Santiago Elementary School

Super super friendly staff - right from the top: Mrs Prieto all the way down to the Supervisors (directing traffic) all the way to the classroom teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Santiago is a wonderful school with both great teachers and staff. This year was the school's first year with a full K - 8th program. While it strange to see the "big" kids on campus, the school does a great job of keeping them separate from the "little" kids. Plus I like the fact that m 3rd grader will be able to stay at Santiago until 8th grade. I very much recommend this school to all parents!
—Submitted by a parent

is a good school amd they help my dauger alor
—Submitted by a parent

My child is currently in the 4th grade and has attended Santiago since Kindergarten. I cannot express how sincere my feelings are when I say that Santiago has become part of our family. From my child's dedicated teachers and staff, to the most involved PTA ever, to the awesome students she has grown up with for the past 5 yrs. When I have had a problem or concern it is quick to be solved by the staff and/or principle. More so in more recent years. Santiago has undergone renovations this past summer and our campus is magnificent! My only complaint and recommendation to the school would be, is to have the office staff, lunch staff, and playground supervisors undergo customer service training. Both myself and my child have personally experienced 'grouchy' encounters with staff on occassion. I highly recommend this school to everyone. We will be sad to leave it.
—Submitted by a parent

I have an 8th grader who attended Santiago all 6 years and currently I have a 2nd grader and I think the school is great. Now that we have a new principal, the school is even better. She actually cares and is actively involved with the students. She is amazing!! The teachers are also great. I like that there is a strong PTA who does alot for the school, teachers and students.
—Submitted by a parent

my daughter has been attending this school. The principal is great, she is very involved and I appreciate it, but my daughter being bullied by the same student recurred and still has not been resolved as of this rating had us looking into putting our child somewhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

my son is learning so much at this school. the teachers are extraordinary as well as the staff in general. as a first grader he is in pre-gate and kindergarten there truly primed his path there.
—Submitted by a parent

Both my daughters went to Santiago since age 5. We all had a great experience. Linda Bell and her staff are excellent. They care and it shows. The GATE program challenged my girls and prepared then for life beyond Santiago. I can't believe the high standards and quality education they received. This is perhaps the exact opposite one might expect to find in Santa Ana. I would encourage any parent to call and visit this school. The buildings are old and I think in many ways the district is busy putting out fires elsewhere. Santiago doesn't really get it's due respect for the outstanding job they consistently do!
—Submitted by Phil Schaefer, a parent

I loved Santiago! For 6 years, since Kinder, I had gone their. Since I was in the GATE program, I don't know much about the other teachers, but they were mostly great! They have uniforms, which need a parent signed waiver if you want to wear 'casual clothing', but not many extracurricular activities. For 2 years they had a fun summer camp, but they had to introduce a regular summer school program. Funding is pretty low, but the parent's presence is high. All-in-all, great school!
—Submitted by Christine, a former student

All three of my children have attended Santiago (since 1987 to present), our neighborhood school. Santiago is 'plagued' by having always met and/or exceeded state standards, thus, we are 'penalized' by not receiving the levels of funding that other SAUSD elementary schools receive--which are specially tagged for special programs to raise their scores. Rather than 'do without' we rely heavily on parental involvement and a very dedicated faculty and staff. Our teachers, administration, and staff work very hard to remain current through staff development activities, and are completely open and sharing with parents on every aspect. Many of our teachers offer tutoring/enrichment before or after class time for no extra pay--simply because they are dedicated to our students' success. Honestly, Santiago Elementary is the only SAUSD school that I would even consider enrolling my children in. All-in-all, it is a fabulous school!
—Submitted by Suzi Russell, a parent

My daughter has been going to Santiago since Kindergarted. I would recommend this school to anyone I know. The teachers are impeccable. My daughter has a lot of homework, but is able to get it done. This school has contributed to my daughter's success.
—Submitted by a parent

I think that as all the schools in the Santa Ana District, this one is no different, very limited academic programs, even though it is located on the well known ' West Floral Park', no extracurricular activities and they do request a lot of help from the parents, which it is seen on the many parents involved on the activities. I do believe it is missing a lot.
—Submitted by Astrid Anticona, a parent

Each grade has a GATE class and this program is well-regarded. Santiago is an old school and the facility reflects that. The first thing you see when you drive up is the kindergarten playground, which is an abomination. The upper grades have access to excellent modern playground equipment, but the kindergarteners have outdated equipment that gives off a poor first impression. Parents and teachers are intimidated by the principal. The PTA is active and they do a good job of raising money for the fine arts program.
—Submitted by a parent

some teachers are great others are a bit confused. I have three children one is at Santiago but the other two are at a Fundamental School because education is very different. If I had an opprtunity to put my child in a Fundamental I would. I was under the impression that this school was very similar to that of a Fundamental but it is not. There is not as much parent teacher communication as we would like there to be. The diciplinary actions are in my mind questionable. You are not notified of a lot of things. The principle seems to care about her students, but I guess there is only so much that can be donem
—Submitted by a parent