Family Insights

Major Trends and Findings

Families share their perspectives on the state of Los Angeles public education.

• Academic and Mental Health Supports Top Family Priorities

  Support for expanding high-quality tutoring programs has reached its highest level across all prior survey years at 59%, with especially strong support among families of English learners (64%). At the same time, emotional and mental health support remains a consistent priority at 52% for the second year in a row. Importantly, support for these services has increased significantly among families making less than $60,000 compared to last year. Low-income families now prioritize tools to meet students’ emotional and mental health needs at 54%, up from 46% in 2024. Other non-academic services—particularly job training or search programs—have also gained traction, rising to 35% among low-income families (up from 27% in 2024) and 41% among Black families (up from 30%).

• Positive Ratings for District Leadership, with Notable Disparities

  The majority of families rate the Los Angeles Unified School Board members (71%) and the superintendent (70%) positively. Families are also increasingly assigning their child’s school an ‘A’ grade (41%, up from 34% in 2024) and rating the quality of instruction more positively than in previous years. However, these aggregate numbers mask significant differences. Families making less than $60,000—the majority of LAUSD families—and Black families rate LAUSD’s leadership less positively. Only 65% of low-income families and 58% of Black families rate the school board positively. These families are also less likely to believe most students across LAUSD are performing at the right levels in reading and math. While individual schools are earning higher marks, LAUSD schools as a whole remain at an overall ‘B’ grade.

• Strategic Plan Priorities Center on Core Skills and Classroom Resources

  When it comes to LAUSD’s next strategic plan, expanding efforts to improve core skills like reading and math is important across all families (95%). However, for families making less than $60,000 and Black families, two priorities rise to the top: investing in teaching materials and technology for the classroom (93% and 96% respectively) and improving professional development for teachers, administrators, and other staff (96% among Black families). These findings suggest that while all families want academic improvement, lower-income families and Black families are most attuned to the specific resource investments needed to make that improvement possible.

• Families Want Academic Information and Greater Voice in District Decisions

  As academic priorities rise to the top, more families this year report wanting information on the academic standards their child should be learning and what they’re actually learning (58%, up from 45%). Families also want increased access to information on grades and feedback on portfolios of students’ work (55%, up from 49%). Families generally feel well-represented at the school level, with 53% feeling represented a great deal in major decisions at their child’s school. However, only 35% feel represented a great deal in major decisions at LAUSD as a whole. Even fewer—just one-third—feel represented in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), with 10% not knowing what it is.

• Commitment to LAUSD Remains Strong, But Wavering

  The vast majority of families (96%) are likely to have their child attend LAUSD schools throughout their K-12 education. However, sentiments have shifted away from being “extremely likely” and more toward being only “somewhat likely.” Families making above $60,000 are much less likely to say they’re extremely likely (35%, down from 51%), as are Black families (19%, down from 42%) and white families (34%, down from 51%). Among families not extremely committed to LAUSD, public charter schools remain the top alternative at 43%. However, private schools have gained some traction, increasing from 32% in 2024 to 38% in 2025.