Warner Avenue Elementary School

615 Holmby Avenue

School District

Los Angeles Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for Los Angeles 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 November 08, 2024

If you are purchasing a home in this neighborhood mainly for the schools, know that this is just an average school, academically and socially.
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2024

We bought a house in the neighborhood so that our kids could attend this school. This school is dominated by a very specific demographic and if you don’t identify with that demographic you will always feel like you are on the outside looking in. It doesn’t not feel welcoming or warm and it’s very hard to find a community with the other families if you aren’t already part of the club. The administration also has disappointed us repeatedly. Something is off here and while there are some positive attributes in terms of academics, I wish we had been more discerning before making a big life change and enrolling our child here.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2023

I had very high expectations from Warner but unfortunately was very disappointed. I think the curriculum is standard and about average regarding academics. I think from a social-emotional support experience is where Warner is clearly lacking. While they preach "be kind" it is a very cliquey school where students and their families have known each other for a long time before coming there and unfortunately can be very exclusive to other people who are not part of that clique - including both parents and children but most importantly the children. The school also does not incorporate any enrichment activities such as art and music and those are relegated to the STAR afterschool program or theater programs that are separate from Warner.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2020

In sum, I expected a better school. We bought a house in the district and frankly, were overall disappointed. To be fair, there is a lot of good here. It is a nice, safe campus, mostly great teachers, and great arts, computer, and library offerings, extra teaching assistants, etc., all paid by the PTA. The after-hours program (STAR) is superior. On the other hand, the school (at least in the early grades) is very, very, very focused on drilling kids for their standardized tests. We had a good experience with Kindergarten, but things went south quickly at 1st Grade when insipid "work sheet" homework went through the roof. The 1st Grade teacher we got was NOT a good fit for our child. She relied heavily (very heavily) on drilling and worksheets that our child. Our child struggled with doing the same thing (that he already knew) over and over. Worse, the teacher tended to use humiliation in the classroom as a means of control. It was clear to us that she viewed our child as "a problem" and did not care for him much (a point she did not work too hard to hide).It was also very difficult to get any individualized time with this teacher. When we sensed a problem, we tried to meet with her in to discuss the situation--she afforded us a 10 min. conference before class, at which her tone was dismissive. In hope for a better second grade, we met with the administration to (politely) try to identify a better fit for second grade. The administration was nice, but the message clear: Parents get no input on class placement, and we should expect more of the same. As the administrator politely noted: Warner is a "traditional" school where we should expect lots of workbook-based teaching. And if we wanted something more individualized or personal, we should go to a different school. To be clear, the administration was polite about this. But I was shocked at how indifferent they were. Warner is very much a "teach to the middle" and "teach to the test" school. As they told us, if you want different, go to a different school. We did--we switched schools. And we could not be happier. Totally different experience where the teachers care about the children individually. Our new school sets out dynamic plans to try to figure out what works best with the individual student. And our child is MUCH happier. In sum, I cannot recommend Warner, unless you have an average child that you want to train to take state standardized states 3d grade tests.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2019

Strong school with great leadership. All teachers we've encountered were good, and a few were excellent.
Submitted by parent on June 29, 2019

Great experience with my 2 kids for the past 7 years
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2019

I wished I could find Warner earlier. Although it’s a public school, the standards are like private school ( we were in private elementary school too). Even the after school enrichment programs are great. It has a lot of varieties activities, not just STEM. Unlike what rumor said that it over-emphasized academic work. It has great art/music and dancing program (both school and after school ). I highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2017

Prior to our son entering kindergarten at Warner, we were concerned by the school’s reputation of placing significant emphasis on academics to rather than the holistic development of its students. We decided to enroll our son there regardless and give the school a try and we are so glad we did! Our son was lucky enough to start his Warner education with Mr. Nguyen as his kindergarten teacher. In one short school year, not only have we seen tremendous progress in our son’s reading, writing, and math abilities, but, more importantly, he has grown to be a kind, respectful and considerate young man with a love for learning and a strong sense of community. Having watched how Mr. Nguyen expertly encourages and guides his students to become the best version of themselves, we are not surprised. We would highly recommend Warner and Mr. Nguyen in particular to any parents with kids starting kindergarten.
Submitted by other on October 08, 2016

At first, I was impressed with new principal Kamau, but not anymore. She seems nice to our face at first, but then refuses to discuss important topics and dismisses us rudely. Parents no longer feel welcomed on campus and our opinions don't matter to her. I like Warner and the teachers, but I'm worried about what this new leadership is doing for the Warner community.
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2016

