High Desert

Tucked into the rugged high desert terrain northeast of Los Angeles, Acton is the kind of small, spread-out community where kids ride horses and know their neighbors — a far cry from the suburban sprawl closer to the city. High Desert serves grades 5–8 in this tight-knit area, and while its academic scores sit in the middle-to-lower range statewide, families who choose to raise kids out here tend to value the slower pace and strong sense of community that a small rural school can offer. It's a good fit for families who've intentionally sought out life beyond the city and want their kids in a setting where everyone knows each other's name.