Original Research by School Decision on Will Rogers Continuation
Will Rogers Continuation is an alternative school in Van Nuys serving grades nine through twelve within Los Angeles Unified. The school has a small enrollment, with the highest concentration of students in the twelfth grade and a meaningful share in the eleventh. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with small representations of Black, white, and Asian students.
State proficiency data from the most recent year shows that a very small share of students met proficiency in English language arts, and only a handful met proficiency in mathematics. No students met proficiency in science. These numbers are substantially below what typical secondary schools report, and they reflect the population this alternative school serves. Continuation schools typically enroll students who are behind in credits, have disengaged from traditional high school settings, or face significant barriers to graduation. The low proficiency figures do not necessarily indicate poor instruction; they instead signal that this school's students arrive with deep academic gaps and often require remedial pathways to earn a diploma.
As an alternative school, Will Rogers is designed for a different purpose than a comprehensive high school. The mission is credit recovery and re-engagement rather than college preparation or advanced placement. Parents and students should ask the school directly about its graduation rate, diploma pathways, and support services, as that data was not available in the state reporting. Similarly, information about counseling, career guidance, or connections to community colleges or workforce programs would help a family understand what the school offers beyond academics.
The school sits in Van Nuys, part of the greater San Fernando Valley. The local housing market reflects broader Los Angeles County conditions, with home values and rents considerably above the national median, making the area more affordable than many other parts of Los Angeles but still expensive for families on modest incomes. The neighborhood's economic context includes moderate unemployment and median household income in line with national averages, though the rent-to-income burden is steep.
Los Angeles Unified, the parent district, implemented a district-wide cellphone and smartwatch ban beginning in February 2025, now in effect during the entire school day at Will Rogers and all other LAUSD campuses. The district also approved a major school facilities bond, Measure US, funded through property tax increases that will affect families' long-term housing costs. These are standing policies any family in the district should weigh.
For a family considering Will Rogers Continuation, the key questions are whether the student's transcript and credits align with a recovery pathway, what the school's track record is on on-time graduation, and what counseling and post-secondary planning are available. The low state test scores should not be a deciding factor on their own; parents may want to look into further with the school what academic support, class size, and teacher-to-student ratios look like in practice, since students here typically need intensive attention to make progress.
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