La Canada High School

4463 Oak Grove Dr.

School District

La Canada Unified
Grade

7-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:24
Type

public

School Map for La Canada 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 28, 2024

Let’s just be clear. The reason the school is rated so well is because the parents are very wealthy. Many are extremely wealthy. And colleges LOVE full pay wealthy parents. They prefer them! So when they see LCHS on the collleg app they get excited. The other reason why La Cañada high school students get into selective schools is because their parents wealth allows them to enjoy the perks of expensive tutoring, SAT prep, expensive college consulting, and highly educated and involved parents, who are helicoptering all of their kids curriculum can pay for very very expensive sports and extracurriculars. I can’t tell you the number of high school kids who had studies published in medical journals before applying to college. Of course all orchestrated by mom and dad. Many stay at homeMoms here make it their full time job to get their kids into the right college. Literally! Their rigorous high school curriculum is planned in elementary school. These wealthy kids have huge advantages over most of America from the day they are born. But there is nothing unique or special about the school or its teachers or administration. Or the kids. It’s average at best. I would know I put three kids through here .
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2023

The school is in a nice neighborhood and very safe. People are friendly. There are many bright kids in every class, so it's a school for kids want to be challenged. Education is solid 5. But I was not happy about the students lost work-life balance and were forced to do homework after midnight. It was because some teachers gave way too much homework and didn't care if the students couldn't go to bed until 2am. My son managed to have some sleep at night and tried to get the best grades. He never had a tutor or received any help outside of classrooms. He studied alone and survived. When he received his first SAT score which was 97% higher than other students, I knew the teachers had made a huge difference on preparing students. The education is solid and my son is ready for college. FINALLY!
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2021

This could be a really awesome school, except for the utter weakness of the administration, in particular, the Principal. My daughter is in 7th, and has to put up with a completely out of control boy who demands attention non-stop. He broke a chair today catapulting another friend, in class. He jumped on another boy's chrome book when he lost to him in a computer game. He made siren noises to disrupt the class during a test. He drew pictures on the wall, right to the teacher, who pretended not to notice. That was just today and _every_single_day is like this. The teachers used to send him to the principal, but he does nothing. The Principal just looks away and the teachers have all given up. The kids who want to try to learn, basically can't because the disruption is non-stop. After hurting several students and breaking a lot of school equipment, the school clearly has enough to expel him, but won't. It's maddening. And Sad.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2021

Mix bags, I have put 4 kids through this school, i will say this is a affluent neighborhood with that comes lots of drugs and alcohol. Then again what school district doesn't have it? Over all family neighborhood, parent mostly are very involved with their kids. You wont find a neighbor who is involved in drugs dealing nor domestic abuse mostly due to the fact that 66% of the demographics are attorneys or doctors. The school generally encourages over achievers and does have a good sports program. One draw back heavy influence with the Mormon community there, so you will find the coaches often like to play the kids from their local church. Long of the short its a good school for being public and i would not want to send my kids to any other public school in California. Its not perfect but far better than any other public school available in LA.
Submitted by student on May 03, 2021

Challenging academics, engaged teachers, and great peers. I've gone to LCHS for 4 years and have loved it! Coaches and teachers genuinely care about their students and want you to succeed. Most students take their classes seriously which makes the class environment super productive and engaging. The theatre department is amazing;)
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2021

The school is completely over-rated. I put three kids through the school and I never felt they were getting any kind of exceptional instruction. I, as did many other parents, had to hire tutors to get them through the semester. Although there are some good teachers there, too many of them are lazy and just want to get trough the day. Good grades are sometimes handed out like candy...my kid took 4 YEARS of German...she got A's every semester...however, she could hardly speak it when she graduated. The "Dirty Little Secret" of the La Canada School District is that they feel responsibility to give out great grades to average students, so that the school continually looks good, and thusly keep property values high!
Submitted by student on January 27, 2021

I'll start off with the bullying: There is none. I've been at the school for 4 years now, and have never been bullied nor know anyone who has been bullied. Everyone is nice and helpful to each other, though in some very rare cases a small fight between two students may happen across the street in Hahamonga Park (So rare, it only happened once.) The homework is a bit much but with some encouragement from parents, it's not all that bad. The teachers are extraordinary at explaining the class material and subjects and are always willing to help a student in need. But the school is not all work. Sometimes there are student assemblies, which are more like shows than boring talks, especially in the high school years. Middle school assemblies are a bit more boring, though can occasionally have some spazz.) These assemblies are student-made. My favorite part about them is before they even start: You're sitting in class, knowing you have an assembly today, and all of a sudden the school bell rings. The school's drumline begins marching through the school with some very talented percussionists. The drummers march to the Hotchkin Family Gymnasium (aka the north gym), along with an army of other students walking towards it too. It's quite a thrill. Once inside the gym, the lights go out, and on some massive projector screens play a student-made short film that is like the opening act to the show. La Canada High School also offers a plethora of sports teams and clubs, most of which are run by the community or students. As a student with ADD (ADHD Innatentive), staying focused has been a bit difficult. Luckily, the teachers are nice and give me extra time to complete assignments or tests. Now onto the food! (Sorry for switching subject so much, there is just so much to talk about.) The cafeteria offers a variety of food, usually with different menus each day. There's also a wide variety of drinks and snacks. One of the most popular places to get food, especially during breaks, is at the Cafe. They serve awesome food like ice cream, smoothies, freshly baked treats, yogurt parfaits, salads, sandwiches, and many many more.Oh, the fun. The only thing I would complain about is the very small amount of field trips. They only happen about once a year, but when we do them they are so much fun. I've heard that at the end of 12th grade we go on a big field trip to special places and have very fancy prom. Last year they went to Disneyland and stayed after hours! School=Fun
Submitted by other on October 20, 2020

