Vallemar

This school is fantastic. The staff is highly dedicated and work hard so that the kids feels like they are part of something special. They hold the students accountable and expect the kids to do their best. When there's a special event, all of the staff members help out. You can see them running a carnival game, participating in Math Night, and is a part of the school's silent auction. Ms. Mirt knows all of the students by name and is highly visible. I highly recommend this school.

We dont move out of Pacifica because of Ortega. If Im counting my blessings - this school and their staff are counted twice! I appreciate how transparent the teachers are when my little ones progress and updates on parent square make things so much easier. My kids wake up and are eager to come. They rave about the lessons they learn and we spend car rides talking about their days. Bonus - The lessons on diversity are appreciated. The only downer is the parking situation but the volunteers help move the car line along. Anywho! Thank you to all the staff who empower my littles and so many others to be fearless learners, dreamers, and overall good human beings :)

One star. We're leaving after four years of unresolved safety, supervision, academic, and privacy issues. I kept hoping the school would improve. It didn't. It got worse. What broke us this year was the school's handling of a four-month illness.Between October and the end of January, my daughter was mostly out. In that entire span, not a single teacher, the principal, or the vice principal reached out. Not once. The only outreach came from one office staff member. The fundraising solicitations, meanwhile, kept arriving on schedule. For a school that markets itself on "values," that was clarifying.Academic support was worse than the silence. On paper, support was offered. In reality: no teacher conferences, no meaningful communication, and a string of AI-generated documents instead of actual engagement. After months, a paper-only "support plan" that was clearly AI-generated and not of great quality shall we say, with no timeline, no proposed communication detail, and no accountability. Months in, the principal finally informed me they "can't help" because what I was asking for sounds like "independent study." We lost months of irreplaceable instructional time.This year also brought unresolved bullying ("pretend tasers" used on classmates), regular yelling at students, and a testing incident where another child could see and comment on my daughter's score. In small classrooms, supervision should be easy. Instead, the pattern is the same every time: staff deny anything happened, then quietly change procedures or remove items afterward.Academics are unremarkable. STEAM gets heavy billing in the brochures and delivers very little in practice. Enrichment is thin; theater is about the only bright spot.Accountability is the worst part. Push back, and you find out the "investigations" wouldn't pass scrutiny anywhere. Example: interviewing two children simultaneously with the conclusion baked in. Raise a concern and you get tone-policing and retaliation. Most parents don't push back, and I understand why. Escalating doesn't help, even up to the Archdiocese.It's a real shame, because there are good teachers here. The second grade teacher, PE, and extended care staff are genuine bright spots. The problem is structural, and it sits with leadership.We're quitting, like other fed-up families before us.

My daughter is graduating middle school this year and has been attending Highlands since pre-K. Blessed with everything at Highlands. Academics, safety, community. A+++

My son started at PacBay in 2020 during the pandemic and graduated in 2024. PacBay listened to parents' suggestions and input. My son excelled academically, socially and emotionally at PacBay. Each one of the teachers that my son had was awesome. Special shout out to the college counselor, I cannot thank PacBay enough. My son just finished his first year at an Ivy League university. I can attest that the education that my son received at PacBay was solid and prepared him very well for college. PacBay is a hidden gem. I would highly recommend it.