Los Altos Hills

Town, Santa Clara County

© McCormack's Guides

 

Zip Codes: 94022, 94024

The most prestigious city in Santa Clara County. Home to many of Silicon Valley's bosses and bigwigs. Small and essentially built-out. www.mccormacks.com

Located in hills and valleys above Silicon Valley. One of the lowest crime rates in state. Many mansions and custom homes. Almost zero businesses. No commercial. Town started off as a place for wealthy San Franciscans to escape summer fog.

Several years ago, the Associated Press analyzed STAR scores of fourth- and eighth-graders throughout the state. Los Altos Elementary District was first in reading in both grades, and first in math at the eighth grade, and second in math for the fourth grade. High schools also score very high. Bonds passed to improve and rebuild schools; parcel tax passed to keep up instructional quality and retain electives.

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Teenagers attend Los Altos High School in the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District.

This school, located in Los Altos, enrolls about 1,700. Scores in the 90th percentile, top 10 percent in state.

Some streets are located in the Palo Alto Unified School District, which also has some of the highest-scoring schools in the state. Check with Realtors or call school districts for attendance boundaries. See Schools.

In 2003, the elementary district closed the last public school in Los Altos Hills, an action that did not sit well with many residents, even those who did not have children in the school. The school was sort of a community center for Los Altos Hills.

Opponents countered by starting a charter school, Bullis, now located in Los Altos, but with hopes that it will be relocated to Los Altos Hills. www.mccormacks.com

Then the school district said, sorry, we got it wrong, please forgive. Los Altos Hills, here is your school back. And it reopened the old school and called it, Gardner Bullis.

By this time, the lawyers had been called in and tempers were running high.

OK, now we have two Bulli — one a neighborhood school, Gardner Bullis, that gives precedence to students living in Los Altos Hills and Los Altos. Scores in the 98th and 99th percentile, among tops in state. Kindergarter to sixth. Enrollment, about 100.

The second, a charter, open to any student from anywhere in California. But in the nature of things this school will draw many local students (we don't have a breakdown). Scores 98th and 99th percentile, among tops in state. Kinder to sixth but about to add a seventh grade and in a year or so, an eighth. Enrollment about 300.

Both are public schools. But the government funding for Gardner Bullis is higher than the funding for Bullis Charter. The former gets to tap into the parcel tax, the latter — well some compromise was worked out — but not to parity with the other schools, the penalty for going it alone.

To compensate, Bullis Charter is asking parents to pungle up, voluntarily, $4,000 per child. A nice penny you might think but for many parents in this part of the world, pocket change. If the contribution is not forthcoming ... well, officially, that's the way it goes. Not supposed to be a factor in deciding admission.  But the reality is that this school is heavily dependent on parental contributions.

There's another wrinkle. Many schools in affluent towns, through their parents clubs, ask parents to contribute so much per child. Also voluntarily. But here we're talking usually less than a $1,000 (varies by school).

If you are interested in Bullis Charter, contact the school right away. if a class is over enrolled, applications are decided by lottery. www.bullischarterschool.com.

The last word has not been said about this situation. The state government, the major source of school funding, is running a big deficit and reducing its contributions to local schools. Big-and-painful cuts coming.

Incidentally, studies done several years ago showed that about 40 percent of Los Altos Hills kids attend private schools. Two private schools in Los Altos Hills, about six in Los Altos.

Minimum one-acre lots. Valley views. Trees overhang roads, creating tunnels of leaves and branches. Some mansions hide behind walls and shrubs.

Los Altos Hills faces two directions. Homes on the east side look toward the Bay and Stanford University. Homes on the west look toward the coastal mountains, heavily wooded. In its terrain, from east to west, the city goes up, then down and up again and in some areas down again. Along first valley, near the freeway, you'll find corrals and riding stables.

In the 1980s, the city increased its population by 93 people and in the 1990s by about 400. The 2000 state estimate counted 7,902 inhabitants and the 2010 estimate 9,042, an increase of 1,140. Between 2000 and 2009, Los Altos Hills, through infilling here and there, added 255 homes. www.mccormacks.com

Large unincorporated neighborhood to south of town. Also upscale. Managed by residents through homeowner association.

City has issued handbook spelling out what Los Altos Hills would like to see — homes that fit in, heed neighbors’ wishes, etc. Down through the years, newcomers and old-timers have clashed on tearing down older homes and replacing them with larger homes.

It might seem that the old guard has the edge on this argument; many of the older homes are nicely done. But a fair number are modest in size and ordinary in design, usually ranchers. The new homes favor more windows and natural light, modern wiring, living and family rooms designed around entertainment centers, walk-in closets, and bathrooms-showers that you never want to leave. Both sides favor the tasteful (but taste can be defined in a number of ways).

Housing units in 2010 numbered 3,151, of which 3,087 were single homes, 32 single attached, 26 multiples, 6 mobile. Many homes go for millions.

Many homes have pools and tennis courts, some have horses grazing out back. About 63 miles of paths — used for walking and jogging, horses and bikes — wander through the town and irritate a few who think the routes step on their privacy. The town has a map of the paths; check it out. www.mccormacks.com

Ride-a-thons to save open space on ridges. Law protects redwoods, oaks, large trees. Fremont Hills Country Club: pool, 10 tennis courts, riding facility, golf. Two other golf courses nearby.

Foothill Community College adds life to cultural scene and offers many activities for the public. This college has one of the town's few businesses, a bookstore.

Palo Alto borders Los Altos Hills. Short drive to movies, plays, delights of Stanford and Palo Alto. First class shopping: Bloomingdale's, etc.

Interstate 280, which bisects the town, soothes the nerves, a scenic freeway.

Zero homicides between 1994 and 2008. One of the lowest crime rates among California cities. Many residents subscribe to private security.

An intimate town. Stable. Residents know one another. Highest percentage (79) of married households in the county.

Getting older. Median age 47. Those over 55 make up 33 percent of the town, those under 18 account for 24 percent. www.mccormacks.com

New town hall opened in 2005, a “green” building with solar panels and shrubs requiring little water.

• Old money, new money. Los Altos Hills has its modern entrepreneurs but by reputation it made its money in the 1950s to 1970s, ancient by Silicon Valley standards. The late Dave Packard, co-founder of HP, lived in Los Altos Hills. Steve Jobs (Apple) and Larry Ellison (Oracle) live in Woodside, about 10 miles up the road (toward San Francisco).

Chamber of commerce shared with Los Altos: www.losaltoschamber.org

City web site: www.losaltoshills.ca.gov

Los Altos Elementary District: www.losaltos.k12.ca.us

Mountain View-Los Altos High School District: www.mvla.net