I attended La Canada High School from the early to mid ‘80’s (class of ‘85). It was an awesome experience, and the standards regarding achieving academic excellence were high. Was a fun environment too. I feel very fortunate to have attended this high school and to have grown up in La Canada.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2020

My two kids -- who are very different from each other -- went through La Canada schools from kindergarten through high school graduation. Over the years we met many of their classmates and socialized with many families of LCUSD students. My take: La Canada schools and the students' parents produce amazing young men and women who are well prepared to succeed in college and beyond.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2020

One of the best school districts in the state for a good reason. Do NOT move to La Canada based off of some reviews on a website. Do your research and find out if it's the best fit. La Canada USD's educational experience is tough but every single graduate can go right into college without any issues. The high school WILL prepare your student for college, do not doubt that. I was more than a little frustrated about how this school system pushes college so hard. We are a family big on trade schools and the question that kids get asked when at LCHS (and even the elementary schools), is "where are you going to college?"...not "if" they're going to college. Overview: very academically-inclined schooling that will put your child on the right path.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2019

In retrospect, we should have never come to La Canada ... waste of time. The LCUSD cares only about keeping the teachers union happy, and almost pretends that the parents of the community are an afterthought: What a unique experience it would be if the LCUSD actually cared about the quality of teaching. Truly, for anyone reading this-- there is no reason to move to La Canada and pay the extremely high prices to live here. Students test well here for one reason: Tutors, tutors and more tutors. The LCUSD endlessly harrasses you for money .. And the counseling staff ... Terrible, especially at the high school level. One thing the LCUSD attempts to hide is that the highest percentage of students are going to be attending Pasadena City College when they graduate: Not the Ivies, not even the UC's .. and the LCUSD does everything to hide this. Keep in mind the math tracks, especially the LC math pathways, are awful. So do not waste your money to move here .. there are better school districts with more options and an administration and Governing Board that care only about keeping the teacher's union happy.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2018

We love this school so far and would recommend it to friends. I transferred my son from a very competitive private school to LCH and we are both happy with the new school. The 7th grade teachers are caring and effective. The counselor is very nice too. The education is as good as the private school, if not better. Glad we can stay away from private schools and I save a lot of money.
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2018

I'm happy but I was surprised to hear that not one kid is going to Harvard, Princeton, Yale nor Stanford this year. Considering the price of homes and the 10 rankings, you would think that at least one kid would matriculate into one of the aforementioned schools. This is very disappointing.
Submitted by parent on March 27, 2018

Great middle and high school! But behind in developing students with modern technology.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2018

I moved to La Canada so my daughter could attend. I couldn't be happier here. The superintendent and the principals are quick to react to any issues and prevent them when they can. Great school. Have no idea why it's average review is 3 stars. It's a 5 plus in my book!
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2016

Ranked #2 in Southern California open enrollment high schools by U.S. News and World Report in 2016. The high school is located in a safe area. The city itself is semi-rural, with relatively few sidewalks and street lights. Most of the people who live here are college educated and successful but are not pretentious. They live in La Canada primarily for the schools and actively participate in their kids' schooling, sports and activities. They expect their children to get very good grades, gain admission to top universities and be successful. The school district prides itself with its high test scores. The teachers respond by assigning hours of homework and many of them offer help after school hours. Graduates do get into top universities. La Canada is a terrific place to send your children to the public schools if you are willing to focus much of your family life on your kids' education, including making sure they do their homework, study for tests and ask for help when they need it.
Submitted by other on June 05, 2015

Agreed that many of the teachers and administrators don't care much at LCHS, but the elementary schools cannot be beat. LCHS takes a little extra effort to navigate the caring teachers from those who don't, but there are many caring teachers and the principal is excellent and responsive. Compared with our last school district this is a home run.
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2014

This is an excellent school district. We purchased a home here in order to send our children through elementary and high school here. Although we paid more for the homes we lived in here than we might have in other neighborhoods, it was definitely a good investment. We saved money as it would have been far more expensive to send our children to private schools. I also believed the experience was far better to have our children attend a local excellent public school than private schools. Their extra-curricular activities, both school related and other activities such as scouts and lessons were all conveniently located. My three children all went to this school. My children have different personalities, strengths, challenges, and interests so their experiences at this school naturally differed. In our experience the schools meet the needs of different kinds of children. I rank the teachers, staff, students, other parents and other resources in the community all 5 stars.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2014

I totally agree with some of the parents who say that the district/administration are too much into the collecting money aspect from the parents of the students. It feels like a private school but with the public (too many student to teacher ratio) school feel. I feel they think everyone who attends have rich parents but that is not true. Not all students are hardworking, only have parents who pay for expensive tutoring. We moved and put our children in another school and they are thriving on their own with teachers who don't just want money donations every time they see us. Regarding teachers...some are excellent like my son's social science and band teacher and some don't care at all. Some think of only the caching like his golf teacher. Some staff in office are really rude and a few are very friendly.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2014

We just moved to Tujunga last August 2013 just to be able to enroll my child to La Canada High. My wife has been working as an RDA for almost 8 years for a very nice Ortho dentist off Foothill Blvd. In La Canada. Though we never realized that LCHS only accepts La Canada residents first and waitlisting for La Canada area working family. We are waiting if ever my child will be accepted at LCHS. We heard mostly good reviews and some bad and scary reviews about LCHS. Let's see if LCHS stand to be what it is purported to be.