Altadena Elementary has a long history of educating local students, dating back to its founding in 1903. The Mount Lowe tram used to stop at the school's front door on the way to Mount Wilson. The school highlights multicultural literacy by emphasizing reading, writing and performance of literature, poetry and drama. It also offers English immersion classes.
Opportunities for staff, parent and community involvement include PTA, Instructional Leadership Team, School Site Council, School Advisory Committee, Bilingual Advisory Committee, parent education workshops, English as a Second Language classes, classroom volunteering and Spanish language translation at meetings.