Summary:
Zip code 91364 in Woodland Hills, California, is served by two public high schools within the Los Angeles Unified district, offering a traditional comprehensive program and an alternative continuation model for grades 9-12.
Taft Charter High stands out as a high-performing school, ranking in the top 25% statewide with a 96.4% graduation rate and academic proficiency that exceeds both district and state averages, particularly in English. In contrast, Henry David Thoreau Continuation serves a much smaller population of at-risk students, focusing on helping them graduate, though it faces significant challenges with chronic absenteeism and low standardized test scores.
While both schools serve economically disadvantaged student bodies, their outcomes differ greatly. Taft achieves strong results with a larger student body and standard per-student funding, whereas Thoreau, despite receiving more than double the funding per student and having a lower student-teacher ratio, struggles with academic proficiency. This comparison highlights the distinct missions of each school: Taft as a consistently excellent comprehensive high school and Thoreau as a vital, intensive support system for students who have not found success in a traditional setting.
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