Catalina Ventura School

I have taught at this school for close to ten years. I am pleased with the progress we had made with family and community connections. We have struggled with state test scores but our scores have improved. The teachers are dedicated to the students and it shows because the students are here every day.

I have 2 children attending here & our experience has been extremely disappointing.1 major issue involved report cards & grading errors. The school previously provided printed report cards during conferences, but suddenly stopped & insisted everything had to be viewed online. When I explained ParentVUE was not generating the actual report card page, only grade breakdowns, front office staff were rude & dismissive, even telling me it was a “personal problem.” After contacting the district, I was informed I absolutely had the right to request a printed report card.When the school finally printed one, I noticed a 2nd quarter D that should not have been there. I keep all records & retrieved the original report card showing the correct grade. The teacher admitted through ParentVUE that it was a mistake & apologized but the office refused to fix it, saying it was “too late” & “not a big deal” Only after I went directly to the district with proof & teacher messages was the error corrected.Bullying & student safety have also been major concerns. My daughter experienced ongoing bullying that staff failed to properly address despite multiple reports. A counselor even dismissed concerns by asking if she had “tried ignoring it.” The bullying escalated to harassment at school events & another student bringing an avocado to school & chasing my daughter with it after learning she had a severe avocado allergy. The school never properly followed up regarding this incident.There was also an ongoing issue with a student attempting to kiss my children & other students during extended day. My children repeatedly asked him to stop, they reported it & I personally called to complain. The student’s grandmother worked there - present during the times he did this, yet administration still failed to properly intervene.My son also experienced bullying, including another student threatening to get a gun & kill him. Students saying he was too white, his sister cant be his sisters & tried to dare him to kiss her. Again, little to nothing was done.1 has IEP - did not give service minutes for 3 months! Communication with teachers & administration has been extremely poor. My daughter’s teacher often took weeks or months to respond, if he responded at all.Overall, this school has shown a lack of accountability, poor communication, failure to protect students & no urgency regarding serious concerns. I am now looking to transfer my children elsewhere.

First I wanna throw a little shade to a sister school not going to name it but… its by the park. I walked in and No one acknowledged me which was kind of sad. I said Good Morning, some one replied with yes? No good Morning, no how may I help you no nothing. I got some info and walked out. I searched up nearest sister school and found Madrid. 1st impression: it smelled so good. You walk in and it has a home like feeling. All 4 people in the office greeted me with GOOD MORNING even before I said anything. I smiled and in my heart I knew I had found the perfect school for my kiddos. As one of the ladies is helping me, students are walking in and the ladies greeted them by their names! That truly made my day. To me it means they make everyone feel welcomed and cared for. It seems they truly love what they do. I know its weird but I came back at dismissal and spoke to some parents everyone praised the principal. They told me how very involved she is with the kids and parents. They said she is kind and so down to earth. They also said they have long term teachers and that tells me alot about Madrid. My kiddos will be attending this coming school year and I cant wait.