This is a question I hear often from clients that are interested in moving their family to the Big Bear area. Since I am not an educator, but I am a father of four daughters, I will tell you about my own personal experiences. The Bear Valley Unified School District has these schools in the district:
| SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT: |
Baldwin Lane Elementary School
(Grades K-6 )
44500 Baldwin Lane / PO Box 1868
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
TEL: (909) 585-7766Big Bear Elementary School
(Grades K-6)
40940 Pennsylvania Avenue / PO Box 1627
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
TEL: (909) 866-4638
Big Bear High School
(Grades 9-12 )
351 Maple Lane / PO Box 1708
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
TEL: (909) 585-6892Big Bear Middle School
(Grades 7-8 )
41275 Big Bear Blvd. / PO Box 1607
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
TEL: (909) 866-4634Chautauqua High School (Continuation)
(Grades 9-12)
525 Maple Lane / PO Box 1815
Sugarloaf, CA / Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
TEL: (909) 585-2521Fallsvale Elementary School
(Grades 1-6)
40600 Valley of the Falls Dr./ PO Box 1815
Forest Falls, CA 92339
TEL: (909) 794-8630North Shore Elementary School
(Grades K-6)
765 N. Stanfield Cutoff / PO Box 1887
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
TEL: (909) 866-7501Information on School Performance can be found on this link.
Bear Valley Unified School District Strategic Plan
Measure Q Bond ( $25,000,000) passed in November 2002 for school infrastructure improvements.
I can tell you that the teachers in Big Bear’s schools provide a level of personal attention that you would expect in a private school atmosphere. My 4 daughters have all gone through the Bear Valley School system, and my wife and I are happy with the results.
- My oldest daughter (Christine) will graduate from CSULB later this year with her BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). She was a Valedictorian of the Big Bear High School Class of 2005 and received a Presidential Scholarship to CSULB (full Ride).
- My second daughter (Stephanie) graduated from Big Bear High School in 2007 and is currently attending OCC and plans to transfer to CSULB next year to major in Business. She works full time while attending school and is self sufficient and very responsible.
- My third daughter (Michelle) will graduate this year and has been accepted to UCSD. She is an exceptional student and was accepted into the UC system before applying. She plans to be an Orthodontist. She has played Golf, Volleyball, and Soccer for the High School.
- My fourth daughter (Jennifer) is a sophomore and ranked at the top of her class. She plays volleyball, soccer and softball for the high school in addition to carrying a high GPA.
While I give most of the credit to the hard work of my children and wife, the schools did a great job of providing the education they received.
One of the big advantages of Big Bear School system is their sports programs. My children, while not exceptional at any one sport, were able to participate in many different sports. While the sports teams from Big Bear are very competitive, the competition to make the team at smaller schools is less than a school with twice the enrollment.
The schools in Big Bear are unique because of the caring teachers, community members, and parents that live in the community. Young people in Big Bear are held accountable for their actions by their peers and community members. The standards are unusually high.
Most of the teachers that I have interacted with in Big Bear treat the students as if they were their own children. I have on many occasions called teacher’s, coaches or school administrators for advise and had them take my call in the evenings. They are more than willing to listen and give any assistance they can. I have watched coaches that care not only about the sport, but the character of the players that they coach.
It’s great to live and work in a community that supports youth programs and we have a number of community service groups that focus on our youth.
In closing, I would not hesitate to recommend Big Bear Schools. I think the schools and atmosphere in Big Bear are some of the things that have influenced my family positively.
Big Bear is truly a child honoring community.