You will find gangs in a variety of areas. I'm not certain about Simi Valley, but you could check the police blotter in each of these cities by googling the police department web site or the local paper, Ventura County Star and inquiring as to the location of the police blotter or listing of recent crimes in the county.

Hi albertg:

I don't live in Ventura County, but I do live in Los Angeles County. I would suggest you stay away from Oxnard, though, if you can. My husband grew up in Ventura, and, like most counties, it has its good areas and not-so-good areas.

Here is a link to Ventura County schools: www.ventura-county-relocation.com/schools/school_main.htm. I hope this helps in your search.

One other question I thought of. Are there gangs in Ventura County and are there areas we shouldn't buy in for that reason? Our mortgage broker who lives in Orange County mentioned a problem of a gang problem in Ventura County. You don't get accurate information from real estate agents regarding this.
Thanks for any input.

Thank you so much for your advice.
Take care.

Quick answer: Google the simi valley school district and then place a call to the student services. The district office should be open throughout the summer and willing to answer your question. No need to share your name just ask if you can become part of the lottery even though you have not yet made the move. Or better yet, ask when you will be able to enter the lottery. Perhaps your closing statement or rental agreement would be enough to get the process moving.

I'm in agreement though with the other response here from Magnet Mom, look for the area where you would like to or can afford to live in Simi. The valley is home to a wide range of communities. Typically, great communities create great schools. I have found the greatschools site an invaluable indicator of where to find both. As a Santa Barbara native I frequent the south coast and would love to be of assistance.

Something else to consider, the traffic coming out of and going into Simi is relentless to put it mildly. You may want to consider the surrounding areas (Moorpark, Westlake, Agoura, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park), depending on where work has you commuting to everyday.

Best,

Joe Bruzzese

Hi albertg, and welcome back to GreatSchools.

You would still have access to schools in your neighborhood, and Simi has some phenomenal schools and neighborhoods. The schools of choice options are for parents who buy in one area and opt to have their kids attend a school outside their neighborhood.

If you have settled on a neighborhood yet, now's the time to figure out from the school ratings where you want to live in regard to which schools you want to attend. You can start with the Find A School feature here on GS: www.greatschools.net/search/search.page?c=school&search_type=0&state=CA&q=Simi%20Valley&st=public

and compare that with SVUSD map of schools located on their district website: www.simi.k12.ca.us/Schools/ListofSchools/MaptoSchools/tabid/396/Default.aspx

Good luck with your move.