Los Alamitos High School

I completely disagree with the positive reviews of this school. I am an alumnus from the late 90's and this school did not prepare me for my university studies at all. I attended a top university and I knew while at Los Al that I was not prepared for the rigors of university study. I read and studied on my own literature that was not offered in the English courses at Los Al to further prepare myself for university. I recall my Senior year being a total waste, majority of the teacher playing videos in class to pass the time, thus my parents had pulled me out of school on those particular days. The level of academics were incredibly weak and the sole focus of the school was football and cheerleaders. The students were extremely clicky and often pushed their religious views on others which I found offensive at a public institution. The teachers and staff were often unprofessional as well.

I transfered to Los Al this year from a high school in Georgia. I did not come to the school with incredibly high expectations but i am severely disappointed with the lack of attention paid to each individual students' needs. At my old school I was in all honors classes on my way to AP courses my junior year (current year) but when I transfered here I missed the AP deadline and I was forced to sign up for all on level classes (Los Al does not offer honors courses). No one would help me get into more challenging courses. What I have noticed from these on level classes is that it is almost impossible to learn anthing because the teachers always have to direct a good portion of their attention on misbehaving students. I feel like I am not being prepared for college but instead learning why not to become a teacher. The curriculum is also very lacking and unchallenging and I am finding that I have learned most of the content we go over... as a freshman or sophormore at my old school. I do not recommend this school if you want your child to have a challenging education (no matter what level they are on) with some of these classes... you can literally do nothing and still get an "A".
—Submitted by a student

This is my first year at LosAl High as a 10th grader, Its definitely a new experience for me, So Far its A great school , teachers seem great, classes are challenging in a good way, its really great in many ways but I really dislike with a passion that its not diverse majority is whites then asians, I grew up in diverse schools, full of whites,hispanics,asians, pacific islanders,blacks,native indians,and other races/cultures, I believe diversity is important in a teenagers life because it helps them learn about different people, to accept others with their differences, and shows them how different but the same everyone truely is, I Honestly feel like I dont fit in at all, I find that other students judge quickly , I dont like how they run out of lunch, how the gym is extremely small, they dont have class sets of books so we have to bring our books to and from school everyday, alot of books and weight, classes have to many students, some dont even have seats
—Submitted by a student

My Son graduated from Los Alamitos in 2010. He did have some speical needs and Los Al was nothing short of amazing. He entered the school his freshman year with a .85 GPA, His Junior and Senior year he was maintaing a 3.0 and better with no problem. He graduated with a 3.5 and earned the Senior Medalion Award for most impoved GPA over the 4 years her was there. He still keeps in contact with some of his teachers. He's moved on to Cerritos College and is doing well. This is the best school around! I'm now putting my oldest Step-Son though Los Al and I know he'll have the same great experience!
—Submitted by a parent

I'm on my second child at LAHS and have to say it's a very fine public HS. It is big and lacks some facilities (track, old gym, tiny tots sized pool) but who cares when the counselors, teachers, coaches are easily accessible and care. There are a lot of clubs, sports, activities for a teen to get involved in if they want to. It is very competitive, so your kid has to keep up in most classes (2-3 hours daily homework) but there are no racial issues, gangstas, beat downs, etc. Of course if you call diversity White and Asian then this is up your ally, because unfortunately the only blacks there seem to be athletes. Mostly its been a very good experiece for both my kids.
—Submitted by Tom, a parent

Los Al is a great school! My son will be a senior next year and his high school experience has been great. He has many friends and says he will miss this school after graduation. The teachers have been wonderful and my son's counselor has been fabulous with helping him prepare for college. We have been very pleased with the elementary and middle school in the district as well.
—Submitted by a parent

Los Alamitos High School is an amazing school. It surpasses in pretty much all aspects and has talented students. I had to move to another part of California and so could not graduate from Los Al, and it definitely does not compare to Los Al. Appreciate the ethnic diversity, academically, musically, and athletically gifted students, and wonderful teachers because you don't find many schools that offer this anywhere else. As for the people who state that they did not feel very welcomed when they moved into the area, I must say from personal experience that every school is like that, and Los Al would be the least to do so. Once a Griffin, always a Griffin.
—Submitted by a student

This is a large high school that was designed for a maximum of about 2,600 to 2,800. Currently it is over 3,500 and that creates problems such as large class sizes, and smaller percentage of the student body can make a sports team, or cheer etc. The school started taking out of school district students to get more federal money but it has not been able to add teachers or classrooms. Students need to be involved in a sport or activity or they can end up feeling like a number. There is a drug problem with drugs being sold on campus but the school is aware of it and doing what it can but the parental support/involvment varies. Some parents are merely defensive about this. There are of course good students and parents but like any large school there are some you probably don't want your child hanging around.
—Submitted by a parent

I find the constant criticism of 'cliques' beyond annoying. My child moves from several 'cliques', if you will, daily from his friends in sports, to friends in Jazz Band and other musical groups, to those involved in ASB and Honors/AP programs and beyond. You get back what you put into it. If you chose to label yourself and others and not make the effort to become involved its easy to blame others and not look at the non-participant. When we experienced issues with a teacher, the counsel stepped in and helped when all avenues were exhausted - without any finger pointing. Open yourself up and you receive a wonderful experience - stayed closed off and negative and you reap what you sow.
—Submitted by a parent

