Tony Tobin Elementary School

$9000.00+ is the average tax bill in this area; the highest tax rate in the county. I moved to this area to obtain the best educational experience for my children and give them an edge as they will be competing for scholarships and college entrance. Although some people would love to champion their own cause, the only one that matters is that our kids do well and per the recent test results they should be doing better. Directing traffic, knowing the kids, parents, and volunteers is great after all that is their job; they work there that's why we pay the highest taxes! The school district should be great full to have such an involved PTA that raises so much money and takes the education of their children seriously. We pay our share also and donate school materials which seems to be more of requirement then a donation. I feel fortunate that I have the tax money required to live in this area and my kids attending Tony Tobin is my tax payer right...so when my child and some of my friend's kids are not doing as well as they should, I question the school district's ability to supervise their administration. After all we give them everything they need.
—Submitted by a parent

Tony Tobin is an amazing school. We have experienced 1st, 2nd and 5th grades here since moving from Northern CA and I am so glad that we specifically targeted this school for my kids & the surrounding neighborhood to live in. I truly believe that the reason the school functions so well academically & socially is because of the leadership of Principal Mike McTasney. He knows all the kids, from being out each morning directing traffic, welcoming everyone to school, to roaming the halls interacting with students, teachers & parent volunteers. Another sign of a great school is the parent involvement. There are always an abundance of parent (& grandparent) volunteers throughout the school, who also are active in the PTA. It is a sign that the parents are fully invested in their children and the school to succeed. Any family would be extremely fortunate to have a child at Tony Tobin Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended Tony Tobin in Kindergarten & had a wonderful experience, Mrs. Lipka is a wonderful teacher... Unfortunately when she entered 1st grade her teacher was a horrible fit for her & after several attempts to have her moved to a new teacher Mr. McTasney refused... This 1st grade teacher is not an appropriate fit for 1st graders, she had her favorites, she chose a courtesy king & queen for the entire year never giving any other students a chance, she also rewarded students that ran the most laps during their jog-a-thon a day without P.E, leaving the other children who did their very best feeling bad, the jog-a-thon is a fund raiser not a competition!!!! The children at Tony Tobin are allowed to behave like animals, inside & outside of the classroom..... My daughter now attends Temecula Preparatory School & is thriving!!!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

TTES has all the "bells and whistles" from chorus to shout it out flag salute. I did not realize until we recently moved to the East coast that our child is hugely behind in writing and math skills. Looking back through the years I see how a lot of time was wasted on the non essential studies and little time was on value writing, LA and math skills. My child received all 5s and was in the advance math, and Presidental honors. So seeing it now, that we are in a different school district. TTES was nice, showy but lack academic challenage.
—Submitted by a parent

We love TTES! My child attended Kindergarten through 1st grade here and we were so sad to have to leave because of our out-of-state move. The kinder team of Mrs. Ellevold, Mrs. Esparza, and Mrs. Lipka is phenomenal! You will never want to move onto first grade! But then first grade was great too. I can't vouch for grades 2-5, but K-1 was terrific!
—Submitted by a parent

Both our children attend this school and the teachers and princle are great! Our kids are happy and we highly recommend this school. We sell The Gonzales Family
—Submitted by a parent

I attended this school in 1st through about half of 5th grade (I am in 6th grade now) before I moved. The teachers there were helpful and supportive, and not only made it so that every student understood what they were teaching, but also made the students interested in what they were teaching. Even though the school I currently attend is considered to be the best school in my area, Tony Tobin far surpasses it, and I mean far. I am very glad that I had the chance to attend there.

