I worry about MVCS. Our two sons graduated with the 2nd son having finished with his 12th grade…read moreyear less happy due to changes in staff and programming. But that was about 4 years ago. We have a young niece in MBCS but we are uncertain if MVCS will be as good as it used to be. Hopeful but uncertain. Why? Because our younger son kept in touch with friends still there and have received some unfavorable reports, especially about a two year college credit program called I think IB (?) which has been with problems. And the problems have shown up in decrease in student population. Beautiful campus. We hope reforms improve things at MVCS so we can send our niece there when she is ready for high school. RH, Marina

As a current MVC student in 8th grade MVCS is the best option for a private and christian school…read morewith a huge campus and beautiful scenery. There is only one flaw in the community I have noticed. Some parents send their kids here because they can easily afford it not because they are christian. And most of the time it's the students that go here that don't believe in Christ not the parents. I believe the school does do its best in helping students find Christ but some students just ignore that and don't care. They poke fun at students who follow Christ and try to make them like to forget about it. Sometimes it's not that bad but I think thats its not right. Another thing is the hate towards the staff is so forced and is not right. The dean of students Mr. Radar is a truly nice person and cares that the students do good in behavior. For some reason a lot of students especially those who get in trouble hate him so much. Like it's not his fault you got in trouble it's just his job to help you get out of that situation that you were in before and how to stay in the good. Students need to grow up and respect their piers and should not hate those just because of what they do at the school. This is the best school that I have gone to in my life and will most likely stay like that. -Simon Jesse Ortiz V

We adore this school! My daughter has been going to the infant care center for two months and it's…read moreamazing. I couldn't ask for anything more. The teachers are experienced and loving. My daughter, who is 1, is always excited to go to "school." The facility is exceptional and the teachers are wonderful. They speak English and Spanish. They even do art and music with the babies and toddlers. I am so happy that we found them!

My eleven month old granddaughter recently started attending The Giving Tree Academy. After an…read moreextensive search for a school that offered safety, loving care and fun, my daughter and son-in-law found The Giving Tree Academy, which recently opened the infant care area. The teachers in infant care, Miss Ruth and Miss Dolores, are so warm, friendly, knowledgeable and professional. They welcomed my granddaughter, made her feel at home, and gave her new interesting and fun experiences from the first day. The facility itself is clean, safe and attractive. We are all so excited to have found the perfect preschool for our baby.

Tara is a unique and magical educational experience in the redwood forests near Land of Medicine…read moreBuddha. Our daughters attend and are thriving in the elementary and preschool programs. The preschool program is located in the heart of Soquel. The teachers are terrific and the children and community wonderful. While in Soquel proper, they do make weekly trips up to the redwoods to play and explore. It's an excellent program filled with creative activities, traditional Montessori education, and play. The elementary program is located within the Land of Medicine Buddha, nestled amongst the redwoods, where the children hike, play in the stream, and count banana slugs while on their way to the playground. The class sizes are small which allow our daughter to receive more attention and tailored education than in a traditional public school. Montessori-style teaching meets the student at their current level of development for each subject, providing flexibility and ensuring a child is challenged and not left behind or left waiting for their classmates to catch up. The elementary school teachers are wonderful, highly experienced, and a positive influence on our daughter. Lastly, the school ethos of compassion, mindfulness, inclusion, and kindness instill important values in our children and foster a culture of like-minded parents and teachers who share these same values. PS - Refreshingly, there are no screens at Tara. The children learn through their senses and through physical objects, not by the glow of pixels and hum of electricity.

My children have been at Tara since January of 2022 and every year we are grateful to be a part of…read moretheir community. We started at the Village campus and are now at the Redwood campus. Teachers Adela, Bev, and Regina at the Village Campus are so dedicated and passionate about their work. They show up happy to be there every single day. The daily trips to the Redwood campus to be surrounded by the forest, fun field trips, and Montessori teaching approach have been so valuable to my children. Teachers Namasya and Lisa at the Redwood campus have also been wonderful in continuing the Creating Compassionate Cultures curriculum, which at the heart is based on our body's own wisdom. I love the interconnectedness and values they teach at this school: why it's important to be kind and practice gratitude towards plants and animals, how to make a difference in other's lives, the natural elements and how they pertain to us, food sources & cooking in class, how to be a good friend and so SO much more-- these values feel like the true core of what it means to be a happy, healthy & balanced human in the world and I am just so grateful to have my children learn it at such an early age. Grateful to Tara for going on five years of a truly wonderful experience.

