Burbank
1) Yo, Magnet Yentas!
We are a small but dedicated group of parents/families at smallish (45) Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary (just off Hollywood Way & Verdugo). Our booster club is Families for Stevenson, in its fourth year and coming along fine. We also have a solid PTA, separate but equal to FFS. We are (slowly) evolving, as they say, and would love to have contact with more/other booster clubs, etc.
Feel free to contact Burbank public school superdad:
Felix Chamberlain
601-2829 in area code 818 cell
843-6213 in area code 818 home
2) Special kudos always go to pro-local-public school L.A. realtors (see her comment under “MARTINIS AND MAGNETS”) like. . .
Judy Graff
http://sfvrealestate.blogspot.com
My husband work in Burbank. I am interested in some information on how to obtain a permit, allowing our son to attend school in Burbank.
Thank you
Stephanie
Stephanie:
Go here and read about InterDistrict Permits at Burbank. I did it for my kids and it was very easy on their end, fill out paperwork including proof of local work/employment.
http://www.burbank.k12.ca.us/index.aspx?page=1093
I believe you also must get a permit from LAUSD to leave the district and attend Burbank. I know rules for that have tightened recently but don’t know details. Check here for information:
http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,1213045&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP
Our home school is Stevenson and we are planning on enrolling my daughter in Kindergarten there in the fall. However, I am a bit concerned about the large class sizes. Would so appreciate any insight (good or bad) on the school.
We also applied to the lottery for Franklin’s language immersion magnet in Glendale as well as the fine arts program at Keppel. Not sure our chances are great, though, since we are out of the district. Anyone have any experience with those schools as well?
Thanks so much!
Michele
Hi Michele – by now I’m sure you know what your lottery result is for both Franklin and Keppel. I also applied my daughters to Keppel and Edison and I’m hoping for a spot in the Edison Technology magnet – I’m too far down on the list for either of the Keppel programs I applied to (I’m also from outside the district).
I don’t know what you thought of the tour of the facility that was required of the magnet applicants, but I loved the philosophy behind the program. I’ve heard little other than positive feedback for these programs. I know someone who’s enrolled 2 of her children in the Italian FLAG at Franklin and she loved it.
If you’re ok with a Spanish FLAG and didn’t wind up with a high spot on the lottery list, you may want to try the FLAG at Muir – I believe it’s not restricted to the Magnet program and they may still be accepting applications.
I’m also very concerned about the large class sizes at our home school (Emerson Elementary in Burbank). I can’t speak to Stevenson, but BUSD in general is good, especially for children in the middle of the learning curve (aka the average student). My son is in GATE and we supplement his schooling with academically challenging summer programs. Math Field Day has also been a good experience for him this year (he’s in 5th grade and getting ready for Muir in the fall, which I’m looking forward to).
Good luck regardless of where you decide to enroll!
Yes, our chances with the magnets are not good. We really loved the Franklin language immersion programs and were hoping for some kind of miracle, but oh well! We are pretty happy with our choice to send our daughter to Stevenson, though. The more we visit the school and speak with the principal and teachers, the more impressed I am with their enthusiasm and commitment to the students. Plus they have two great parent groups which are very involved and seem to do a lot of extra fundraising for programs that would otherwise be cut. So we’re pretty happy. I’m glad to hear you’re looking forward to sending your son to a Burbank middle school and that your experience at Emerson was pretty good. Class size is definitely an issue for me, but we’re hoping for the best! Good luck getting a spot in the Edison technology magnet! All the best to you!
We toured Stevenson and were thrilled with the principal, Ms. Ginnetti. She is realistic about the challenges, while being extremely positive and focused on solutions. Parent involvement seems to be overcoming some of the lost funding from the state. The kindergarten classrooms are bright and cheerful, and students were enthusiastic and engaged.
We live near the school, in North Hollywood. I got a permit through Parent Employment in Burbank. I think it’s valuable to send my daughter to a school near where we live, so she can develop friendships with kids in the neighborhood.
I found the Burbank USD to be very responsive and helpful so far. The small district makes things simpler than dealing with LAUSD, in some ways.
We’ve toured many schools (private, charter and magnet), and are excited to be enrolling at Stevenson.
Liz
Thanks so much for your response! I does look like we are sending our daughter to Stevenson in the fall. We also had a great impression of Ms Ginnetti when we toured the school and were pretty impressed with the parent involvement. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still unhappy about the class sizes, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I will say I have not found one person who could say a negative thing about Stevenson, or most of the Burbank schools for that matter! All in all, we feel very fortunate that Stevenson is our home school and we have this great option for our daughter. So will your daughter be starting Stevenson as well? We should set up a playdate
Hi Michele- we are attending the Stevenson Rocks! fundraiser on May 4. My daughter is very excited!! http://stevensonpirates.net/ for more info.
And we’d absolutely be into play-dates. Email me: elizabethkeener at hotmail dot com. I’d love for the girls to start the school year with a friend.
Yes, not thrilled about the large class sizes, but we’re hoping to get in there and volunteer, jobs permitting, and see first-hand how it’s going.
Liz
I am looking to transfer my Daughter into Burbank HS from Walter Reed. She is identified as gifted in LAUSD, would she have to test in Burbank District to be identified as gifted/honors or does it transfer over?
We are concerned she will now have to test when in LAUSD she is identified in “High Achievers” and that makes her gifted under LAUSD rules.
Does she need to retest?
Robert
I’m hoping you work in Burbank. It’s been pretty much a challenge to get an outgoing permit unless state law mandates it. My suggestion would be to contact the Burbank school district and get their info first. I’m not in Burbank, so it’s hard to be of much help. Good luck.
Thank you. I would be moving into the district, I have turned in the paperwork and was given the testing dates. However, they were not clear on what is being tested and how her transcripts from LAUSD apply to Burbank.
Perhaps I should reconsider moving into Burbank and stay in N. Hollywood.
We are not satisfied with what we are finding as options in LAUSD for HS for N. Hollywood, Grant or East Valley. Any suggestions in the area?
Robert
Hi Robert – I have a GATE student too for whom high school is further away, but I’m actually looking at options *other* than Burbank High, which is our home high school. I know one mom who sends her son there on a permit due to her husband’s office located in Burbank, but that’s so he can participate on a sports team. This is mostly hear-say, but I wouldn’t describe BHS as having a strong academic program, esp for gifted students.
Does your daughter qualify for the highly gifted magnet at North Hollywood High? I know some parents hesitate to send their kids there due to the overcrowding and local conditions, but I know others that rave about the HGM program there. Are private schools an option? If not, or if I wanted a public school option that was an improvement over LAUSD and BUSD, was willing to move and wanted to keep my housing costs at a similar level, I’d move to La Crescenta, try for Clark Magnet and “settle” for Crescenta Valley – either school is, IMHO, an improvement over the high schools in LAUSD and BUSD.
Couldn’t disagree more regarding the Burbank High Schools, Robert. I, too, have a kid in the IHP at Reed and will be attending Burroughs High in the fall. 24 AP classes available, incredible music program, etc. Certainly worth you checking out. All I hear from my fellow Reed families is how lucky we are to be zoned for Burbank. Several from Reed are looking at the IHP at Taft and the humanities program at Cleveland. Lots matriculating to the HGM at N. Hollywood but just got an e mail saying the district has shut the doors on new applicants and that 20 are waitlisted. Hope this helps!