Lucerne Valley High

Lucerne Valley High sits in a tight-knit desert community about an hour east of the Inland Empire, where the Mojave landscape and small-town feel shape daily life in a pretty distinct way. The school serves a close rural community where many students have grown up together, and families who value that kind of familiarity and personal attention over the anonymity of a larger district tend to find it a comfortable fit. Academics are a work in progress, with science scores trailing behind other subjects, so families focused on college prep may want to supplement with outside resources — but for those rooted in Lucerne Valley, it's the heart of the community.