Usually it has to do with a variety of things that probably come down to the families of the students at the school. Often times, neighborhoods with kids who have a nurturing and well rounded family environment will be better prepared and more successful in the area of academics. With students who have alot of parental involvement and support you will see higher achieving students. The better teachers often choose to work in districts where they feel they will have parental support and students who are eager to learn because of the quality parenting they receive. If you feel your family and your child fits in with this scenario, you may fit in better staying in Irvine. With fewer behavior problems in the classroom, kids can become more excited about learning and teachers can be more creative (because they're not disciplining all the time). Good luck, Debi