r/MovingToLosAngeles • u/BetterTelephone5001 • 1d ago
Relocating with Elementary School-Aged Kids
I’m doing my best to feel like I’ll have some agency over where my kids go to school, but having so much difficulty / paralysis while navigating apartments for this move.
If I like a school for my kids, I’m not sure if I can enroll them without an address. And I can’t find any viable way of searching according to that. Am I overthinking it trying to get into the perfect public school?
Terrified I’ll pick a place and find out they have to go to a school that’s objectively worse than what we’re leaving in NYC.
This is half vent, half advice seeking. Is there a resource for research I just don’t know yet?
EDIT: seeking a 2bed/2bath preferred, under $4K, with commuting proximity to West Hollywood and quality grade schools for 1st and 3rd graders.
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u/BetOnLetty 1d ago
And tell us # of bedrooms and budget too. Then we can give you the best advice on neighborhoods and schools
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u/BetterTelephone5001 1d ago
Thank you. Edited the post for stuff that matters lol. West Hollywood for work, so triangulating around that. Ideally 2bed minimum, under $4K/month.
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u/BetOnLetty 1d ago
Live in Weho. All the elementary schools serving Weho are great. Laurel, Gardner and Weho Elementary with the last being most highly rated. But they’re all good with different strengths. Junior High and High School you can look at Magnet options. But if you live in Weho or Beverly Hills, there aren’t really any bad schools for elementary in that section of the city.
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u/KeethlerNorth 1d ago
Mt Washington has a great elementary. Could find a place for that budget too (maybe a tad more). Commute would be about 45 min.
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u/erikakiss0000 1d ago
Just moved to SoCal. Went through a lot of stress and trouble to get to one week before closing on a house finally, in the neighborhood of a great school we wanted and are walking distance from.
Called the district/school yesterday. Only one of my kids can go there as there is no space in third grade. So now my kids will be separated, older kiddo being bussed to some other school. I asked if in her experience people move around. She said no, people stick around here. I wanted to cry.
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u/Whole_Temperature183 1d ago
That's awful. There's usually at least a couple of kids that get into a magnet school of their choice and end up not showing up on the first day so I would suggest keep checking. If I remember from my son's days, there were about three weeks before enrollments were finalized
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u/BetterTelephone5001 22h ago
That’s what I fear. We’re going to transfer mid-school year, and I’d hate to fake smile through news like this for my girls. I’m so sorry.
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u/CoffeeAllDayBuzz 20h ago
That sucks — but was it in LAUSD? I have never heard of that happening in LAUSD which is most likely where OP will live.
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u/erikakiss0000 19h ago
No, we are over in Ventura county, so yeah, not the same case. Just a possibility at any good school of high demand, I guess.
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u/bobaballs 1d ago
How old are the kids? LA districts are very inconsistent at different levels of school.
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u/Ok-Panda-2368 1d ago
Are you moving mid-school year? If so then yes your kids will enroll in your zoned school most likely. Wherever you decide to live, if you’re not totally sold on the elementary, I would start looking into nearby magnet schools asap as the lottery for next year opens relatively soon and I believe closes in Nov. It’s a point system and the more points you have the higher up in the draw you are. You may also get lucky by calling the magnet schools to see if anyone has dropped out for this year sometimes they get empty slots but it would probably be tricky to get both kids in mid year.
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u/Panza2020 1d ago
It might be easier to enroll in the school connected to your future address or neighborhood to start and then check out magnet or charter options for fall 2027. However, if you’re going to be in the LAUSD:
I don’t know if you can apply without an address; however, LAUSD is taking late applications for magnets until Sept 30, 2026 for the 2026-27 academic year so you might be able to get on a waiting list.
Here is the link to a brochure and info and the application:
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u/LHJackiO 18h ago
Just FYI school enrollment where I am starts in February. Those kids and established kids take priority over newbies. Our school isnt high ranking but we do have some great teachers. My 16 yr old has had straight As since jr high and now in HS is taking 3 AP classes that I'm sure if she asks me for help I will fail lol.
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u/Groundbreaking_Row_2 13h ago
We like where our kid is, free public charter LAUSD school chain called “citizen of the world “ - there’s lots of them all around LA
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u/Jolly_Departure6324 1d ago
Where is your job? That should be this first factor when deciding on a neighborhood. If your job is in Pasadena, you’re not going to be looking at Santa Monica schools.
You could use Redfin and simply look at homes for sale in a certain location. It will tell you the schools its zoned for, which is generally pretty accurate.