Escondido Elementary School

Parents should chose this school if they want a good basic education, lots of enrichment and field trips, and a warm caring parent/teacher community. The Spanish Immersion program is an absolute gem. They will teach your child to reach and speak Spanish even if you do not know the language at all. If you can get into this program, you will be giving your child the gift of a lifetime. The principal is new this year, but she seems to be well liked.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids were studying in Vargas (Sunnyvale), Escondido and now in Los Alamitos (San Jose) Elementary schools. Escondido was our favorite. The kids there come from all over the world and they have a lot of fun. The staff at Escondido is wonderful and everyone loves the principal. My girls still remember fondly all their teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

This school does a really great job teaching and instilling a love of reading. It also has a multitude of after-school activities that are available every quarter ranging from language courses, art, science, math, chess, tennis, basketball, dance, etc. I think that it could do a better job with teaching math concepts in the younger grades but after-school math advancement courses are offered. It also has a fabulous anti-bullying policy and an awareness that kids, even at these young ages, deal with this stuff everyday. Fabulous librarian as well, Ms. Lee! All in all a wonderful school with a very diverse group of children from all over the US and the world.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in the Spanish Immersion Program at Escondido and it is a wonderful school. We have not been crazy about each and every teacher, but that is true at every school. Overall, it is an extremely fine school with very involved parents, a great PTA, and excellent relationships between the school administration and the PTA. The children get art, music, and sports enrichment programs paid for by the PTA and the PTA also subsidizes classroom aides. It is a very active school community. The Spanish Immersion program gets excellent results.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is in kindergarten at Escondido school. So far, we are extremely pleased with the teacher and the principal. I work in the classroom each week helping with math. The kids in the school are also very impressive. Books are sent home almost daily and my child's reading skills are developing quickly. The teacher is warm but strict, a perfect combination. The school has a great atmosphere, intellectual yet down to earth. We feel very lucky.
—Submitted by a parent

Contrary to the other excellent reviews I've been disappointed by the academic level at this school. Having moved to Palo Alto from a school district that is considered 'less good' I expected to find an academically challenging environment at a school next to Stanford. Instead, my child has continually commented on how easy everything is and how much harder and more advanced work he was doing at his previous school. The teacher does not seem to be willing to go beyond the standard curriculum, which from what I can see of the other students in the class, seems to be too basic for most of them. Math in particular is very weak -- there is no reason that children need to spend two years understanding what numbers mean before they can begin real math. No wonder our country is performing so poorly on international tests...
—Submitted by a parent

I have two words for you, Gary Prehn! This man is the super glue that holds this entire place together in a beautiful state of cohesion. I have moved away to Miami but my two sons loved this school as did I. The parental participation is at the very core of the feel good nature of this school. And the teachers are just out of this world. I really miss it and still keep in contact with one of my son's teachers. Also may I note the extremely shiny happy faces in the office, always ready to help! This will be the best time of your life, especially you are somehow tied to Stanford!
—Submitted by a parent

Escondido is a great school. The kids are great. The parents are great. The teachers are great. There are lots of interesting after school programs. The Spanish Immersion is fun and it really work. The kids are happy and they learn to speak Spanish and English.
—Submitted by a parent

Beautiful location, interesting staff and a committed principal. He works well with other administrators in the county. Strong scores.
—Submitted by a parent

Very good overall quality of elementary academic programs and for the most part good teachers. This school is also the site of Palo Alto's Spanish Immersion program. Plenty of extracurricular activites are offered. Parent involement has become more prevalent in the last 10 years.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a warm environment for a child to develop, a combination of caring and nurturing and gradually preparing children for the real world. I wish there were more art, sports and extracurricular events,Escondido has a 'multipurpose' room that serves for a gym, and all large events on campus. Art classe are infrequent. The library is good, and there is early exposure to computers. Teachers tend to remain here, though some may change a grade from time to time. There is only one male teacher on campus, I believe. Alot of parent involvement. Children are from all over the world, given that the school is on the Stanford Campus, a large percentage of parents attend or work for Stanford. The principal is accessible, consistent and ever present. My child scores well on standardized tests, has placed two grades ahead in reading and was in the top few percentage points in math.
—Submitted by a parent

Escondido Elementary is awesome! From the Principal, to the administrative staff and the exceptional teaching faculty, this school goes above and beyond to include and embrace each family as an individual entity. They really provide a 'family feel' to the community that belongs with Escondido Elementary. Being a single parent, I have had some significant challenges with my child's attendance, her attitude about education and at one point, her transportation to and from school. The staff and faculty reached out to us with caring, support and a sincere desire to help with those issues. I would like to say a great big thank you to all at Escondido Elementary and I hope they know how all of their efforts positively impact not only the child in attendance, but their families as a whole. I would highly recommend this school to everyone.
—Submitted by Janine ONeill, a parent

My daughter has attended K-1 at Escondido and we absolutely love the school! The community atmosphere of the school & parent vounteer opportunities enrich my daughter's education and give me an opportunity to get to know her teachers. This personal attention is paid both to students and families. Both the teachers and parents are highly educated and the children are all friendly and social. I believe that the test scores for this school are low because it serves an international college community with many new children not even speaking English when they arrive at the school. I found that the children seem to catchup remarkably quick, but I'm sure that it impacts the scores during testing. This is a great school that you should visit if you are moving into the area. ~Shana R. May from StanfordFamilies.com
—Submitted by Shana May, a parent