So I went to this school a couple of years ago and I miss the days that I went to this school. At…read morethe time, it was one of the top-rated schools of the state, and it still holds that reputation today. It also has an exceptional faculty and nice kids. One thing I didn't like however was that the school is tiny. It feels like you can't meet anybody new and the school gets repetitive quickly. Aside from that though, easy 5-star school.

Just saw the latest rankings. The school is ranked # 7 in the state…read more For me having a student there, this is no surprise. From my experience with the teachers and the leadership of Principal Chun I would expect this. It's a great school with caring administration, wonderful parent volunteers, and just a positive environment. We are lucky to have our child here. Thank you all at Balboa!

What lovely memories for my little one. We will be graduating soon and so sad to leave. Teachers ,…read morestaff and Principal are caring and genuinely want your child to succeed. The school grounds are always beautifully cleaned. The PTA is amazing and make sure that fun activities are always available for the kids and family. Any issue you may have is brought up and handled immediately. Thank you Topeka for such an unforgettable elementary school experience. You will be missed.

No consideration for kids that may learn a little differently. Some teachers (Ms. Reads) are known…read moreto be difficult or unwilling to work with some kids and admin does nothing. If you don't know someone there, you will get stuck with her. Our kids are now in private and excelling very well. Be careful, do your homework and good luck.

The food didn't arrive in time…read more.. All staff are very supportive of students being creative and learning. The school is very artistic, really influences students to develop their artistic interests meanwhile getting the required education they need to graduate high school. All accommodation that students may need are met and supported. The school is very helpful and supporting.

We're glad that our daughter transferred to VIPHS. In her words, "The teachers here actually talk…read moreand teach. Many teachers at my old school just let us watch videos." That made me realize how much teacher-led, paper-and-pen instruction helps students focus and learn. As a transfer student, my daughter was warmly supported by teachers, her advisor, and the staff. The community is small, caring, and dedicated. I also joined a Board of Directors meeting before enrolling and was impressed by the school's organization and forward-thinking leadership. VIPHS reports an 81% college-acceptance rate, compared with under 60% at many nearby public high schools. The average class size is about 20 with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio, versus 30-35 students and ratios in the high 20s elsewhere. VIPHS is a close-knit, welcoming community that genuinely cares for students and prioritizes personal attention and academic excellence. Plus, drop-off and pick-up are so easy, a small but real bonus for families!

Our experience at GPS has been wonderful. Both of our children attended the preschool program, and…read moreour family has been part of the GPS community for the past three years. The teachers (Mrs Irene, Ms Megan, Mrs Jennifer...), are exceptional--caring, patient, dedicated, and deeply committed to each child's growth and development. They foster a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe, supported, and eager to learn each day. Our children have thrived here thanks to the incredible staff and the strong sense of community the school provides. We are incredibly grateful for the positive impact this preschool has had on our family and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a caring and high-quality early education experience.

My daughter attended the early childhood program for 2 years and she absolutely LOVED it! She had…read moresome of the best teachers. Even though she was in class with specific teachers, all of the teachers interacted with the kids during recess, lunch, and nap times. Miss Patty, Miss Mary, Miss Caryn, Miss Megan, Miss Irene, Miss Jennifer, and Miss Claudia were all so caring and loving to my little girl. They made going to school a happy experience for her. Even the office staff knew who all the kids were. Miss Giaconda knew every single child's name and was always happy to support and encourage them.

Rating is still a 2 or less for Holmes…read more I just wanted to update that my child graduated from SFIAM (a public middle school in San Fernando) with all Bs and loving school. She loved the teachers she said because they listen and connect with students, unlike Holmes. She also was puzzled why Holmes teachers didn't want to help her understand things, just wanted her to fail. My kid hated school and life while at Holmes. She blossomed at another school that fed her soul and mind. I'm a happy mama.

Believe the low reviews. If you value your child's education, and safety, do not send them to the…read moreschool. They do not care, (but they pretend to) All they care about is covering their own butts and pretending to follow policy. Bullying is inevitable and nothing will be done about it. Explains why teachers quit and they are so understaffed. They have zero control over the kids and will not work with parents when addressing serious, concerning issues. It's probably not 100% the school's fault, it's LAUSD for not giving them the staff and resources they need. Which in return is very dangerous for our children. Honestly, the only person that cares about the students genuinely.... the security at the front door. The most genuinely kind, and caring person to students, and their families. But if you don't want your child to be bullied and teachers to be disrespected on a daily basis in front of your child and nothing be done about it, keep looking because this is not it.

