2023 Best Charter Elementary Schools in the Los Angeles Area

• Granada Hills, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  1,476 reviews

Freshman: Granada Hills Charter has been a rather pleasant experience. I feel very safe, and the school culture is very friendly. Some teachers are pretty alright, but some aren't good at teaching or too strict. There's a lot of different clubs that you can join, and the school sports teams are really good. The school food is probably one of the best, and the school programs are quality as well. The CP and Honors classes aren't difficult, and there's a broad selection of AP classes! There's a lot of webinars and parental involvement in this school. There's a lot of bathrooms since it's such a big campus, but most of them are closed due to vaping.... Read 1,476 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 5,462

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  91 reviews

Parent: Our child has been at Larchmont since kinder and has thrived. He went to the elementary Fairfax campus, a smaller campus with spacious classrooms, and he has loved the bigger Selma campus too. The leadership works hard to create an accessible and friendly atmosphere for the students and parents so there is a strong sense of community. The admin is collaborative and value parent input. The teachers are nurturing and attentive and know when to give students more help or more of a challenge. There are many enrichment classes (art, music, gardening, sports teams, band), a social-emotional curriculum and clubs. Most kids eat the (optional) lunch prepared in the Fairfax kitchen and is SO good. At Selma, our child has delved deeper into academics and developed new interests like government and digital media in clubs. We have seen his intellectual curiosity and independence grow and we look forward to the La Fayette Campus!... Read 91 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,581

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Lake Forest, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 4.7 out of 5  20 reviews

Parent: Since we began school in the middle of a pandemic, the staff and administration have been super communicative helpful and supportive! They are organized, and when something is not working, they make adjustments. It is a learning curve for everyone, and they have been great.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 646

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Mission Viejo, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  18 reviews

Parent: I had two boys attend school at OPA-SOC and I wholeheartedly recommend this school! The educational philosophy they adhere to, Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, is top notch. My boys were exposed to and developed strengths in multiple learning and teaching methods, which has sent them off to their next schools extremely well prepared. They were challenged academically and supported emotionally by their teachers, the support staff, and their peers. I am grateful for the time my boys got to spend at OPA-SOC and I feel that they are better from having been there.... Read 18 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 827

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  40 reviews

Junior: What I enjoy most is the fact that no boundaries are put between subjects or students. All students can explore the same subject and yet still learn something. They have done an excellent job at involving the arts in our academics, and it has made me understand certain topics more than I used to. What I would change would primarily be how we are prepared for college. The school does fulfill a lot of requirements for us, however we can't add much for extracurriculars, and resources are pretty rare.... Read 40 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 526

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.74 out of 5  42 reviews

Parent: We have found this to be a truly wonderful school with outstanding teachers, devoted administrators and a diverse community. We love the project based learning and critical thinking skills that our son is gaining through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program provided at the school. We also really value the opportunity that he has to learn TWO new languages, through German immersion and then Spanish beginning in third grade. Moreover, the school community really is international and very diverse. We love how different cultures and traditions are highlighted throughout the curriculum and school activities. Additionally, we have been really thrilled by the individualized attention that our son receives. The teachers and staff all really take the time to get to know individual students and their families, and are there to provide support and encouragement to all of us!... Read 42 reviews

• grade A

• Students 391

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Thousand Oaks, CA•

• Public School•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  8 reviews

Parent: I find it disheartening to see a one star review for MATES on this site. As the 1 star review parent notes, MATES is a Charter School run independently from the District. As such, the Administration and Staff wear many hats and collaborate with many parties to maintain and efficient, compliant and productive school environment in concert with the governing Board of Directors. Decisions are driven by the Charter, LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) set by the State of CA, the multi-year Education Technology Plan and many other benchmarks. The MATES mission statement is: Instituting a vision that welcomes innovation, honors the past, transforms the future, commands achievement, and empowers all children through the Arts and Technology. I'd encourage any prospective family to visit the campus, speak with a teacher, look to school performance and decide for yourself if MATES is for you. Our family experience has been outstanding and I'm confident yours would be too.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A

• Students 409

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Temecula, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: We had a great Kinder teacher who cared about her students and was exceptional in creating a learning environment that always grasped the children's attention. If you as a parent support the learning at home your child can soar. They have a dedicated French and Spanish teacher and the program flows very well. Is it an immersion program, no, but my daughter is still speaking the French she did learn and it's summer. Parent communication is great. I am very impressed by their weekly emails and monthly news letters!! Their goal is to purchase their own property for the school within the next few years as well. And they let go teachers who are not up to par. Versus full public institutions where they have to keep the bad teachers. I support this school whole heartily and make two 40 minute round trips a day, for pick up and drop off for my daughter to attend. Long story short, you get out of the school what you as a parent are willing to put in and trust.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 270

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-4

• grade A

• Students 430

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Huntington Beach, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade A

• Students 278

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.6 out of 5  10 reviews

Parent: WISH Charter has the most amazing teachers and admin, my children have both thrived here! My oldest has attended from kindergarten through 8th grade, and my younger is currently in 5th grade and we couldn't be happier. The parent involvement has developed such a strong community, with a whole-scholar approach to learning including academics, sports, social emotional development, garden, library, technology and more!... Read 10 reviews

