Spray Ave
Monterey, CA 93940

This has been a great school and a great experience for my son. Everyone here is welcoming, down to earth, hardworking, humble and have a great sense of community. Despite having a high ratio of ESL learners their test scores are are quite strong, which shows the effort that staff and teachers put into their students. My son has found the curriculum to be too easy and school a little boring. I also think kindergarteners shouldn't have so much homework but I guess they wouldn't have the high grades they do without it. Aside from these minor issues, it has been a good school overall.

I am writing this mostly looking at it from the perspective of their "middle school" grades such as 6-8th at La Mesa. No homework, no real control of classrooms (complete chaos from all accounts of all the people and kids I talked to), and simply zero electives or sports for the kids. You know its bad when your child is the one saying its a complete waste of their life and that we need to move school districts or they will fail in High School. We did exactly that, after a year at La Mesa we moved to another district with notable financial costs and it was one of the best choices we could have made. Plays in multiple sports with strong school spirit, no longer has bullies in their classes who are rotating in/out of the principles offices with no real punishments (other schools actually do real detention or suspensions - the classes actually function academically), and actually has taken on self-studying and reading because academically interested. Thinking that the convenience and proximity of La Mesa to the housing for NPS was a good situation was simply foolish - this elementary school simply does not know how to deal with Middle Schoolers outside of their emotions. I feel like a bad parent for waiting a full year to move and get out of the Monterey Schools district. I have spoken to many people living in housing who had to similarly move, go to private schools, or homeschool after less than a year. Those that "stick it out" often have significant instruction at night or tutoring to compensate.If you have a K-3 kids, sure it's likely fine as to be honest those years are a wash. But if you have a kid beyond that, this school is wildly inadequate. My elementary school kid in their new school does more science experiments and field trips than my "middle schooler" did at La Mesa by over a factor of 10.

Monterey high has the best admin and counseling staff!