Downtown Los Angeles Parent Resource Guide
by Nolan A. Marshall III
When we made the decision to live as a family in Downtown Los Angeles, I wasn’t sure where to begin. Raising two kids under 10 in the middle of a busy, fast-paced city, can be challenging. Thankfully, DTLA has a lot to offer families.
I’ve led urban places for 20 years, but every experience as a parent in a new place is a first. I’ve gathered resources, explored daycares, schools, and parks, and connected with other parents doing the same. Because of my career choices, my oldest has attended six schools/daycares in four different downtowns and we still receive renewal notices from museums across America! This guide is everything I wish I’d known, and still only a subjective slice of what’s accessible and available to downtown families.
Education
Daycare Centers
Elementary & Middle Schools
This is THE BIG ONE. In almost every downtown in North America, parents approaching the elementary school decision, are deciding stay downtown or move to a new community with traditionally recognizable neighborhood school options. Some parents also begin to explore private school options, as an alternative that works best for their situation. There are a lot of great private schools in Los Angeles, but for the purpose of this guide, we’ve decided to focus on public options.
You can use the school identifier to confirm your neighborhood school, but magnet and charter schools listed below are great alternative options if you tour the neighborhood school and it’s not a good fit for your family. A less known option is the inter-district permit process, which provides for various opportunities in which parents can receive permission to attend a school outside of their neighborhood zone, provided that school has a space available.
Homeschool Resources