Laverne Elementary Preparatory Academy

9966 I Avenue

School District

Hesperia Unified
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

charter

School Map for Hesperia 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 parent on January 20, 2025

We wanted to love this high rating school. However, if you have a student that has an IEP or needs any type that need extra support, this is not the school. The school is unorganized, the teachers don’t read the IEPs and if they do, they do not have any knowledge of how to follow it. The teachers along with the director were unsupportive, unprofessional, and very negative. The teachers appear to only care about the scores and homework without any regard for these kiddos emotional well-being. There are a couple of staff that we encountered in our time here who really cared about their jobs. However, the teachers along with the director have very old school and traditional ways of teaching. If your child does not learn in the traditional way, they will be outcasted and bullied. My child was belittled by the teachers and by the director in front of me. I hate to think about how she was treated when I was not there. The director disrespected my child in front of us when she was in obvious distress. I cannot fathom how my child was treated when I was not present. When my husband and I attempted to meet with the director, she ignored all of our attempts and we were never allowed on campus to observe our child. Honestly, my child fell very behind during their time at this school.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

This school has went downhill since they purchased their permanent location. Bullying is an issue at this school and it has been for a long time, I’ve had two kids go here and with my oldest anytime I brought up bullying/harassment concerns the teacher would lie and say nothing was going on and same issue with my youngest. Some teachers along with staff have been known to be disrespectful towards the students. The office staff seems to think it’s appropriate to gossip about students and their families. This school has no principal only a CEO/business owner who will avoid parents concerns. The school has a great amount of new staff/teachers due to so many teachers leaving allegedly to poor treatment from upper office staff. Other parents have told me why they had to pull their children from the school and it is disturbing to hear their reasons. This school only has good ratings because a lot of the parents who have left the school do not file complaints. If you do choose to enroll your child here just be cautious and make sure your child tells you everything because the school won’t. They had an issue with boys peeping into stalls last year and parents were never notified. Bathroom usage is also limited so there is a high chance your child can have an accident during school at any age. There is favoritism with certain students/families. The playground is way to small, student teacher ratio is high although online says otherwise. This year some classes are 30:1 student/teacher ratio. Testing scores are higher but not because of the school it’s due a few remaining good teachers and the fact that they pursue students with high grades/test scores for enrollment. Sometimes classes will be punished with no recess or made to run laps. There’s been times where their lunch has been cut short for students talking during lunch or as the school says being disruptive. Now do with that information what you please.
Submitted by other on July 02, 2024

I used to be a student there, my time there was excellent. It had its ups and downs but overall it was good. The teachers were nice and gave a good education. Though, the staff can be quite rude sometimes, to not only parents but to students. I was there since I was very little, I started in TK and left in 6th grade, their lowest to highest grade levels. From my experience, it is a good school and provides a higher education then other schools.
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2023

I am so happy I chose this school for my children. My daughter graduated from 6th grade there and our experience was amazing for her entire elementary school journey. All her teachers were always caring and great at communicating. When she started 7th grade at her new school she was way above her fellow students. She has continued to get straight As in junior high and was just asked to be in honors English for her 8th grade year. I know the reason she is doing so well in junior high is because she had such a good educational foundation at Laverne. My son is currently in 5th grade at LEPA and started there in TK. He absolutely loves his school and tells me all the time he can’t wait to go. He has an IEP and they have been fabulous at maintaining it and making sure he reaches his goals. Plus, each year they help establish new ones. Their special education department is incredible and he looks forward to going to the resource room daily. When I requested for him to have help with test taking and to work with the school psychologist my requests were met with open arms. I know the reason he is so successful academically is because of the caring support we have gotten throughout our time here. I like that they have a system for pick up to make sure that all students are released to responsible and authorized adults. I feel like this school has gone above and beyond in helping my kids be successful and keeping them safe.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2021

Tiki de was great other grades not so much
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2019

I am so grateful that we found this school. My son and daughter attend and have learned so much. Unfortunately my son started school in a distract school and was so far behind. He was not even learning concepts yet that this school was teaching. My only wish is that they went through 12th grade because I know all children would benefit. The teachers go above and beyond and go out of their way to ensure each student acheives their best. They know my children by name, even if they have not been in their class. I love that they wear uniforms.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2019

My kids have a microwavable lunch in a classroom because there is no lunchroom at this school, the playground in my backyard is bigger then the one here and the principal seems non existent. They have no website, or social media existence, in fact everything is pen and paper from lunch accounts to volunteering. Coming from any other school you will be disappointed. The only good thing are the teachers which make the horrible facilities almost worth it.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2019

This school provides an amazing school experience. They push their students to do their best in academics. They teach their students to be good citizens and community members. Any issue or problem that occurs is quickly and effectively taken care of. If a parent has a hard time communicating with the teacher, the principal ensures things are taken care of and not only that parent and student are happy but teacher as well. This school ensure that parents, students, and staff are well taken care of, pushed to do their best, and provides a welcoming environment.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2018

one of thE kindergarten teacher has a favoritism in her class, obviously the reason of this teacher is she has a lots of students to attend by that is why she only focus on kids that went to TK . , my kid fish folder about their progression in each month is empty, no score or anything that is so confusing how will we know if our kid is doing their very best in school when there is no grade at all? every night we practice our kids to do their home works, we teach them in the house to read and do math ..and we see that our kids is doing good , but the saddest thing and makes us upset as a parent is and when we checked our kids folders nothing is there ! no grades , as in nothing they skipped the month that is supposedly has a grade on it ! and again obviously . when we asked this teacher she kept on saying our kids is different to the other kids ? so there is a comparison now and that is not good to compare each individual what they can do and not! they only took pictures of kids who went to TK and praising ! while their other students that is really smart was left unaided just because they don't went to TK?? there is some negligence on this part, we just hope the Faculty and the Principal will know about this situation . every kid should be equal , equality no favoritism, no racism PLS!
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2018

