Mountain View-los Altos Union High, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Mountain View-los Altos Union High

Mountain View-Los Altos Union High is a four-year public district serving grades nine through twelve across three high schools: Los Altos High, Mountain View High, and Alta Vista High. The district draws from affluent communities in the foothills and mid-peninsula of Santa Clara County, where housing markets are among the most expensive in the nation. Families here are typically established professionals; median household income in the region runs well above national levels, and the housing climate reflects persistent wealth concentration, with purchase prices well into the upper range and rental costs climbing steadily.

The student body is economically and racially mixed within a prosperous context. White and Asian students each represent roughly one-third of enrollment, with a meaningful Hispanic population making up a quarter of the district. The enrollment is balanced across grades and totals roughly mid-sized for a secondary district. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility data was not available, which limits a fuller picture of economic diversity within the enrolled population.

On state testing, the district's proficiency rates in 2024-25 showed strength in English language arts and moderate performance in mathematics, with science proficiency notably lower. Multi-year trend data is not available, so a reader cannot yet see whether these results represent stable performance or recent movement. Among Santa Clara County's districts, MVLA ranks in the top quartile for chronic absenteeism, a meaningful indicator of student engagement and school culture. The district also spends well above the county median on per-pupil instruction, placing it in the upper spending range, which supports smaller class sizes, course breadth, and staffing depth.

The district is in the midst of curriculum shifts that merit attention for families planning their high school path. Beginning with the class of 2027, MVLA shortened its required ethnic studies course from a full year to a single semester and lowered the overall social studies graduation requirement from four credits to three-and-a-half. The ethnic studies requirement itself was implemented in 2023-24, ahead of state timeline, as a yearlong ninth-grade course for all freshmen. The recent contraction represents a significant reversal of that initiative. These changes have raised questions about course availability and triggered notification of potential layoffs within the social studies department, so a parent may want to look into the current staffing and elective offerings directly with each school. The district is also transitioning from at-large school board elections to trustee-area representation by 2026, a governance shift that may affect how parent concerns and community input flow to decision-making.

The district's high schools sit in communities with vastly different housing markets. Los Altos High draws from some of the most valuable properties in the region, while Mountain View High and Alta Vista serve areas with somewhat lower but still premium values. The variation matters for families weighing which neighborhood fits their housing budget and school assignment.

State assessment data for graduation rates, and district-level data on special populations and free-lunch eligibility, were not provided, limiting a full picture of student support needs and outcomes. The academic context here is one of broad course access and resources, solid English proficiency, and room for growth in mathematics and science. The school culture and peer environment reflect a high-income, highly educated community with active parent engagement, though the recent curriculum debate signals ongoing questions about the district's educational direction.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,406

Grades

09–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 26%

Black 1%

White 33%

Asian 30%

Two+ 10%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

49%

—

Gr 11

49%

—

Math

Gr ALL

25%

—

Gr 11

25%

—

Science

Gr ALL

27%

—

Gr 12

27%

—

Gr HS

27%

—

Gr UG_SEC

27%

—

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

Los Altos High

Mountain View High

Alta Vista High

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$3.64M

Year-over-year change+1.9%

Range across 11 ZIP codes$1.5M to $5.2M

vs. state typical4.70x

vs. national typical9.90x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (11 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
94022	Los Altos	$5.2M	+4.6%	35.4%
94043	Mountain View	$1.6M	-2.9%	25.1%
94024	Los Altos	$4.7M	+2.5%	19.3%
94040	Mountain View	$2.9M	+3.0%	11.0%
94041	Mountain View	$2.3M	+3.6%	4.8%
94303	East Palo Alto	$2.1M	+0.3%	1.7%
95033	Lexington Hills	$1.5M	-0.9%	1.7%
94089	Sunnyvale	$1.5M	-2.2%	0.5%
94306	Palo Alto	$3.5M	+2.3%	0.3%
94085	Sunnyvale	$1.6M	-0.6%	0.1%
94087	Sunnyvale	$2.9M	+1.0%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$5,600/mo

Year-over-year change+7.2%

Range across 11 ZIP codes$3,384 to $7,605/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (11 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
94022	Los Altos	$6,352	+9.6%	35.4%
94043	Mountain View	$4,249	+4.7%	25.1%
94024	Los Altos	$7,605	—	19.3%
94040	Mountain View	$3,945	+7.3%	11.0%
94041	Mountain View	$4,247	+3.0%	4.8%
94303	East Palo Alto	$4,901	+6.3%	1.7%
95033	Lexington Hills	$3,600	—	1.7%
94089	Sunnyvale	$3,497	+3.6%	0.5%
94306	Palo Alto	$3,644	+8.0%	0.3%
94085	Sunnyvale	$3,782	+6.4%	0.1%
94087	Sunnyvale	$3,384	+5.0%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$18,391/mo

Home price / national median income43.5x

Annual rent / national median income80.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$12,791/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Academic Performance
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.