We really appreciate the MCS community and would definitely recommend it. Our son has been…read moreattending MCS for 2 years, starting in the Nido room when he was almost 1. He's since moved up through the toddler room and is now in the primary/ preschool community. Our new baby will be starting there this January. Our son is thriving and remains consistently challenged and nurtured. The leads in his classrooms have been wonderful, showing a genuine interest in his development. Our son had a few normal but difficult behavioral challenges in the last few months when our second son arrived and the leads and staff have responded with grace and care, working with us to support our son. The space and setting is also beautiful!

All three of my kids have attended and some still do. They started at their Nido program and have…read moregone through (or still are) Toddler and Primary. The guides and aides are and have been loving and caring towards my children. Furthermore, they have helped provide more than simply a nice place to play and have fun. My kids have learned lots of skills that have translated to home and academics. They have helped support our kids in aspects of life we may have been working on at home (i.e. napping, toileting, and the like). My kids enjoy going and I feel good about sending them there.

Pioneer is a hidden gem! If you or anyone you know is looking for an amazing small school for a…read more6th-8th grader, please give them a call. Pioneer Academy has been a life saver for our son and has allowed him to enjoy his early tween/teen years without bullying or social peer pressure. He's happy, excelling, and loving his time there. I cannot say enough good things about this amazing school and the directors...from the morning hikes, daily meditation, life skills (learning how to communicate and effectively express what you feel, nutritional food cooking and shopping, friend/family problem solving), science, math, college-note taking, english, writing, physical education (anywhere from yoga, martial arts, cross-fit), field trips and multi cultural education, I could go on but it's best to go see for yourself.

Our son just completed his first year at Pioneer. After six years of public school, we experienced…read morea complete transformation from real resistance to going to school to it being a source of joy for him every day. Pioneer provides a safe learning environment with a focus on wellness and acceptance. We are very impressed with their approach both with academics and social-emotional support. All of the teachers are incredibly patient with and fair to the students. Because of this safe learning environment, our son excelled in academic subjects he had little interest in before.

Small classes sizes of 20 or less! College prep work and mental health support from Rachel the…read morecounselor. Teachers have office hours after school and always contact parents. Students get support for both academic hiccups and emotional battles. my son has never felt more supported :)

My daughter is finally thriving and doing well after lots of bullying and over worked teachers. The…read moreteachers at Cypress are happy and it shows. The college prep curriculum is strong but doable. Lots of time for teachers pay attention n support the students due to small class sizes. Principle and counselor are super engaged for whatever support is needed. They are on top of issues quick. Love this place!!!

Pacific Elementary has been the most incredible gift to my family. It's been the perfect…read moreenvironment for my kids to flourish socially and academically. We participated in both the 3 day and 5 day programs. Since my son graduated every time he goes back he gets a little sad and extremely grateful, thinking how much he misses it. Amazing teachers, a warm culture, responsive staff that know and love all the kids...it's such a special school. And such special programs...Food lab, where the kids make the food using fresh organic local produce, and they have a large garden. My kids take so much pride in their cooking skills. I seriously couldn't have asked for more in an elementary school experience for my kids..and I am very picky.

This preschool is amazing! All the teachers are wonderful and so helpful including the office…read morefacility. My son loves it there so much.

Whenever I ask my daughter if she likes her school she shouts, "No, I love it!" Wonderful teachers,…read morelarge campus, bilingual program, fabulous librarian, and some of our dedicated parents have worked to launch EXPLORE AfterSchool, an after school enrichment program with enormous potential. Plus, the totally rad people of Santa Cruz approved a measure that is allowing us to do some major, much needed maintenance upgrades. Our score on Great School doesn't look like much but when I come to Bay View and watch my little daughter run, laugh and play with kids from so many different backgrounds I am filled with optimism and pride. She is learning so much at this wonderful school. I'm proud to be a Bay View parent and proud to send my kids to a Santa Cruz city public school.

I think sometimes people get a little over-anxious about junior's second-grade experience. Is he…read morebeing challenged? Are his interpersonal skills appropriate encouraged? Do his teachers understand his personal foibles? He's in second-grade. So long as he's reading the appropriately-colored book and hasn't bitten anyone, he's probably fine. This was a great school, as far as I recall. We were a rag tag bunch of kids of hippies, some farm workers, academics from UCSC and pretty much everything you could think of. What I remember best is that we had great guest speakers. There was an environmentalist from up on campus who came to give a talk about unleaded gas (yes, I'm that old), and a lady from the temple who showed us how to play the dreidel at Hanukkah, someone's dad gave a translated account of Mexican Independence for Cinco de Mayo, and a sweet hippie who played us songs about love and peace in music class.