We've had such a wonderful experience at Pacific! From the very first day, the staff made us feel completely at ease. You can tell right away how much they care about the kids. The teachers create a warm and nurturing environment where learning feels like play. Our children have grown so much in confidence, independence, and social skills since joining. And our oldest was fully prepared and now doing great in elementary school. Communication with parents is also excellent. We always feel informed and appreciated as part of the school community. The facility is clean, organized, and clearly designed with the children's comfort and safety in mind. We're so grateful for Jessica, Aimee, Julia, and all of the wonderful teachers! read more

My son has attended Pacific for two years and we have had the best experience. He has been in two rooms and both of them were great experiences. All of the teachers are engaging and my son loves them! He runs out onto the playground in the morning to see his teachers. Miss Vicky, Miss Roxy, Miss Jesenia, Miss Mery Miss Brie, Miss Tiffany are excellent. Pacific was also fantastic helping potty train my son and honestly they had more patience with him than I did! My son is very active and quite the handful but they never treat it like a problem instead they help him use his energy in positive ways. The Director, Miss Jessica, has really gone above and beyond accommodating our requests. If you live in San Elijo or surrounding areas Pacific is the best choice. At night my 2 year old tells me "I want to go to school." I say ok let's go to sleep and you can go to school in the morning and he wants to go to school so badly he lies right down! What more could you ask for as a parent than your kid telling you they want to go to school. read more

I am writing to share my recent experience with the administration at Pacific Pre-school and Kindergarten at San Elijo as I feel it's important for prospective families to be aware of the challenges they may face. Dismissive attitude: During my time at Pacific Pre-school and Kindergarten, the administration exhibited a concerning lack of professionalism and empathy, particularly when it became clear that my family would be leaving the school. Initially, interactions with the staff seemed adequate, but as our departure approached, the tone and demeanor of the administration changed drastically. Worst ever administration department at the school especially JESSICA and JULIA. They don't provide required guidance needed for parents and students. The RUDENESS and UNHELPFULNESS became apparent in several ways: They will put unnecessary mini break-s for a week or two, which makes working families difficult to handle the kids and then they ask you to pay extra for those breaks. The charges they charge are INSANE. DON'T EVER SETUP AUTO-PAY since they send you a different in-voice and charges in the account deducted are different. When you ask them to stop the auto-pay even before day or two, they will tell they cannot stop auto-pay. Don't believe them when they say they Prorate the fees if your child's last day of school is determined. They will charge more than 90% fees even if your child is not even attending the 30% of days in a month. They just DON'T UNDERSTAND the basic math. Not sure if they even graduated from High school before joining as administrators. They come up with stupid rules when the families are about to leave, which are not told to you when you join the school. And the owner Lynda never replies to emails/texts/calls. I have heard many parents talking to them regarding fees at their desk, and they sound rude to everyone. It's disheartening when a school's administration, which should be supportive and understanding, instead becomes a source of frustration. I hope this feedback serves as a constructive critique and prompts a reflection on how interactions with departing families are handled. read more

We love Pacific Preschool our little girl loves going there and she gets to do a lot of inside and outside play that is educational and very creative. The teachers are so so kind and we are truly impressed. We have been on a waitlist for a very long time and got lucky this year. read more

We have had such a great experience here this year! We had a rough start transitioning to daycare initially because the home daycare we started with had a hard time getting him to nap. Not only did he nap here with no problem at all on day 1, the staff is super responsive and welcoming and the teachers are kind, patient, and supportive. They all know my child by name, even the ones who don't have him in their class. It's clean, well-maintained, with high quality toys and activities for the kids. He had some separation anxiety at first but they were so responsive and helpful, and it didn't take long at all for him to adjust. I could not recommend this place enough! read more

Great environment. Teachers, Staff and Admin care about each child. Everything we want for a a Preschool. Thanks!

