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St. Joseph Academy

Private | K-12 | 223 students

Living in San Marcos

Situated in an urban neighborhood. The median home value is $335,000. The average monthly rent for a 2 bedroom apartment is $1,600.

Source: Sperling's Best Places
 
Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars


Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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6 reviews of this school


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Posted September 10, 2008

This is a great Catholic school for K-8 to teach your kids the real Catholic faith and values. But don't send your kids here to high school. Its just too small and the teacher you get sick of and there aren't very many classes and the high school is so small like dinky.
—Submitted by a student


Posted May 28, 2007

Sierra Madre Academy is a great school and it teaches moral, Roman Catholic views and the teachers are dedicated and love what they do. There is a small amout of students there, which may be a drawback for some people and the sports, of course, since it is so small, it is difficult to have a strong sports system, but they have our teams i leagues and they do their best to give us the best education that is possibe.
—Submitted by a student


Posted December 28, 2006

I had my children here at one time. This is a great school to teach the Catholic Faith. Academics are less than desirable. The teacher turnover is remarkably high.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 15, 2006

This is by far the best school in California! I say with total confidence as both my 8 year old and 17 year old will never forget what they learned there. Sierra Madre academy is a diamond Gods jewel so to speak. It is rich with Love Catholic true tradition and such teamwork from the teachers to the parents and the most well behaved true leaders in the High School I have ever seen. I am so thankful so blessed so fortunate to have had my children be a part of this Glorious wonderful little school with so much heart and true catholic vision words nearly cheapen the experience I adore this school
—Submitted by Theresa, a parent


Posted September 9, 2004

Unfortunately because of a long commute my 4 children can no longer attend Sierra Madre Academy. They attended for 4 years previously and it was the best thing that ever happened to us. SMA has teachers who are so special. They truly love the children and are a living example of their faith every day. At SMA the children learn by example, how to incorporate their faith into their every day lives. The academics are excellent in that they are 'back to basics'. The after school clubs, (Works of Mercy) are fun and a great way to get kids and parents into service. A wonderful art program is utilized and supported by the staff which is rare at schools today. My children now attend a diocesean school where the faith is watered down and the most parents are practicing smorgesborg Catholisism. Sierra Madre Academy truly is, God's school.
—Submitted by Lori McKenna, a parent


Posted January 4, 2004

The school works dilegently to hire faculty who are committed, practicing Roman Catholics who are on-fire to teach our children their achedemics and faith. Most are young. It is a conservative environment. The school has grown well in the K-8 classes, however, because the permanent campus has yet to break ground, high schoolers are reluctant to stay through 12th grade. This should change when a campus environment is provided.They have received a full 6 year WASC accreditation in 2003, K-12, and the high school curriculum has the approval of the UC schools. Extra-curricular activities include sports for both boys & girls, yearbook, drama, ASB,community service programs,etc. but on a limited basis in the high school because of its small enrollment. Commitment to values, morals,and character is emphasized. In the past several years the high school enrollment has ranged between 23 to 45 students. We hope to see that triple soon.
—Submitted by a parent


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

We currently do not have any test score information for this school. Unlike public schools, private schools are not always required to report data about their schools or not required to take the same tests as public schools. Many private schools take different standardized tests; however, that information is often made available only to families of enrolled students. We strive to acquire additional private school data whenever available.

Oops! We currently do not have any student information for this school. We rely on the state Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and in some cases school administrators such as registrars and principals for this data.

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per FTE teacher 14N/AN/A
Source: NCES, 2007-2008

Special education / special needs

Level of special education programming offered
  • None - the school offers no services

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM)

School facilities
  • Computer lab
  • Science lab

Language learning

Foreign languages taught
  • Latin
  • Spanish

Health & athletics

School facilities
  • Access to sports fields
School leaders can update this information here.

School basics

Before school or after school care / program onsite
  • Before school: starts at 8:00 a.m.
  • After school: ends at 5:00 p.m.
School Leader's name
  • Mr. Michael Donminguez
Best ways for parents to contact the school
  • Email
Gender
  • Coed
Boarding options
  • Day school
Is there an application process?
  • Yes
Affiliation
  • Roman Catholic
Fax number
  • (760) 305-8466

Programs

Specific academic themes or areas of focus

Don't understand these terms?
  • Religious
Level of special education programming offered
  • None - the school offers no services
Foreign languages taught
  • Latin
  • Spanish

Resources

Extra learning resources offered
  • Career/college counseling
Transportation provided for students by the school / district
  • None
School facilities
  • Access to sports fields
  • Computer lab
  • Internet access
  • Playground
  • Science lab
School leaders can update this information here.

School culture

Dress Code
  • Uniforms
Parent involvement
  • Attend parent nights
  • Chaperone school trips
  • Coach sports teams or extracurricular activities
  • Join PTO/PTA
  • Monitor the playground
  • Organize fundraising events (school auction, bake sales, etc.)
  • Present special topics during curricular units
  • Volunteer in the classroom
School leaders can update this information here.
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

500 Las Flores Drive
San Marcos, CA 92078
Website: Click here
Phone: (760) 305-8505

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