After a very positive experience with the elementary and middle schools in Los Al, I am very disappointed with my child's experince in high school. There are several teachers overseeing important core curriculum classes that simply need to retire. Too old to effectively interface with today's youth and not motivated to do more than the minimum. Like most Los Angeles Unified High Schools the focus is on students that are getting D's and F's and not on maximizing the potential of each child. Los Al High is an example of the why private schools have a reason for existence- to make each child fulfill their true potential opposed to passing as many students as possible. Boo Los Al!
—Submitted by a parent

i graduated from Los Al in 2007. academically it is ranked on e of the top 10 high schools in the county, which is very good considerigng we also have the most students. many reviews have stated they lack in the underachieving student. i disagree becasue i was one. the only reason why i graduated was because the counselors speak with you if you are struggling and they gave me the little push i needed to graduate. There are all sorts of Cliqs but it is pretty much black and white. you are either in the 'in' croud or not. but everyone finds their nich. like other OC scools, there are a good amount of wealthy kids coming from Rossmoor and Seal Beach. but with Wealthy areas are also some Drug issues. it's not a concern for most students though. for a public school, it's pretty good...
—Submitted by a student

I am a former student and although it is a wonderful school academically and DOES have the incredible cheerleading and football programs, it is a difficult place to go. The students were not very open to people who moved into the area and didn't grow up there. I found it very difficult to make friends. However, it does offer far superior academics to other schools in the immediate area. Just think twice about whether or not your child will be able to survive in the social-elite atmosphere of Los Al.

great school,fantasticteachers,my observation of Los Al High is that it is one of the best schools in the oc schools district.My children talk highly about how hard the teachers have to work due to the amount of students per classroom. Great sports program there.But the dress code needs to be enforced,the girls tops are pretty revealing and shorts are getting shorter. I enjoy the entire staff, they are outstanding!
—Submitted by a parent

i love its ethnically diversity and welcoming of sexual orientation
—Submitted by a parent

As an incoming senior to los al I have to say that it is an extremely great school. There are a ton of clubs from gay/straight alliance to STUD club. And if you like sports there are quite a few to choose from like: basketball,football,soccer,waterpolo,cheer/song,dance team,diving,swim, baseball,softball, and many more. If your child is into academics we have AP classes or if your child is struggling there are classes for them too. Like all schools there are some cliques,but its more just like finding out where you belong. Los Al is an extremely talented,hardworking school and i am proud to be a griffin.
—Submitted by a student

Great school. Great teachers. I was one of the lucky students to transfer to this school, mid-term, and absolutely enjoyed every part of my experience. The surrounding area is fairly affluent, and since this is the only high school in the Los Alamitos district, we get all the financial advantages.
—Submitted by a student

The school needs to reduce the amount of students significantly. This is from my own observation while on campus on any given day (2007-2008). Per an article in the paper, there are currently over 3,300 students, which is the highest rate for high schools in Orange County. By reducing that number of students, I believe there will be a better ratio of students per teacher, it could help greatly with overcrowding. Isn t that what all parents want; a place for their kids to stretch themselves, not only in mind but in body as well? Due to this reason, among others, my kids no longer want to attend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have a son who graduated from Los Al in 2007 and a daughter that is a Junior this year. They have both been in the Los Alamitos School since kindergarten. They were originally Inter-district Transfers until we moved into the district in 2001. I agree with the majority of the reviews that say that the strength of Los Alamitos High School is that it is highly ranked in both academics and athletics. This allows most students to find their niche although I can imagine that it would be intimidating for a newcomer to the district although I believe that the school does offer a variety of opportunities for involvement that you would be hard pressed to find at other local schools. Additionally you will find that this is a school and community that prides itself on graduating students prepared for continuing education. I believe over 90% of the graduating class from last year went on to some sort of continuing education. The reasons I would not give this school a 5 star is that the facilities are in great disrepair. The school district has done an extremely poor job of budgeting for capital improvements and it shows in the shabby over all condition of the school, fields and gym. Lastly, although Los Alamitos High School does not suffer the gang problems it does have the drug issues found at most big schools and it can at times seem worse as a lot of the student population comes from the affluent communities of Seal Beach, Rossmoor and to a lesser extent Los Alamitos. A lot of these kids have the time and resources to get involved in this culture. Although it is not prevalent it is something to be aware of.
—Submitted by a parent

Being that I graduated just last year, I have to say that Los Al was the greatest experience of my life, granted I am 18. The teachers, for the most part, are amazing. In 4 years I never had a bad one and each add their own flair that they add to learning atmosphere. Sports are amazing. Football, Volleyball, Swim and Basketball dominate the school and make for a great environment, for players and fans alike . I was an inter-district transfer from Long Beach and I never had a hard time. Everyone on campus was friendly. Los Al is a great school both academically and athletically. I started on the football team and graduated with honors. It's amazing. Go Griffins.
—Submitted by a student

My son graduated from Los Alamitos High School in 2005. He has told me that he had a great overall experience at the school, and the teachers were amazing. Almost all of his teachers had plenty of experience in their area of expertise and taught well. The school really does things right.
—Submitted by a parent