1) No app for sign in/out or substantive updates on students. 2) Arbitrary sick policy that often results in congested students who are not sick being sent home. 3) Significant amount of days off leaving parents to solve for additional childcare support. 4) Administration not personable/responsible. 5) No breakfast/lunch provided and no ability for the daycare to warm up food. read more

My son is on the Autism spectrum, and functions typically aside from some behavior that is under control in his current preschool. He is headed to regular kindergarten in the fall with minor support. Last summer, when we were enrolled, on several occasions I was called to pick up my son in the main office. I shared some basic behavior supports that worked at home, and they could not implement with any consistency, then they blamed my 3 year old son when he got wound up for his behavior. I took him out and he's thriving without them. They more or less asked us to leave which we were happy to do. I am sick I sent him there. They are nice folks but have zero support and skills in dealing with behavior, and will escalate the most mundane situation with your child. They had my son so wound up, he was licking the wall when my husband picked him up. Be warned if your child doesn't fit the mold, they will suffer. read more

As expected, the response from Pacific Preschool doesn't address the concerns laid out in the original review, but instead lays the blame on my wife and I, their paying customers. This just goes to further reinforce point 5. As to the comment that we did not bring up our concerns during the school year, that's just flat-out false. I have several e-mails and responses that I saved in reference to issues that we brought up - the only thing that posting them here would do is further reinforce how snarky and condescending the communication from the staff is. I think the comment on my original review is proof enough, further reinforcement of that through posting those e-mails would just be piling on at this point. read more

Words cannot express what Pacific Preschool means to us. We have been part of their "family" since day 1 and having had years of experience with other daycares/preschools in the surrounding area, nothing compares- I promise!! To start, we are inspired by Lynda's (the founder) philosophy, knowledge, and leadership. From each and every staff person/teacher to the detail and educational ingenuity each day holds - our child has grown more in the past year and a half than we could have imagined. We are blown away by the accelerated learning, ability for our daughter to learn strong values, and openness to developing her strengths and creativity. Our little girl attends full time, 5 days a week and there would be no other place I'd want her to be as PP is truly a second home. The bond she has with her teacher who we LOVE (Miss Tara!!), to the Director (Miss Emily) - to the founder (Miss Lynda) - and so many other amazing teachers there - we are ever grateful. While I encourage you to do your homework - ask questions, do interviews, check out the competition - I hope you find yourself choosing this school. I guarantee you will love, love, love every part of it. read more

We left Pacific on our own will with a very bad taste in our mouths. However prior to our departure, I would have described the school as "ok". There was nothing that wow'd me about the school. We switched from a Reggio school in Carlsbad due to convenience/location to our house. The location is great if you live in San Elijo Hills. We moved both of our children with 9 weeks left to the school year. My Kindergartner transferred to SEES and from an education standpoint he seemed to be fairly prepared. I definitely wouldn't say that he was profoundly over-prepared above and beyond which you might expect from a private experience, but he wasn't terribly behind so the transition was fine. He did seem to enjoy his teacher. A few things that I think the school doesn't do great is no parent volunteers or room moms. If you ask, you can come in for special occasions like a holiday craft but I wish they offered more volunteer spots to really be engaged in your childs room. You also never had coordination for the teachers birthday or teacher appreciation week. From the parent perspective, it seems like they didn't go the extra mile for the staff to make them feel appreciated. They also have had many teachers leave over the last 6 months. And my younger childs teacher left for a better opportunity and it was handled VERY poorly. They didn't even let her say goodbye to the children. After many complaints from parents they "let" her come back to read a book to the class but it was very poorly handled and there was no opportunity for a proper goodbye. It was very difficult for my preschooler and several other children struggled with the sudden change as well. Also beware of Miss Lynda the owner. If you have an encounter with her you will most likely hear about her "40 years of experience" and be spoken to like you are a student at the preschool. Her mannerisms are not pleasant in my opinion. After speaking to several friends who are no longer at Pacific who have moved on to the elementary school, many have said that their child was never truly happy there. When I probed as to the "why" there aren't tangible reasons but the children just never wanted to be there. Miss Vicky in the smallest age room is the best thing that school has going for them. She's wonderful. I can happily say that my older child transitioned perfectly and his anxiety is gone, his behavior is a non issue and he seems overall more happy. How does this change practically overnight? It was a toxic environment for him and he felt unwanted and this fueled even more issues. He is a different child. My younger child transitioned perfectly too and is happy as can be at his new school! I would not recommend Pacific to a friend. read more

We couldn't be happier with Pacific Preschool! We started our daughter there at the beginning of July and have very thoroughly impressed. It makes me so happy at pickup everyday when I see my daughter hugging her teachers goodbye and hearing the occasional "I love you." I can already see her growing and learning and that makes me confident in our decision to send her to Pacific Preschool. This past week our daughter was a little under the weather and ALL the teachers (including the hands-on, highly involved Owner) treated the situation with assiduousness while caring so well for Avery. My husband and I were very appreciative of their efforts to make sure our daughter was okay while also keeping in mind her classmates. Prior to sending our daughter to Pacific, we attended an orientation class, as well as two "trial" days for our daughter. Both of these took place at the school while it was in session and both my husband and I were impressed with the quality of the curriculum, the calmness of the classrooms, the happiness of the kids and again, the involved, hands-on, happy teachers. We feel lucky to have found a preschool of such quality and look forward to seeing how much our daughter will develop over the next few years. read more