Good school teachers are great.They focus on making sure students meet academic standards I am very pleased with the teachers here.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2015

My daughter is finishing up her first year here and I am so thankful we came across this school when we did. The teachers here are absolutely amazing! They're all so caring and really go above and beyond when it comes to the children's academics. The school as a whole makes it a point to give their scholars a safe and warm community. I noticed right away that my daughter was known on a first name basis not only by the office staff, but by the majority of the other teachers and many other children in other grades and classes as well. They do have really high standards and the kids are pushed when it comes to learning. I can see it being a problem for those who do need extra help and time when it comes to academics. A lot of responsibility falls on the parents since so much is expected of the kids, without support at home I can see the level of work being a little overwhelming for some kids.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2014

My son has been going here for 5 years. He transferred in at the end of kinder and they had him reading within 4 months. I will admit that my son has had a few minor bumps in behavior, and as a consequence has been disciplined it is always fair, and he understands why he is disciplined. I saw some comments about the play area, and I think that the way the school is set up is one of the best things about it. My child has never been in a fight, he is not bullied, not had a gun or drugs brought to school. I like knowing my child is always seen, and safe. Overall, this school is not for everyone, they do not hand out warm fuzzy hugs, they are a very strict school seeking strong parental assistance, but at the end of the year, your child will have one of, if not the best education available in the high desert.
Submitted by parent on August 18, 2014

I researched and visited several schools in the High Desert before I settled on LEPA. This is an AMAZING school with the best office staff. They genuinely care about all their scholars, and when you drop your child off there is such a positive attitude and vibe when you walk on the campus. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Happy staff = happy teachers = happy students. I also love the fact that they encourage parent volunteering, and also love that they maintain no more than 24-25 scholars per class. My child has grown so much academically and socially. This is a fantastic school!!
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2014

This is an excellent school to put your child or children in. I have had a couple hiccups with a situation and it was handled pretty well by the Director, not only to protect the kids but to protect me as a parent. I was thinking about pulling my child from LEPA because I felt he wasn't being pushed to his potential but the teacher said that as the year goes on things will get tougher academic wise and boy was she right. My son is pretty smart and is able to do the work given to him even though it is at a more advance level. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for a place for your child to be pushed academically. The teachers do care about the kids BUT many of them won't put up with slacking. They are there to help your child learn not to babysit them. It does require parent involvement at home to make sure they stay at the level the school requires. Parents are more then welcomed to Volunteer and the school actually likes it when parents do. I wish more parents would get more involved.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2014

I agree with the previous post. If your kid is not academically up to the accelerated challengeof LEPA, then of course your child will not do well in the mental, and emotional aspects of the curriculum. If your child is challenged, and you just want to put them here because you've heard it is the highest scoring elementary school in the high desert, make sure your child is ready for the work ahead. No easy day here and my daughter loves it like that.
Submitted by parent on January 14, 2014

There are pros and cons to this school. If absorbing information does not come easy to your child then this school is NOT for you! My oldest is very book smart and does extremely well here but my youngest is has a REALLY hard time and is burdened with LOADS of homework. I spend hours a night with my 5 year old on homework. The standards are VERY high and they do not adapt to your child individual needs. They are extremely unforgiving of family emergencies if it effects your child's attendance. The teaching staff and principal seem to more driven by money/funding than the interest of the children. There is ALWAYS pressure to buy something and you are required to pay for a lot more than at most schools. The office staff, however, is WONDERFUL and always willing to lend a helping hand. I have dealt with a total of 5 teachers during my children's attendance here and 2 out of the 5 teachers were exceptional, 2 were ok, one was extremely difficult and not any help at all! She even went as far as discussing politics with my 7 year old and tried convincing to him why WE (his parents) were wrong. This is not a line you cross in my opinion. Very unprofessional and completely out of line.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2013

This school is great my kids came from Victor christian preschool and am a teacher myself and I switched schools 3 times before I was happy. This school is it!
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2013

LePA has come a long way since it opened its doors. Although the saying goes, 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' many do. As a parent who has been with LEpA for many years, I would like to share their history. They began in a business facility for the first four years or so. Then they were able to lease the current property from Hesperia school district. Hesperia built the facility to be a six grade only school. Many want to put down the facility. You need to understand that the staff is making this facility work for them. I think they are doing an amazing job. They have high expectations, and are dedicated to helping each child learn as much as they can. This does result in very educated scholars and the highest test scores in the high desert. Every child is cared for at this school.
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

I pulled my child from this school after two years. The principal is horrible! She is rude and very cold! The children are pushed to get pefect scores on state testing. It's all about the Money..This school is underfunded and have a play area that looks like a prison yard. My child was very depressed after picking her up.
Submitted by parent on July 04, 2013

we love lepa its been a part of our lives for a few years now. i would definetly tell others about this school!