Palos Verdes Source

Palos Verdes Peninsula School District students had an average API (Academic Performance Index) score of 904 which is 5 points higher than last year.   Scores range from 200 to 1000.  Cornerstone Elementary School scored 977 which was the highest mark of any school in Los Angeles County (and 12 points higher than last year). 

Peninsula High School scored an 879 (8 points higher than last year).   Palos Verdes High School scored 853 (3 points higher).  Intermediate Schools scores were 947 for Palos Verdes, 899 for Miraleste and 936 for Ridgecrest (gains of 19, 15 and 7 points respectively).   Scores for the elementary schools are currently reported in the PV News (click here for link).

Walker Williams, Superintendent of Palos Verdes Unified School District, spoke this morning at our Remax meeting.  Our schools are one of the reasons that Palos Verdes real estate is so desirable.   Here are some interesting facts from his presentation:

• There are approximately 12,000 students in our district (30 less than last year)
• 80% of our funding comes from the State which is why the State budget situation will impact us.  The school district budget is balanced for the next school year. 
• Early indications are that our students performed well in recent state testing and “a little better than last year”
• 99% of our high school graduates go on to college - 80% to a 4-year college and 19% to a 2-year college
• U.S. News & World Report named both Palos Verdes High School and Peninsula High School in the “Top 100 High Schools in the Nation”
• A new language program (Chinese or Spanish) will be introduced at the K-5 levels this Fall which is paid for by the Education Foundation
• Palos Verdes High School will get a new pool, track and field and currently has 1800-1900 students on the block system
• Peninsula High School will get a new Practice Gymnasium and currently has 2400 students
• Malaga Cove School (photo above) will get a $8.5 million construction/modernization and will eventually house the District Offices
• Valmonte School (with no district offices) will probably be reopened as a K-5 elementary school or a Preschool through Kindergarten facility
• Currently Valmonte and Miraleste Elementary Schools house a paid Preschool program which brings income to the district
• Kindergarten programs district wide will be full day programs with 20 to 1 student/teacher ratio

Palos Verdes students have exceeded the prior years API scores as reported by the State of Calilfornia Department of Education. The new 2007-2008 Accountability Progress Report is available and shows the Palos Verdes Unified School District with a score of 899 with 9,127 studests included.  The score for 2006 was 897.  Great schools help maintain property values for Palos Verdes real estate.

The above site is easy site to navigate to check your student’s individual school.  For example, I checked the Palos Verdes Intermediate School scores which was 928 with 943 students tested and a statewide rank of 10.  You can even go back and check the scores from prior years.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District website has now posted the new school calendar for the 2008-2009 school year - go to District, then Calendar.

Malaga Cove School shown in photo.