• grade A

• Students 772

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• West Covina, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.78 out of 5  9 reviews

Freshman: I used to be a student here, my journey was pretty long struggled at first in my academics but since the teachers here are welcoming they guided me to where I’m standing now. Being able to teach what my math teacher taught me to another student in my high school class. This school also has a great special Ed department they guided many kids along the way kind of how the teachers did for me.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,251

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Yucaipa, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: I love this school! My kids (3rd and 5th grade) have been fortunate enough to attend this school since TK. I had to do their independent study program to get them enrolled and it was so worth it! The school works hard to instill leadership qualities in the kids and my kids have thrived there. I Can only hope they are able to get the high school approved before my kids finish here because I cannot imagine sending them to a regular public school.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 985

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Altadena, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: So many schools talk about diversity and inclusion, but when you leave out the neurodiverse population, you can't claim to practice these values. Odyssey models inclusivity, support, diversity, and compassion. It's a progressive top-rated school that is of private school quality, with public school accessibility for all. So impressed with this school, it's beautiful garden, vast play, areas, top teachers, and tireless staff.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 471

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-7

• •
  Rating 4.71 out of 5  14 reviews

Parent: My oldest transferred here in 3rd grade right before the pandemic hit - we left UCLA Lab School and have really loved the teachers, staff and leadership of the school. The SEL curriculum and Cool Tools reminds me a lot of UCLA Lab's approach -but without the tuition. Last year my other son started kindergarten. He's young for his grade so we decided to repeat kinder and got full support of the faculty and staff to do this - they really listened to us and allowed us to lead what we knew was best for our child. The Faculty is also very diverse which was important to us - we were looking for a school with strong BIPOC leadership and CWC is exactly that - amazing folks for my kids to look up to and aspire to be like - that look like them. One thing I wish there were more of, is the arts - but we are working on it - it's a community with so much room to create and imagine a future. We are so happy we found CWC and aren't going anywhere!... Read 14 reviews

• grade A

• Students 606

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Menifee, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.09 out of 5  139 reviews

Works Here: Santa Rosa Academy is a wonderful school for students. The nature of the school is embedded in personalizing education to the individual student needs. Academics and character education are taught daily, side-by-side, integrated and equally emphasized. SRA also celebrates and fosters reverence for patriotism and honoring those who serve to protect us in our communities and abroad. SRA launched its participation in the NSLP and has high quality, healthy, and tasty meals for students. The school leadership is second to none, just like its fantastic support staff and excellent teachers. Students are actively engaged in extracurriculars through clubs, activities, student leadership, and championship athletics. SRA was just acknowledged by the CCSA for besting 86% of all schools in California for excellence in student outcomes amongst students representing the Latinx demographic. The small class sizes, high quality, rigorous curriculum, and caring staff make a difference for students!... Read 139 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,686

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-4

• •
  Rating 2 out of 5  3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 572

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Ventura, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Alum: My experience at VCS was outstanding. I went there from 7th to 8th grade and it was one of my best schooling I've gotten. The teachers are amazing and the people too. Everyone is always helpful and they actually care about you. When going to school, I felt like VCS was another home for me.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 432

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Chatsworth, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: My children have been at OCS for 7 years now and we could not feel luckier to have won the lottery for them to be there. It is truly a special place with a community feel. We love the small class sizes, incredible teachers and administration, and whole child philosophy. They utilize Responsive Classroom and it gives a cohesive approach to classroom management and building relationships. My children have been challenged to take ownership of their learning and are motivated to always do more. They love school and are sad to ever miss it. Throughout covid they have been thoughtful about their approach and have worked hard to make sure to meet the needs of the children and families in the best way possible.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 429

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Laguna Niguel, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: There is no other opportunity like this. This school was designed to provide a unique learning experience and continues to evolve to improve. The projects improve year after year. The administration cares about the entire community, providing support to parents, growing teachers, and always pursuing projects and opportunities for our students. The teachers are smart and energetic. We can see the focus on 21st century skills in our kids' speaking skills and their focus to investigate, ask questions, and try to understand the opposite perspective before making judgments or becoming entrenched in their position.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 756

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Winchester, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.38 out of 5  113 reviews

Freshman: What I like about Temecula Preparatory is the fact that it encompasses the variety of educational aspirations that I hold. It allows me to grow in my passions in community service, leadership, and to be able to grow in communication and education. Having one of the few opportunities to be learning Latin, Spanish, and also apart of NJHS, is very special. What I would like to change about Temecula Preparatory is to have more clubs, different options for electives (home ec, marine biology), and other interesting and educational classes and clubs would be very fun and exciting.... Read 113 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,088

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• North Hills, CA•

• Public School•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: We were so fortunate to get into VCES several years ago. Our first year we were spoiled with an amazing Kindergarten teacher who really went above and beyond. Since then, we are more and more impressed each year with the teachers. Even through changing administrators of the past year the school is as strong as ever.... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 276

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-4

• grade A minus

• Students 578

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Inglewood, CA•

• Public School•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 400

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Castaic, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.12 out of 5  26 reviews

Alum: SCVi became a second home to me! From faculty to students, SCVi is a small community that truly helped me out in trying to figure out my future. I am forever grateful for the experience I had at this school.... Read 26 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 934

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1