Schools and Education

One of the most important decisions your family will ever make is choosing where your child will go to school. You may be trying to decide between public and private school or choosing where to live because of the reputation of area schools. How much choice you have depends in part on where you live.

Where are the schools? [view map]

Contra Costa County Office of Education

• the County Office's job is to support the success of Contra Costa's eighteen school districts, their schools, and their 156,000 students.
• for the school year 2000-2001, Walnut Creek had 6 schools in the district, with 3,311 students. (more)
  

East Bay Preschool Directory [visit site]
This directory is full of detailed information about preschools in the area.

Walnut Creek School District [visit site]

• Buena Vista Elementary [visit site]
• MuirWood Elementary [visit site]
• Walnut Heights Elementary [visit site]
• Indian Valley Elementary [visit site]
• Parkmead Elementary [visit site]
• Walnut Creek Intermesiate [visit site]
• Educational Options [visit site]
  

Year after year, Contra Costa County schools boast of test rankings in the 90th percentile. Walnut Creek schools lead this commitment to excellence. With over 90 percent of high school graduates going on to college, Walnut Creek is known for its modern, progressive school system.

Walnut Creek is served by three independent school districts. Schools are divided according to neighborhood and zip code. The Walnut Creek School District serves approximately 3,100 students in five elementary and one intermediate school. In addition, the Walnut Creek Education Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation organized and operated by students’ parents, raises funds to support school libraries, music curriculum, new technology and other programs. Student scores on CLAS assessment tests far exceed state averages and every WCSD School surpasses the national average. The Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves approximately 6,000 students. The district houses three elementary and one middle school, as well as Northgate High School. A recent accomplishment: 86% of the Northgate seniors took the SAT and collectively scored higher than the national average. Home of the 1995 state basketball champions and the 1996 runners-up, the Northgate campus is located on picturesque Castlerock Road. Parent involvement is integral to Northgate’s educational philosophy.

Many Walnut Creek students attend the Acalanes Union High School District’s Las Lomas High School. More than 90% of graduates plan to attend college and the Class of 2000 includes 8 National Merit Finalists, which puts this honored group among the top 7,600 students in America. Eighty-percent of the faculty members at Las Lomas have Master's degrees or higher. Located on the edge of downtown, Las Lomas is not only an academic powerhouse but also is committed to incorporating technology into its daily curriculum by furnishing all classrooms, libraries and media centers with computers. Whether at Las Lomas or Northgate, parents can be assured that their son or daughter is receiving a first-rate education.

Walnut Creek prides itself on the wide range of two and four year colleges that offer exceptional opportunities for higher education.