This school has to improve with their staff. From the coordinator to the teachers. My child…read morestruggled keeping up with her grades, and her teacher offered no support at all. Teacher did not reached out to me knowing she was falling way behind in class and did not offered to give my child the opportunity to makeup missing assignments. Instead she and the coordinator were so focused on having a meeting days before the school is over so they can write a report that we had a meeting as a formality. My child also experienced discrimination from the teacher. The teacher allowed other children to celebrate their birthdays in class and she refused to give my child the same opportunity. Mrs kovas said I can bring lunch if I liked and she can have lunch with the parents. For back to school night she did not once acknowledged me at all or greet me there was only one parent left and a child. I let the coordinator know about my concerns as a parent and she completely ignored my concerns and blamed it on my child , where I was also receiving the same lack of support from the teacher like my child. Teacher wrote false information in her reports in regards to even school supplies. My child was not given a book for math homework and the teacher lied and said that the office also gave my child a math book when I personally asked the office staff about the book and they had no idea why my child did not received a math book. Mrs kovcs gave no support and caused me extreme stress. I never been treated this way by anyone in my life. Some people should not teach.

I'd like to share my experience from the 2020-2021 school year at Calahan Elementary when my…read moredaughter was in kindergarten with Leslie Levine. While Ms. Levine presents herself as friendly, and I'm sure she's a good person outside the classroom, I feel strongly that her behavior toward young children is not appropriate for a teaching role, especially at the kindergarten level. In our time there, I observed several concerning patterns: * She frequently belittled and humiliated students in front of others. * She singled out certain children, showing clear favoritism. * She would call kids out harshly for mistakes rather than redirecting or guiding them with care. * She lacked patience for age-appropriate behavior, responding with audible sighs or annoyed grunts. * When a child struggled or acted out (as kindergartners often do), she offered little support or redirection, often just frustration. It was heartbreaking to witness, and it deeply affected my daughter's early learning experience. We eventually made the decision to switch schools for her well-being. I don't know what the school environment is like now, but I feel it's important to speak up so other parents can make an informed choice. In my view, Ms. Levine may be better suited to a role that doesn't involve direct work with young children, perhaps in a support or administrative position. This review isn't meant to be hurtful, but honest. I wish someone had shared this with me before we went through it. It was very upsetting for me to expierence this and you really never know what is really going on behind closed doors. I did try to address these concerns directly. I spoke with Ms. Levine during the school year. While she did apologize, it felt more like a formality, nothing changed in her behavior afterward, and the issues continued. There was also a teacher's assistant in the class who started out incredibly kind and gentle with the children. Unfortunately, toward the end of the year, I noticed that even she began to reflect some of Ms. Levine's behavior. It's heartbreaking to see how this kind of environment can influence others. I truly wish more teacher's assistants would feel empowered to speak up when they see things that don't sit right, especially when it involves young children.

There aren't enough positive things I could say about being part of the community at Highland Hall!…read moreHaving been at the school for three years, and having been a very active member of the schools parent community, I can say with full confidence that it is the complete staff and parent collaboration that makes the school so amazing. Both of my children are thriving in this environment, where the focus is not on technology, but in developing their creative skills in writing, mathematics, music, sports, and above all how to be wonderful humans with their fellow classmates and teachers. We see a dramatic difference from the students around the school in comparison to children who are at the same age group going to public school and for us there's no comparison. This environment allows the students to thrive in ways we only hoped our children would experience. We truly have only wonderful things to say about our experience thus far in these last three years and will absolutely look forward to staying at Highland Hall for the remainder of their education.

The antidote to hustle culture--for kids AND parents…read more Highland Hall has been transformative for our family. In a world of stress, hurry, and noise, this school pushes back hard. My ECC student is thriving in their play-based program, and I'm equally impressed by what I see in the grades. What stands out: Teachers are genuinely cared for (you can feel it in how they show up) Outdoor learning is central, not an afterthought Learning is experienced through hands, heart, and mind (and truly offline and not through a screen) Warm, open community that walks the talk Upper school students are bright, engaged, and have real relationships with each other Academic excellence through curiosity, not pressure The slower pace in early years is intentional--less rote memorization, more wonder and deep learning. It teaches families that thriving happens through joy and community, not grinding. Don't let tuition stop you from exploring. The financial assistance program is robust and real. Schedule a tour and see if Highland Hall is right for your family. For us, it's been worth every penny.

I love the masses and overall environment. father Mac is homilies are amazing. They encourage…read morerespect among communities and youth ministries.

