Foothill Ranch Elementary currently has over 1,100 students, way beyond its designed capacity of…read more650, by adding modular classrooms. Traffic is horrible during the drop-off and dismissal periods. Parents are filling parkings at the FR public library, Borrego Park, and neighborhood streets, yet it is an hour gridlock in the morning and the afternoon. Police officers have been seen on-site to keep traffic moving and give citations, and the crossing guard did her best to keep pedestrians safe. Summer 2023 FRE underwent a major renovation that lasted the entire Summer. It now has a digital marquee that shuts off at 6pm. Fall 2023 FRE got a new principal, transferred in from Serrano Intermediate School. FRE was a California Blue Ribbon school once upon a time. I hope it can achieve academic excellence again soon.

This school sucks I was here and they're staff is horrible the teachers also are mean they don't…read moretake care of the school they're is trash everywhere one of the supervisors called me Pathetic and more she also touched me this is the worse school I have gone too.

We definitely wish we signed our son up here sooner. Our son has learned so much and the small…read moreclass size allows our son the extra help when needed. They provide a loving environment and I drop off my son daily knowing he will be cared for and will learn. Everyone knows our son my name and he always loves to tell us about his day. They have farm animals (a pig and a tortoise) but the pig is not for play but the tortoise the kids get to feed. If you're on the fence, please give Country Village a chance. Thank you Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Yuta, and Ms, Mary I will be sad once our son leaves for Kindergarten

I am so glad that we found Country Village! When we enrolled Onyx he was speaking very little. It…read morewas also very hard to get him to follow directions. He has been in Ms. Sucell's class for five months now and it's like he's a completely different child. He has grown his vocabulary so much, he is following directions much easier and he loves saying his ABCs, numbers and reading books. Their staff is amazing Miss Jutta and Miss Baja were so patient with him because he used to cry when it was time to go into school. They calmed my mind and assured me that this was a normal part of the transition and sure enough he quickly began walking into school without tears. Ms Jennifer is always sending me pictures and I love that! I also love that they take temperatures at the door every morning and I have no idea how they get Onyx to wear his mask but every day he comes out with it on! They are child whisperers :) I couldn't have chosen a better school to help develop our Onyx!

My son thrived the moment we switched him to Fulbright Academy. After years of struggling in…read moretraditional classrooms, he found what he needed here: teachers who see him as an individual learner, hands-on work that actually holds his attention, and a genuine culture of critical thinking instead of rote performance. Ms. Cherish and the team don't just teach--they coach. My son went from dreading school to running toward the door in the morning. This microschool model isn't flashy, but it's what we should have found years ago. I notice a lot of 1 star looking at some old reviews- there was a change of leadership a couple of years back and the new Director, Ms. Maha is amazing. She is always there in the morning to welcome all the kids with a warm smile and greeting. She is very involved with the community and runs a tight ship. You can tell she genuinely cares about her students and her staff and I think that's what has made a difference with our experience.

My daughter attended here for their elementary program and absolutely thrived. You're not only…read moregoing to get superior education but you are joining a family. A family, spear headed by the lovely Ms. Maha, that will have you and your child's best interest, both in school and out. Ms. Cherish is AMAZING. She knows how to teach in a way where my daughter was confident and wanted to come home and share what she was learning every single day. That speaks volumes in terms of a different montessori she used to attend. She is attentive to your child's specific needs, both educationally and personally, and to be honest I could not have asked for anyone better to help guide my daughter throughout her upper elementary education.

All my chikdren have attended Guidepost Montessori since a very young age. We have had the…read morewonderful opportunity to meet great teachers who are not only experienced but passionate for the Montessori method. My youngest son just started in the Nido program and I know that he is in great and loving hands. Ms Abby and her team are very nurturing, experienced and caring towards the infants. I can go to work in peace knowing that my son is not only cared for with love but is also in an environment that is truly focused on the Montessori philosophy starting as early as infant age. Love the Guides! love the prepared environment!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Guidepost Montessori in Foothill Ranch. This has been…read moresuch a special place for our family and a huge part of our son's early growth and development. We started our son here when he was just 6 months old, and as a first time mom who is naturally very anxious, I was incredibly nervous about leaving him. I worried about everything. From day one, the guides took the time to get to know not just our son, but us as parents too. As time went on and as I built relationships with the team, my confidence grew because of the care, communication, and trust they created. Ms. Abi and her team have been absolutely incredible. Ms. Abi has been amazing at helping guide us through our son's milestones and development, always offering reassurance, insight, and support. Every single guide we have interacted with has shown genuine love and care for our son. Ms. Abi, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Marianna, Ms. Dora and so many others always took the time to give thoughtful updates about our son's day, which meant the world to us. Our son truly loves it here. He lights up every time we pull up to the building and is excited to see everyone inside. Knowing how happy and comfortable he was made all the difference for us. We are heartbroken to be leaving, only because we are moving out of state. This community has meant so much to our family, and we will always be grateful for the role they played in our son's early life. Thank you to everyone at Guidepost Foothill Ranch for creating such a warm, nurturing, and supportive environment. We will miss you all so much.

It's such a bittersweet moment for me as we say goodbye to what has truly been the best preschool…read more Both of my children started their journey here--my daughter, who is now 7, and today was my son's very last day. Leaving is incredibly emotional because this place has always felt like family. From the amazing teachers to the wonderful management and the kindest owner, every single person here has been so caring, welcoming, understanding, and supportive. The love, attention, and education they provide are simply unmatched. If you're looking for a preschool where your children will be genuinely loved, nurtured, and cared for like family, this is the place. I will miss you all so much, but I know this isn't really goodbye. I've made lifelong friends here, and I had to get all the teachers' contact information because I couldn't imagine not staying in touch. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving my children, believing in them, and giving them the most beautiful start in life. We will always be grateful

They stole our deposit and refused to refund during Covid. We never started at the school. They…read moreshutdown a week after we paid the deposit.