Warner goes above and beyond to give your child the best educational experience. The teachers are dedicated beyond the classroom. The new Principal, Ms. Kamau, and Ms. Chi, Assistant Principal, are bringing their great energy and leadership to lead Warner into the future. I've got three sons attending school here and I feel fortunate to be a member of the Warner Community.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2016

I have two kids at Warner Avenue (currently in 3rd grade and 1st grade) and have only positive feelings towards our school. We have excellent teachers who care about their students and a new Principal this year (2015-2016) who is dedicated, thoughtful and motivated to making Warner the best school in the city! The fundraising efforts by parents result in the ability to pay for TAs and extra teachers to keep class sizes down and to have extra science, art, computer and PE time. I feel lucky to have my kids in such a warm, caring and positive environment.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2015

Warner is an incredible neighborhood public school! We have a wonderful, inspiring new Principal this year (2015-2016) who has reinvigorated our community with her warm and welcoming spirit. Our teachers are dedicated professionals who care a lot about their students. Lastly, the families who attend Warner are very supportive of our school. Parents are very involved in fundraising so that every teacher in grades K-5th has a TA and we also raise funds to pay for a computer teacher, art, science and a full-time PE coach. Warner is a very special school and we feel lucky to send our daughters there!
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2015

We are thrilled to be starting a new year at Warner! There already seems to be a feeling of renewed energy in our community because of the new principal. She is welcoming, eloquent, and seems to have a genuine interest in bettering the lives of our children.
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2015

We went to the open house a few months ago. We have considered Warner for a while since this is our community school. We left feeling less than certain about the attitude of the principal. While we are sure that the children and parents are lovely, we left questioning the administration. Therefore, we no longer feel this school is a good fit for us.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2015

We have two kids at Warner and have proudly been a part of the school for over 4 years. We completely disagree with the prior post in all respects, especially with respect to "tension" amongst groups of parents and students. In our experience, the school is academically excellent and each of the several teachers that our children have had have been exceptional. In addition, we have found Warner to be a nurturing environment for our kids and have found the vast majority of the parents to be friendly and very involved with school activities. Many (if not most) of the parents at Warner can afford to send their children to a private school but choose Warner for a variety of reasons including a diverse student body and friendly atmosphere. If you are looking for a school with a homogeneous student body and snobby parents, Warner is not for you. However, if you are looking for a terrific local school with active parents, exceptional teachers, with great emphasis on academics, then Warner is an easy choice.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2014

Warner ES has declined significantly since the new principal arrived in 2010. She has instituted absurd rules such as "no running", "no imaginary play" and practically tethered the kids to the benches during recess and lunch. The school has essentially become a prison where the kids are required to do a tremendous amount of rote memorization in anticipation of state tests, but virtually no free thinking or creative thought. Even in art classes, the kids are instructed to draw the same thing as the teacher rather than expressing themselves. The children mostly come from high-achieving, affluent backgrounds and, therefore, the parents are usually involved and the kids are motivated to do well. However, the restrictive environment grinds the students down regardless of their achievements. Plus, as with many schools on the west side of LA and Beverly Hills adjacent, there is a virtual culture war between Persian families and non-Persians. The two sides don't mix well - as parents or children - leaving one to feel estranged by the mere act of attending a birthday party. This is a sad review for me to write. Warner used to be fantastic but has now fallen far and hard.
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2013

They have an excellent summer program. Very good crew for various classes, such as magic, cooking, etc. Highly recommended.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2013

Excellent school. My daughter attended K and a half a year of 1st grade. We only took her out of the school because we decided to move. While my daughter is attending another excellent school, it's from comparison. Warner's classroom is clean, orderly and the academics are great. I didn't appreciate Warner as much as I do now because I have something to compare it to.
Submitted by parent on November 24, 2012

What are you parents thinking??? Neither do I donate any money, nor pay the yearly requested funds, due to my own financial difficulty. But, ALL the teachers AND staff AND Principal KNOW AND TREAT ME ROYALLY, and they all treat me with LOVE and RESPECT. There's obviously a misunderstanding between school needing $ and them requiring it from you. Warner is known as well as PRIVATE SCHOOLS, and students are accepted EVERYWHERE! You're crazy to leave, or not enroll.
Submitted by other on November 24, 2012

While looking into this school I was told that in order for my child to attend this so-called public school, we needed to pay the Parent "Organization" $1500. This is appalling. Upper Middle Class white people who prefer not to spend their "hard earned" income on private school collaborating to take advantage of the tax payers public system and collectively discriminate against people of lower socio-economic satus.