Pacific Preschool was a great experience for my twin daughters. I loved the structure and environment. The administration was amazing- from Lori who was always a happy welcome each morning to Emily who is destined for great things with Pacific. She is kind, professional and knows the children and parents so well. You can't ask for anything more in a preschool in our small town. It is flexible for working parents, knowledgeable (Director has wonderful experience with preschools), well staffed and the teachers are all so invested in making the overall experience wonderful. I appreciated the open communication and relationship I had with the staff and the preschool always introduced fun new learning themes and my girls can home talking about new things that they learned all the time. read more

I was happy with the teachers we had at Pacific Preschool. Loved Ms. Barbara. Ms. Tara always had a smile and energetic personality and all of the kids (and parents) love her! Ms. Cynthia at the front desk was great, too. And Ms. Janet was wonderful -- such a great, loving, calming soul, especially for kids who struggle with separation anxiety. Communication wasn't always the best and I was often made to feel like a preschooler myself by the way in which the owner (not the Director, Miss Emily) talks to adults. This is a play-based center without a heavy focus on "academics." My kids entered public kindergarten right in the middle of their class, incoming skills-wise. In hindsight, I wish there was a little more of a focus on learning the alphabet, beginning reading skills, and other things that would have made the transition to kindergarten that much easier for them. Expectations of kindergarteners are very different now than they were years ago. Convenience-wise, this school can't be beat if you are a resident of SEH. read more

I visit this school regularly as an Early Intervention Specialist, and I can not say enough wonderful things about thins school!!!! I visit many schools in the surrounding area as a E.I. specialist, as well as comparing it to the preschools that I had my own children in, and by far this is the BEST preschool I have encountered!! The staff is so knowledgeable, and friendly. They offer such a diverse selection of activities for the children. One week they were working on countries, and each class room offered research on a country and then shared it with the rest of the school. They even made passports for each child!! Snack time was even based on foods from the different countries!! That is just an example of how far this school goes to offer superior care and education to these little people. If you are looking for a quality preschool, I highly recommend Pacific Preschool! read more

This is a tough review to write. I love some of the staff at this preschool. This was my top choice for my 3 year old when I was researching preschools. My child's first classroom experience didn't go so well. Lots of negativity from the teacher without much positivity. Lots of my other friends had issues with this teacher. COVID hit and we were at home for a good portion of my child's first year. Once we returned in a different classroom, it seemed to be going well. However, my child had some behavior issues. As some of the other negative reviews, the preschool has a hard time with behavior issues. If your child has any behavior issues, this school may not be the right one. Don't get me wrong, the staff worked with me and my child and helped me get outside support for my child; however, when push came to shove, they we not able to work with my child with the supports we were getting set up. Many of my friends left this preschool because they can't handle students with behavior concerns - mainly ADHD. I didn't know my child had ADHD until school started. I was trying to help my child and work with the preschool. However, they kicked out my child - a 4 year old. read more

My daughter only attended for a few months before we had to move out of state but we loved the school, programs, and staff there. Our daughter grew in vocabulary and potty training while there and excelled in her creative skills as well. The class size was great and there was a lot of individual attention given to each student. We highly recommend the school and miss it a lot! read more

I've been a yelp "user" for 6 years, but this is only the 2nd review I've written. The reason I'm writing one? Because I absolutely love Pacific Preschool! We were very selective when picking a preschool and toured numerous locations prior to committing to Pacific. Both my husband and I are educators and we were looking for a school that incorporates early academics with play in a nurturing and warm environment. In Pacific, we have found all of that. All of the staff at Pacific are fantastic - it's so nice that our son is greeted by name and a smile from the moment he walks in the door -- by office staff, teachers in his classroom, teachers in other classrooms, after school staff, etc. We feel like he is truly loved. My son's classroom has a great balance of structure, routine, flexibility and fun. Every single day he is learning new things and amazes us with the stories he comes home and shares with us. He has made so many friends at school, too. Fortunately for me, his friends at school have amazing parents... so we've been lucky to meet new friends, as well! So impressed with Pacific Preschool and look forward to several more years of enrollment! read more

