Santa Margarita Elementary School

Our experience with this school has been fantastic. The principle is very hands on and it is obvious she cares deeply about each of her students and teachers. She is great about communicating with us as parents and quick to resolve any issues that come up with our kids in the classroom or on the playground. Bullying is absolutely not tolerated and kindness is encouraged every day at this school.

The leadership at this school is sub par to say the least. My child was horribly bullied here and the principal Mrs. Porter did nearly nothing. She had a "talking to" to the bully but brushed it off because she knew the bully since he was a kid and couldn't believe it was "that bad". The only way it was resolved was when I went to the parents of the bully myself and it turned out Mrs Porter never even told the parents! The parents were horrified and together we fixed the situation.

My children have attended this school for 3 years now and it has only continued to go down hill. The school curriculum is a joke. The "common core" is only hindering children's ability to learn & make discerning thought processes. "Lambie the Lamb says Baaaa.... the letter 'A' says AAAA". whatever happened to A is for apple? This has confused students & isolated adults from being able to help their own children. Everything I see come home from my kids is BACKWARDS thinking & ridiculous. How is it that we hold a Masters Degree yet can't figure out their idiotic teaching methods? I am very disappointed in this school. The curriculum is a joke & the timeline of class schedules is equally irritating. Children who are in different classes require parents to pickup/drop off at random times. I have to drive to that school 4 times a day! This makes my family and toddler suffer throughout the week to accommodate their ill planned schedule. Plus, parking is a nightmare. The new principal has parents picking kids up in the BACK of the school in a PARKING LOT. As we are waiting in our HOT CARS in the sun, we wait for our kids & navigate around children who RUN in the parking lot. DANGEROUS!

I have two children that attend Santa Margarita Elementary School. They both love to get up to go to school every morning. The school is wonderful. It has a small hometown feeling. The principal is very caring. I always see her helping out around the school whether it is in the classrooms, on the playground, or helping the kids cross the street.