirit, lead by an incredible principle, Dr. Duncan, who is deeply involved in the school.
Submitted by parent on February 25, 2022

Bay Laurel is a phenomenal school. I went there almost 30 years ago and loved it. And now that my daughter is thriving there, I love it even more! The principal Dr. Duncan is really incredible, she has a lot of energy, she is very hands on and she’s very positive and inspiring. The campus is beautiful. Honestly this is our dream school!
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2022

Best elemenatary school in district. Great teachers, one of a kind Principal, strong sense of community, a strong focus on academics and being a good person. Nice families.
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2018

Amazing school for children with special needs. After spending a fortune on private schools we are getting the SAME education with more resources at Bay Laurel. Private school at public school price! Plus, the community is welcoming and warm!
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2018

It was honestly terrible. They treat the richest parents with the utmost importance. The aids are terribly mean and the littleist things could get yuo kicked out
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2017

Amazing school! After embarking on the craziness of private school admissions in LA, we discovered this little gem in Calabasas, and are proud our daughter attends a great public school.
Submitted by other on June 07, 2016

My daughter began Kinder at Bay Laurel in 2012 and currently attends. This is an absolutely fantastic school - The principal, Mr. Steve Scifres, is excellent and the students love him! The families in this entire community are amazing. Wonderful parents who are very attentive and involved in their child's lives, education, sports, interests, etc. So many of the families get together often and become good friends. Sure - its a wealthy area, and sure there are some snobby people - like anywhere - but overall - everyone is pretty down-to-earth and we have a very kind, supportive and involved school and community. There are TONS of parents who volunteer at the school and the PFA is incredible. If anyone would like to know more about the school - they should come take a tour and see for themselves.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2015

I feel blessed this is my kid's school. I love everything about it. My kid is learning so much and she is so eager to go to school every morning.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2015

The school on a whole is good. The teachers are great and the Principal (who is leaving this year) is phenomenal. They have a lot of nice programs both during and after school. The academic level doesn't seem very high, but all of the kids seem generally happy. The biggest problem with this school is the level of snobiness. If you don't drive a Maserati and live in the Oaks, then good luck fitting in. The parents are decked out, the kids are decked out and it really is the "haves" versus the "have nots" It's pretty sad.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2015

New principal is great. Teachers and staff are way too strict over minor behavior issues. The school is well staffed, clean and organized. It would be better if the school was gated and locked during school hours but it is a very safe area all together and there is security and police presence. Also, I felt that there was no real connection between the homework, classwork and the actual content of the testing. I had to tutor my daughter all year, which is the only reason she is getting her high grades. The curriculum is challenging, so at least she is getting educated one way or another. Overall, the school is really good.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2014

The new principal has made all the difference! The teachers and administration are happy, the parents are happy and the kids are having a fantastic year. It's pretty fantastic to have a complete turn-around in terms of the overall school 'vibe' within a few months of the school year, but it has definitely happened. Everyone notices the difference - the kids and parents are so much more at ease and consequently, things are overall going very well!
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2014

Disorganized administration. Snobby parents. Ineffective and very unpleasant principal. Teachers are average and unequipped to handle kids who are not vegetables. Extremely disappointed in this school.
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

Great parent involvement and support. Best teachers are Ms. Brkic, Mrs. Larkin, Mrs Sbardellati. All kind, patient and effective. Principal ineffective and cares more about her image than kids.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2013

Our child attended for four years and, so far, we have mixed up feelings about this school. The good things are that it is safe, the Principal is very responsive addressing problems immediately and there are some great teachers. PFA does an outstanding work. The not so good thing is that economic status differences are felt in a subtle way. Being wealthy is not a problem if wasn t for the over controlling attitude of many parents who think their children should go to a perfect school because they make big donations. Parents, here, have the tendency to complain with teachers, aids, principal if their perfect child is bother by another child for any meaningless reasons even no reasons at all. They put pressure on school staff to have the other child punished. As result the teachers/aids tends to be overly restrictive and punitive. So, if your child don t fit in aspect a lot of blue sheets, apology notes, teachers reports and so on until your unfitted child do a misstep and is suspended. But if you have a perfectly conforming child, this is the school to go. Everything looks beautiful from an outside viewpoint.
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2013

We have a 5th grader and moved to Calabasas because it was known that LVUSD is highly rated. Most of the children that go here are from the very wealthy gated communities in the Calabasas area. Most of the parents are successful and definitely provide for the school as it is not lacking at all in the extras. The school has numerous aides, a full time nurse and librarian., a fantastic music and performance program, computer labs and they are working on providing IPads for every child. Pretty impressive. The PFA is outstanding however there is hardly any other parent participation in the meetings besides the board.. We really liked the teachers our child had but other parents haven't been so lucky. Also, the curriculum didn't seem advanced as what my child experienced from LAUSD. Also, LVUSD doesn't have a gifted program until Jr. High so if your child is gifted, they will basically have to move with the herd until they culminate to AC Steele. Another horrible thing here is that the parents are extremely clique-y. This is at every school but here it's all money, fancy cars, giant houses. Be prepared to be compared and good luck trying to fit in if your child didn't start her in K.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2013

This is a great elementary school in the area that all parents and principle work hard for kid to get the best education possible.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2013

As a mother, I thought the is school was very poor on safety of the children :((((((( very sad. I was not comfortable with the management at all.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2013

Very bad experience.I don't recommend this school.Awful teachers and I have to agree with some of the reviews the principal is absolutely ineffective.If you have any problem in the school they simple try to hide the true pretending that nothing happened.That's what they are teaching our kids?!Very ,very disappointed!I expected much more when are enrolled my kids.