I would give a BIG ZERO STAR if I could, worst school in the whole world, I still feel traumatized…read moreevery time that I remember how a Teacher assistant got to spanking my child not only once but TWICE, YES you read well, first and second day of school, and also the TEACHER allowed her to do it, my son was just 4 years old, he wasn't without me until that day, of course that he was going to cry like all the kids even before to get into the classroom, it really broke my heart when I saw my son's beautiful eyes sad and with sígnala of being crying the whole day and telling me that those devils were hitting his head and spanking him... we went with the principal to Express our concern and also to let him know that our son was not going back the next day, he basically suggested us that the incident was not true, by the way the secretary told us that our son once we left, he runaway crying for us... one more thing, by accident my son forgot his lunch pail in the classroom and I went back to get it, for my surprise the 2 teachers were having a "meeting" with other parents(moms) talking about my son! Besides my son was being bullying and being physically hurt, parents are bullied too if you don't get along with. If you would like to protect your children, don't even think about to send them to that horrible place, 2 days were enough for the worst nightmare EVER, after 6 years still affects me really bad, but until now I feel that I can talk about it, and if Mrs. STUMER( I'm not sure if I spelled her last name right) is still there I hope she reads this and let her know that kids tells everything!!!

As a parent of a current student I would highly recommend to try and enroll your child in this…read moreschool. This being a charter school it obviousness holds higher standards and has a stronger curriculum. The staff is wonderful and well versed in not just dealing with the children but with parents as well. When having to attend functions or having to deal with issues within their offices I am always made feel that my child is their priority. When a student attends a school the experience is completely involved on both the schools and parents end. This is the focus that Deaborn tries to achieve.

The staff is nice, but unfortunately, I cannot say the same about my overall experience with this…read moreschool. My daughters attended kindergarten here, and there was an incident involving a student exposing himself to other children. When I brought it to administration's attention, I was told that everyone already knew about it. What I found unacceptable was that parents were never notified. My daughter came home and immediately told me what had happened. Despite that, we decided to give the school another chance for first grade because my daughters had made friends there. We are only in the second week, and the school has already implemented a "closed campus" policy that prevents parents from walking their children in. My daughter was crying and nervous about going inside, so I wanted to walk her in and help her get to her line. Instead, the principal made me feel as though I was doing something wrong for simply trying to comfort my child. He said staff could walk her over. I understand the need for school policies, but I also think schools need to know when to prioritize the actual well-being and comfort of their students. It is frustrating to see such strict enforcement of a policy while more serious concerns have seemingly received far less attention. The priorities here are very disappointing, and unfortunately, I would not recommend this school.

Putting toddlers in school is always a scary thought, but not at St. Nicholas. I could not have…read morebeen happier with the experience my older child had in fact, it was so good, that we put our younger child in the day he was eligible to start. The care and warmth that every staff member has at this school are just unmatched. Beyond the immense progress both kids have made, there is also a beautiful community that exists here for parents and kids alike. All of our future plans are centered around the kids being in this school through 8th grade. I truly love it here.

I wanted to take a moment to recognize a true hidden gem: St. Nicholas. Our family has had the…read morepleasure of having all three of our children attend this school. Our love for St. Nicholas began about eight years ago when we enrolled our twin daughters at 18 months old, and continued six years later when their little brother joined them. What makes St. Nicholas exceptional starts first and foremost with its community--staff, teachers, and parents alike. Every single person is genuinely invested in the well-being of each child. This isn't just something that's talked about; it's something that's consistently demonstrated. The second major strength is academics. Even at the young age of 18 months, the activities the children engage in are intentionally designed to help them learn and grow. I especially appreciate the early introduction and consistent use of phonics. This foundation has truly helped our children develop strong vocabularies and reading skills. Now, as parents of elementary-aged children, we continue to see the benefits of St. Nicholas's thoughtful academic approach. I greatly appreciate that the school does not over-index on technology as the primary teaching tool. Instead, children are taught essential foundational skills--such as writing, researching, and using glossaries and dictionaries--and then later use technology as a companion, not a substitute. To me, this approach is critical in developing strong critical-thinking skills, which will serve them well throughout life. I also value the principal's leadership, particularly when navigating challenging situations involving student conflicts. Rather than stepping in to resolve issues single-handedly, she partners closely with teachers and empowers them to guide the resolution process. This gives teachers ownership and reinforces a consistent, thoughtful approach to conflict resolution. To round this out with areas for growth, I do wish the school had more playground equipment for younger children, or a slightly larger campus that could accommodate bigger play spaces, such as a field--especially for after-school sports. I would also love to see the return of emotional intelligence courses that were offered a few years ago. Lastly, while I wish there were an easier way for parents to have visibility into homework, I also respect the balance St. Nicholas strikes as children get older--encouraging responsibility, accountability, and natural consequences as part of their learning journey.