The Guide
Sat, 16 May 2026

Cities / Shanghai / Livingston American School

Livingston American School

American school in Changning (Hongqiao-adjacent), 580 Ganxi Rd. HS RMB 177,450/year.


Curriculum
American
Fees, annual
CNY 141–233k
Ages
5 to 18
Pupils
~700
Founded
2003

Fee Age Type Amount
Nursery / Pre-School / Pre-Kindergarten 2 Annual CN¥140,516
Kindergarten 5 Annual CN¥171,518
Elementary (Grades 1-5) 6 Annual CN¥213,003
Middle School (Grades 6-8) 11 Annual CN¥225,740
High School (Grades 9-12) 14 Annual CN¥232,914
Technology Fee (annual, K-12) One-time CN¥2,000
Application Fee (non-refundable) One-time CN¥2,500
Capital Fee (one-time, per child) One-time CN¥8,000

  • The strongest signal is negative and comes from current and former staff, not parents.
  • One ex-teacher posted a detailed account describing the head of school screaming at staff, attending meetings drunk, and the principal making advances on female hires; the same post said teachers were paid only 11 months and a teacher was reprimanded for putting out a kindergarten fire instead of evacuating per protocol.
  • Parent voice on expat sites is more mixed. One parent said it was "a great decision" to enrol nine years ago and credited WASC accreditation with helping with university admissions and AP arrangements.
  • Critical parent comment focuses on the building: marginal facilities, an old building with weak heating and air conditioning, and an air-quality policy described as inadequate.
  • The school is small and Western-staffed turnover appears high, which surfaces in employer-side commentary more than in parent forums.
  • The visible parent pool is thin and polarised, with strong individual loyalties on both sides.

Head of school

Faustina Martinez

Faustina Martinez is from Houston, Texas, USA. She attended Sam Houston State University for her Bachelor of Arts degree in Bilingual Education and studied at the University of South Florida for her Master's degree with a double major in Educational Leadership and Curriculum Design, and received her Master's in Reading from the University of Central Florida. With more than 18 years of experience as a teacher, she has taught in elementary, middle, and high school. For the past 10 years, Mrs. Martinez has served as an administrator at SLAS. She worked in Texas and Florida in public schools prior to moving to Shanghai in July of 2011.

Accreditations

  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 01

  • Result could not find specific exam scores or average grades on the official website
  • Result only college acceptance lists are published

580 Gan Xi Lu, Chang Ning Qu, Shang Hai Shi, China, 200335

School website