My son started right when the school opened and left when he started Kindergarten. We were so happy we had our daughter start the moment she was age-eligible and continued through the summer before her T-K started. Our son was in three preschools prior in SD county (due to geographic reasons) and Pacific had by far the most caring staff. I have nothing but positive comments to share about Miss Linda, then Miss Emily. What warm and considerate people considering the tough job they have managing expectations of all the dozens and dozens and dozens of parents. Our son was in two other preschools prior in SD county (due to geographic reasons) and Pacific was by far the most caring staff. My wife and me were amazed at the progress our children had on a daily and weekly basis. I am shocked that there are less-than five-star reviews on Yelp. Of course, most reasonable people understand that for each one of these, there are hundreds and hundreds (remember they have been open for years and have "graduated" children out of their school) of parents who don't write reviews who have been and are happy customers. read more

My daughter went to PP from 2 1/2 to 5 yrs old. We started at the PP in Laguna Niguel and transferred to San Elijo about 1 1/2 yrs ago. Both schools were great but the SE one was even more supportive then I could have hoped for. The staff are professional, warm, knowledgeable and experienced. My daughter transitioned here without skipping a beat because everyone was so great (including the other kids!). The curriculum was engaging, the facility is new and inviting, the teachers are open and communicated well with our family on a regular basis. Very positive experience. We love Miss Judy! read more

We had both our daughters enrolled in Pacific Preschool recently. We had to leave due to job relocation. If you are looking for a "school" environment then Pacific Preschool is the place. If you are looking for a Child Daycare center- Prestige is down the street ( they are good too!). The staff are professional- a lot of them continue their higher education. All the teachers and assistant teachers understand the emotional, developmental and intellectual needs of the preschooler. They are focused and centered around preparing the child for school. They worked with my daughters on their colors, numbers, letters, writing, fine and gross motor skills. We saw our eldest flourish at Pacific. She came out of her shell, and made friends. The teachers tailored to my child's strengthens and weaknesses in all areas. They paired my daughter with another little girl who complimented her temperament and personality. Our youngest only got to attend for 1 month but she also enjoyed her time with them and loved Ms. Vickie instantly. Their schedule is based off of a public school schedule so, they were off for a couple of weeks throughout the year but again, this is a Pre- School, not a daycare center. I do admit it was a challenge to find care for our children during those weeks off, but they did offer "Mini weeks" for some of the week long time off sessions, enough that we were down to juggling 4 weeks off, total. I think this year, they have increased the number of mini weeks offered, so they are trying to meet the needs of working parents. The teachers and Ms Emily made themselves as much available as we could be with them. We engaged with the teachers during parent conferences. I lot of communication occurred during drop off and pick up. There have been times where I did schedule an appointment with Ms. Emily to discuss concerns. We have had our girls in other daycare facilities including KinderCare and Prestige. Something different with Pacific Preschool is the faculty are not revolving. My daughters have had the same teacher for the whole school year. We feel that consistency is important with their development. Also, structurally, the 18 month class stay together throughout the school year, and do not move out once they turn 2 or 3. We have experienced in the other daycare facilities different teachers coming and going as well as different friends leaving once they hit a birthday. It was big adjustment for my girls to get used to new teachers and group dynamics every month. At Pacific, there is some turnover, but usually it's reserved for change of school year, as much as possible. read more

We have been going to pacific preschool since it opened, and we are extremely pleased with our experience. Our younger daughter has been in pre-k, 5 days a week, for 2 years, and is about to attend kinder there as well. These are what we feel are the pluses and minuses of the school: Plus: - the teachers: AMAZING. Caring, patient, they communicate with us. -the director: Lynda is great. Always open and available for dialogue, she has an excellent vision for the school, and really works with parents to make their child's experience successful. My daughter was a biter, and the previous school we attended made her, and us as parents feel like lepers. Miss Lynda went out of her way to help our daughter remain an active and accepted student at the school, and we are grateful -the hours and days available: previous schools we have been at charged for every 15 min after 4 PM, or pickup needed to be by 5. Pacific is open until 6, which is great for our dual working family. As far as the amount of days the school is closed, through our experience the school is open around the same amount as other schools such as aspirations, or Encinitas country day where our older daughter attended. Minus: -the cost: it isn't cheap, however, again our older child went to aspirations and ECDS, and the prices there were more expensive than Pacific, so I don't think they are unusual for the area. read more

i met the owners ,and find out that they operate a very professional wonderful business. the preschool which is run by these decent guys is on top of list in orange county. good bless them in the way they serve our community. read more