My daughter graduated from this school in 2015. I later found out that most of her teachers (not…read moreall) were just awful to her and her classmates/friends. Up to this day she and her friends would talk about how awful some of these teachers treated them. The teachers absolutely showed favoritism to students whose parents practically did their job by volunteering everyday and will not let any parents do so. My son was attending at this school but their Special Education is less than satisfactory because they had nothing to offer him. I ended up transferring him to Foothill Ranch Elementary and it was best thing that ever happened to him. When my son strarted attending Foothill Ranch Elementary, they sent me a letter saying that they were opening up a class accommodating my son's needs and that Portola Hills is his home school. I told them that he will never return to this school. I saw my son get bullied by these kids in front of my eyes by purposely not including him to their reading groups during Dr. Seuss birthday celebration in their classroom because he read slow. He read slow because he's autistic. My daughter is forever scarred by this school but fortunately, she overcame it with my constant re-assurance because this school destroyed her confidence. By the way, Cookie the office woman was just awful to my son. She would get upset if he comes in to the office to ask for help. If you are a brown nosing parent you will thrive in this school but if you are working mom who cannot always be there. I wish you the best but keep an eye on your children or you can transfer them to Foothill Ranch Elementary. For what it's worth, Mrs. Shanton, Mrs Morrow, Mrs Lindenhoffen (my daughter's teachers) are wonderful teachers. Mrs Lau and Mrs Franco are wonderful as well, they were my son's teachers. The rest, well...Good-luck along with the principal Mr. Ledaux (if he's still there)

This is a great school with caring teachers. My son has been here only a few months but acclimated…read morewell. The afterschool program is great and the supervisor is amazing as well (I know this should be a separate review but it is on campus). I would love it if they allowed kids to play on the playground before school like the schools in Irvine but that is my only complaint.

Worst experience. Sad to think that we live in the area, pay tax to create suck a horrible school…read more Watch your kids closely and dot not take the teacher or staff words over your kid. They lied and will blame in on the kids. Sad!

Such a Great School, Students, Staff and Parents! High…read moreexpectations, yet achievable and students show kindness. Positive experience with all teachers! LFE is amazing!

This is a brand-new campus for the Alpha School system, and I'm so grateful we decided to take a…read morechance on it for our child. From day one, everyone on campus has been warm, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. The guides are exceptional--deeply caring, highly engaged, and truly invested in each child. Even in a short time, we've already seen meaningful progress. Our child is discovering what it feels like to be genuinely proud of her work, reading at a higher level than before, and being both mentally and physically challenged in ways traditional schools never offered. Yes, as with any new campus, there are a few kinks to work out and the apps take a bit of getting used to. But the growth we've already seen gives us high confidence in the system and trust in the process. The workshops are outstanding as well. It's incredibly reassuring to know the kids are learning so effectively in just two-ish hours that they have the freedom to "play" for the rest of the day. To our daughter, school feels like one big play date with her friends--and as parents, we couldn't be happier.

5-Star Review -- Alpha School Lake Forest…read more Alpha School Lake Forest has been a truly transformational experience for my daughter. For the first time, she found real joy in learning. Every day she came home excited, proud, and full of stories about what she explored and accomplished. The environment at Alpha nurtures confidence in such a natural, beautiful way. My daughter discovered new strengths within herself, and I watched her become more self-assured, curious, and motivated. The teachers genuinely see each child as an individual, and the level of care, encouragement, and respect they give is rare and precious. What I love most is that Alpha teaches children how to learn--not just what to memorize. My daughter developed problem-solving skills, independence, and emotional intelligence that I haven't seen in traditional school settings. If you are looking for a school where your child can grow academically and personally, feel safe to be themselves, and truly enjoy the learning process, I cannot recommend Alpha School Lake Forest enough. It has been one of the best decisions for our family.

From the information provided by the school, this seems like one of the better charter schools in…read morethe area. Results from standardized tests show that this school produces good results, across all student demographics. I didn't get to tour the facilities, which did seem rather tired and in need of some renovations. The location and teachers seem okay, and the curriculum is thoughtfully designed.

As a student, the school doesn't provide neat education, the principal handles problems In…read moreunhelpful and rude ways, the secretary and staff are being nice in front of board members and parents but are rude to kids. The kids are bullies, I stuck with 1-2 friends for 2 years and The teacher Danielle Rynders scammed her way into becoming a full time teacher and she is just cruel. They have too much fundraisers and use that money to fund luxuries for the teacher and not spend it on renovation or learning expenses. Parents are being manipulated into thinking this school is great and there is a lottery now and 1000+ kids waiting in the line to get in. WAKE UP THIS SCHOOL IS NOT GREAT.

An elementary with a mix bag of faculties. While we're glad that the old is out, the a new…read moreprincipal Cory Pace is dodgy when student issues are brought up. Direct traffic when all is fine, tickles his own pickle by standing in front of parking lots to harass parents about parking when everyone is working on tight mornings, hurrying their children to school. It makes you question if the he is the principal or traffic fairy? There are also teachers, who are there to collect a check rather than to truly educate students. A word of advice for all new incoming families, there are, of course, good teachers, but just beware and gauge your own child's development. Good luck! This place will not be missed.

I was at this school for 4 years and the call rooms are very clean. The bad things about…read moremy school is the staff don't care about you when ur hurt or bullied they only care if u bring food on the play ground and there is a massive problem with bullying