Sharon Christa McAuliffe Middle

Los Alamitos is one of those tight-knit Orange County communities where families put serious thought into where their kids land for middle school, and McAuliffe consistently delivers. Sitting in the 87th percentile statewide with strong scores across English, math, and science, it's the kind of school that keeps academically motivated kids engaged during those tricky middle school years. Families drawn to Los Al's suburban, community-first vibe — Friday night football games, well-kept neighborhoods, and a real sense of local pride — tend to find that McAuliffe fits right into that ethos.