6 CA School Districts Among 250 ‘Most Envied’ In US, New Survey Finds

CALIFORNIA — Six of the most sought-after school districts are found in California, according to a new ranking from an online company whose services include helping students prepare for college entrance exams and other educational and career guidance.

Test Prep Insight’s list of the “Most Envied School Districts in the US” is based on a survey of 3,000 parents who were asked about the learning environment they’d most like for their children if given a choice. The most desirable schools were in wealthy suburbs of major metropolitan areas, the survey showed.

The inventory includes the following from California:

• #14, San Dieguito Union High School District, San Diego, San Diego County
• #71, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, Los Gatos, Santa Clara County
• #72, Palo Alto Unified School District, Palo Alto, Santa Clara County
• #76, La Cañada Unified School District, La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County
• #82, Arcadia Unified School District, Arcadia, Los Angeles County
• #83, San Marino Unified School District, San Marino, Los Angeles County

Nationally, all but three of the most envied school districts are located on the East Coast. Test Prep Insight said its survey results underscore disparities in educational opportunities across the country that are largely influenced by local economic health and the robustness of the tax base.

The survey showed the 10 most-envied schools in the country are:

1. Lower Merion School District, Pennsylvania
2. Great Neck Public Schools, New York
3. Jericho Union Free School District, New York
4. Eanes Independent School District, Texas
5. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, North Carolina
6. North Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
7. North Kingstown School Department, Rhode Island
8. Teton County School District #1, Wyoming
9. Ridgefield Public Schools, Connecticut
10. Scottsdale Unified School District, Arizona

The company said its survey not only highlights the most sought-after school districts but also brings to light the broader implications of how educational opportunities are distributed in society.

The company said respondents in its February survey were adults reflecting diversity in age, gender and geography, and that internal data sources were used to obtain population data. A two-step process was used to ensure representation through stratified sampling and post-stratification weighting, the company said.