Los Altos Hills: Local Schools Across Multiple Districts

Los Altos Hills does not have one public-school pathway for every property. The Town states that southern portions are generally served by Los Altos School District and Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District, while northern portions are served by Palo Alto Unified School District. Charter and private schools use separate enrollment or admissions procedures, making the exact property address important when researching school options.

📝 Introduction

Los Altos Hills is a residential community in Silicon Valley with larger parcels, hillside roads, natural surroundings, an extensive trail network, and access to nearby employment centers and Peninsula transportation routes. School research can require additional attention because different portions of town are served by different public-school districts, while charter and private campuses use separate enrollment procedures. Buyers can consider current school information alongside property characteristics, road access, trails, transportation, and other housing details, while sellers can keep school references accurate by using current district and school resources.

🏫 Los Altos High School

• Achievements: Los Altos High offers Advanced Placement coursework, Career Technical Education programs, student media, clubs, athletics, performing arts, and college and career resources. Current CTE offerings include engineering, computer science, robotics, journalism, culinary arts, fashion design, and manufacturing courses.
• Fun Fact: Campus activities include events such as STEAM Week, Writers Week, and a student film festival.
• Brief History: Los Altos High was added to the Mountain View–Los Altos high school system in the mid-1950s as the district expanded beyond its original Mountain View campus.
• 📍 Address: 201 Almond Avenue, Los Altos, CA 94022
• 📞 Phone: 650-960-8811
• 🌐 Website: lahs.mvla.net
• Real Estate Insight: Los Altos High is relevant to portions of Los Altos Hills served by Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District. The property address should be used to confirm the applicable high school rather than assuming every Los Altos Hills home follows the same assignment.

🏫 Henry M. Gunn High School

• Achievements: Gunn offers academics across science, mathematics, English, history, world languages, Career Technical Education, and visual and performing arts. Recent school highlights include media arts recognition and 203 seniors earning the State Seal of Biliteracy.
• Fun Fact: Gunn has its own student broadcast operation, Titan Broadcast Network, along with its student newspaper, The Oracle.
• Brief History: Gunn's Arastradero Road campus was constructed in 1964 and includes original classroom, arts, athletics, and student-activity buildings along with later additions.
• 📍 Address: 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
• 📞 Phone: 650-354-8200
• 🌐 Website: gunn.pausd.org
• Real Estate Insight: Gunn is relevant to portions of Los Altos Hills within Palo Alto Unified School District. This district split is one reason two properties within the same town can have different public high-school assignments.

🏫 Pinewood School Upper Campus

• Achievements: Pinewood is an independent, WASC-accredited college-preparatory school serving grades K–12. Its Upper Campus in Los Altos Hills serves grades 7–12 and includes academic programs, college counseling, arts, athletics, robotics, and other student activities.
• Fun Fact: Pinewood began in 1959 as a small school started by Gwen Riches at the family home in Los Altos.
• Brief History: Pinewood expanded to the Los Altos Hills campus in 1975, added its first ninth-grade class in 1981, and graduated its first high-school class in 1985.
• 📍 Address: 26800 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
• 📞 Phone: 650-209-3010
• 🌐 Website: pinewood.edu
• Real Estate Insight: Pinewood is an independent school, so residential proximity does not determine admission. Its Fremont Road campus can instead be considered as part of the property's geographic surroundings and transportation planning.

🏫 Bullis Charter School

• Achievements: Bullis is a tuition-free public charter school serving TK–8 and is authorized by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The school currently operates a TK–8 North Campus and a TK–5 South Campus.
• Fun Fact: Bullis operates two campuses in Los Altos, with middle-school grades located at the North Campus.
• Brief History: Bullis Charter School began classes in August 2004 and marked its 20th anniversary in 2024.
• 📍 North Campus: 102 West Portola Avenue, Los Altos, CA 94022
• 📞 Phone: 650-947-4100
• 📍 South Campus: 1124 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA 94024
• 📞 Phone: 650-947-4260
• 🌐 Website: bullischarterschool.com
• Real Estate Insight: Bullis uses an application and lottery process rather than a traditional neighborhood-school assignment. Current enrollment procedures state that students throughout California may apply, with several lottery preferences that include applicants residing within Los Altos School District boundaries.

🏫 Gardner Bullis Elementary School

• Achievements: Gardner Bullis serves TK–6 within Los Altos School District and received California Distinguished School recognition in 2023.
• Fun Fact: Gardner Bullis is located directly within Los Altos Hills on Fremont Road and serves approximately 325 students.
• Brief History: The current Gardner Bullis School opened in 2009 and is one of the elementary campuses operated by Los Altos School District.
• 📍 Address: 25890 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
• 📞 Phone: 650-559-3200
• 🌐 Website: gardnerbullis.org
• Real Estate Insight: Gardner Bullis has an enrollment arrangement that is particularly relevant to Los Altos Hills. The Town states that Los Altos Hills residents within PAUSD boundaries have access to an inter-district transfer process for Gardner Bullis. Current eligibility and procedures should be confirmed with the applicable districts.

📊 School–Real Estate Connection

School research in Los Altos Hills differs from many nearby communities because public-school districts can change depending on the property's location within town. A southern Los Altos Hills property may follow the Los Altos School District and Mountain View–Los Altos high-school pathway, while a northern property may fall within Palo Alto Unified. Charter and independent schools operate under separate enrollment or admissions procedures. School information should therefore be checked by exact property address and considered alongside parcel characteristics, road access, trails, transportation, and other property-specific factors.

✅ What Can You Do?

For Buyers

• Identify the public-school districts connected with the exact property address.
• Check elementary and high-school assignments separately because more than one district system serves Los Altos Hills.
• Research Bullis Charter enrollment independently from traditional public-school assignments.
• Contact private schools directly for current admissions requirements.
• Consider school locations together with road access, commute routes, trails, parcel characteristics, and other property details.

For Sellers

• Confirm the applicable public-school districts before including school information in marketing.
• Avoid assuming that every Los Altos Hills property is associated with Los Altos schools.
• Distinguish public-school assignments from charter enrollment and private-school admissions.
• Provide current district and school links when prospective buyers request additional information.
• Keep school references factual without connecting them to future appreciation, buyer demand, or preferred household types.

❓ FAQ

Q: Why can two Los Altos Hills homes have different public-school districts?

A: The Town is divided between multiple school systems. Southern portions are generally served by Los Altos School District and Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District, while northern portions are served by Palo Alto Unified School District.

Q: Does living near Bullis Charter School or Pinewood guarantee enrollment?

A: No. Bullis uses an application and lottery process, while Pinewood is an independent school with its own admissions process. Residential proximity does not by itself guarantee enrollment.

Q: Can Los Altos Hills properties within PAUSD access Gardner Bullis?

A: The Town states that Los Altos School District and Palo Alto Unified School District established an inter-district transfer process for Los Altos Hills residents within PAUSD boundaries who seek access to Gardner Bullis. Buyers should confirm current procedures directly with the districts.

🔚 Conclusion

Los Altos Hills includes multiple public-school districts along with charter and independent-school options, making property-specific school research especially important. Buyers can consider current district assignments and enrollment procedures together with parcel characteristics, road access, trails, transportation, and other housing details, while sellers can keep school references accurate by confirming current information before marketing a property.

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, investment, or professional advice. Always consult with qualified professionals before making any decisions based on this content. School information including addresses, phone numbers, and emails was accurate as of the blog’s published date but may change without notice. Please verify directly with the school or institution. This content is provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind. If you are currently under an exclusive agreement with another real estate broker, this blog is not intended as a solicitation.