Orange County is one of the most popular areas in California. It attracts millions of tourists every year from across the country and the world.
Most people visit Disneyland and other theme parks, others to enjoy the beautiful scenery, forty miles of amazing beaches for swimming and surfing, and great dining.
What a lot of people do not know is that the city is not just sand, sea, and celebrities, but has a fantastic education system with some of the best school districts in the state.
Orange County serves close to half a million students each year through just over 600 public and private schools.
Even though most California school systems suffer due to lack of funding or untrained teachers, this has not impacted Orange County, which continues to flourish every year.
If you’re considering moving to California or from another section of the state to Orange County, here’s a guide to schools in that city that will give you in-depth details on the various school districts and their offerings.
Orange County Public Schools
From kindergarten to high school, the Orange County School Districts serve its students efficiently with over 60 institutions. Those include 35 charter schools.
Many of the public schools are mergers, stemming from the board of education revamping the school system.
The types of public schools available are special education schools, juvenile court schools, county community, opportunity schools, alternative schools of choice, and traditional schools.
There are many accredited colleges and universities with campuses in orange county. Some of the top colleges in the city are Western State University College of Law, Chapman University, California State University, Fullerton, Anaheim University, and Brandman University.
Most Orange County schools fall within the top ten percent of schools in the state, with the highest rated schools in the city being Ethan be Allan Elementary school, Oxford Academy comma, and Jack Weaver Elementary school.
The top-ranking determination is made by a combination of the math and reading test scores.
The Area’s 4 School Districts
Orange County schools fall into four distinct categories; Community College, Unified School, Union High School, and Elementary School Districts.
Under each category, respectively, there are four, twelve, three, and thirteen districts. The Irvine Unified School District is viewed as the leading in Orange County. It’s not just the best in the Unified District but also in the country and state ratings.
The district performs above average in college prep and academics and is known for having excellent teachers.
The school districts in Orange County have the highest number of high-ranking public schools in the entire state.
High Schools for Grades 9-12
Orange County, California, serves thousands of children through one hundred and twenty-five high schools, both public and private.
High schools across the various districts in Orange County usually rank in the top 20% of high schools across the state of California.
Troy High School, Oxford Academy, and Orange County School of the Arts usually emerge with the highest test scores placing them as the top high schools in the district.
Oxford Academy West, which falls under the Anaheim union high school district, ranks high nationwide. It’s usually in the top five across California and a top 20 across the country.
It is not the only high school but is among several across multiple Orange County campuses that continue to make the best high schools list in California.
There are three high schools in Orange County that date back to the 1800s. These are Santa Ana High-1889, Fullerton Union High-1893, and Anaheim Union High-1898.
Each continues to hold its own among the newer institutions. It is, however, not the same across the board, as the graduation rate at some of the Orange County Schools continues to be in the deficient category.
Entering Maturity: Middle Schools
One hundred and forty-two middle schools in orange county, CA, serving close to 120,000 students annually in.The middle schools across the city are rated in the top ten percent of middle schools in California.
The highest-ranked middle schools are Robert Fisler Elementary and Oxford Academy.
Elementary Schools
A whopping 400 plus elementary schools are strewn across the beautiful city of orange county. These Orange County schools serve nearly 300,000 students.
They are above the state proficiency scores with just over 50% each year in math and approximately sixty-percent in reading.
At the top of the rankings in orange county schools, elementary systems are Turtle Rock Ethan B. Allen and Jack L. Weaver.
Private Schools for Smaller Classes
Almost 400 private schools are available to families across Orange County, CA, and sixty percent of them have religious affiliations. Four are labeled as Independent but are still faith-based, while eleven are not sectarian.
Fairmont Preparatory Academy is one of the top schools not only in Orange County, California but in the state as a whole. The school offers 25 Advanced Placement courses and specialized programs such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
The high graduation rate at the school, a boarding school, shows that the programs are effective. Tuition at this institution, in addition to boarding, is higher than many colleges across the US.
Catholic and Protestant Christian Schools
Twenty-three Christian and Catholic schools serve hundreds of students in Orange County, who prefer an atmosphere that aligns with their upbringing and beliefs.
Diocesan, Protestant, 7th Day Adventist, Non-denominational, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Jewish make up the religious schools in the county.
Christian schools continue to rank among the highest performing educational institutions among the Orange County Schools.
Charter Schools
The California Department of Education(CDE) states that students in Orange County have access to thirty-five charter schools. Of that number, six schools offer independent study.
Independent study means that they operate virtually or they are non-classroom based. This allows students in contiguous counties to benefit from the program.
Orange County charter schools continue to be in the highest ranking in the state of California.
Both Oxford Preparatory Academy campuses and Orange County School of the Arts remain at the top of the list when it comes to math and reading proficiency.
Boarding Schools: Boys and Girls
Multiple options are accessible for boarding schools in Orange County, CA. You have access to girls-only and all-boys boarding schools. Hybrid boarding opportunities are also available.
Hybrid involves indoor and outdoor classes. It could be a fun run with a teacher to get treats or in-depth learning in the woods. Students travel from across the globe to participate in the hybrid learning program.
Christian boarding schools for both boys and girls are among the options which bring peace of mind to parents who want a continuous religious atmosphere for their children.
St Catherine's Academy focuses on Juniors from grade four to eight. Students have a seven or five-day boarding option.
Those who choose the shorter boarding time get to go home to their families every weekend. This is ideal for families who live nearby and want their children to have dual experiences.
Orange County schools offer multiple therapeutic boarding for children distressed teens who display harmful behavior to themselves.
Summer Schools
In Orange County, every student has access to various summer programs, whether at their school, community center, or clubs.
Most Orange County students transitioning from Middle school to high school usually participate in a short summer program to prepare them for the new setting.
Sometimes the programs help students who may not have done well academically and need to catch up by letting them resit a class without staying in their style another year.
There are summer classes for students who want to pursue careers that may not be a focus at their current school.
The summer program helps them to get prepared for that next step.
Many of the summer schools are general, providing fun outdoor activities mixed with academics to keep kids occupied in the summer months.
In Orange County, most children get into problems during the summer, especially with many parents being at work.
Summer schools keep them active and under supervision at the same time.
Finally, when it comes to education in Orange County, California, the board of educators makes a sustained effort to ensure that students across-the-board are highly educated, especially in math and reading.
If you decide to move to the city, it doesn’t matter which district you end up in; they all have high ranking schools.