My son is in kindergarten now at Tony Tobin. We looked into private schools, but we are so happy we made the choice to send him to Tony Tobin. He is learning so much, his teacher is amazing and we think it is a wonderful school all around. Most parents are very involved which in the end benefits the children and the school in general. We are looking forward to next year and hope to have as great a teacher as we do this year!
—Submitted by a parent

After reading that last review I was a little concerned. While I'm not sure how Tony Tobin stacks up "globally," the scores that can be found on this website, show that they are doing amazing compared to other schools in the state. In fact, every grade level is way ahead of the state average, and fifth grade is at 92%!!!!! So, let me understand this, 92% of the children leave where the state considers them to be proficient in Math and they aren't doing well? Kudos to the staff and thank you! I couldn't be happy that my children are Trailblazers.
—Submitted by a parent

After putting my kids through seven different schools in 5 different states, we came to Tony Tobin, and this is the best of them all. My older son just passed out from TT and will be going to Vail Ranch. It was a great experience, both for him and for us as parents.The teachers are fabulous, and in particular, his class teacher Mrs Kim Newman was extraordinary. Smart, sensitive to every child's need, getting the best out of every child and procative with parents-could not have asked for a better teacher . My 7 yr old will be going to 2nd grade this yr. He had a great run thrugh his kinder and 1st, and we are hoping to continue the same enriching performance this yr too. The budget cut has hit some great teachers, so hope that does not bring down the awesome work this school has been doing.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two children at TT, and I have seen a decline from last year 2008 to now Dec 2009. Kids get away with bad behavior, but their parents are no better either. There is little to challenage the chidren that are ahead, they are to just do Silent reading until the nondoing homework goofballs catchup. Few are prepared for Vail, the ones that are is because of their parents doing extra Math and English projects outside of Tony Tobin. The school use to be lively, until the budget crisis. Did they sign up for the paycheck, or to be a mentor teacher? True teaching skills come up in CA budget deficit. This school lacks it. 10/10 rating is due to parents helping child not teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Our children have been at Tony Tobin for a few years now. The kinder teachers are awesome. They are knowledgeable, sensitive, and discipline/respect are highly regarded. However, as the grades go up, I find those qualities to be less. It's difficult for a child at any school to be different, and it's no less so at Tony Tobin. Teasing is not nipped in the bud and it's hard for a child to find an adult to help.
—Submitted by a parent

I loved everything about this school, the communication, the teachers, the education, the front office, the after school day care. The new principle is amazingly entertaining for the kids and fun to listen to during the Friday flag ceremony. I am now at another school and wish to take my child back to Tony Tobin.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year and I have been very impressed with the K Teachers and the Principal. I am very happy with the organization of the school and the activities for the kids. Very positive!
—Submitted by a parent

Tony Tobin is an excellent school with teachers, staff and parents caring a great deal about children's education and well being. I'm just sad that my daughter only was there for 2 years.
—Submitted by a parent

Tony Tobin has been the most fantastic school for my daughter's Kindergarten year. Our wonderful, kind, awesome Mrs. Lipka has given her the best and most positive first school experience and we are so greatful to her and our wonderful new principal Mr. McTasney. He is the best! The school spirit and morale are high, the kids are positive and respectful and have so much fun. Parent involvement is very high as are test scores and statewide rankings. The campus is beautiful and the people here are just amazing. We love our school!
—Submitted by a parent

I heard great things about this school. This is our first year there and I'm less than impressed.
—Submitted by a parent

There couldn't be a better school for my children. The staff is caring and always has the children's best interest in mind. The principal is very hands on, she even knows ALL the children's names by heart. There is always something going on before and after school. It can be the running club on the morning or mad science after school. My children love this school and so do I!
—Submitted by a parent

This is the best elementary school anywhere! We have 4 kids, have moved 11 times in 15 years and have never been in a school that makes such a positive impact on the social, emotional physical and academic well being of the children. The principal is by far heads and shoulders above any other we have experienced in the past. She sets the tone for the school and it shows in the abilities and attitudes of the teachers. As I mentioned earlier, we have been to many schools and this is definitely where you want your children! The children are surrounded by a staff that motivates and empowers them, fosters their love of learning, pride in themselves and their school and gives them confidence to carry with them for life. The academics are top notch and the life skill seeds planted, will bloom for a lifetime.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in her first year of elementary school. The teachers are great! The School is great! This new school is an asset to Temecula. As a student my self in the Temecula School district from K-12 I see my daughter having much success!
—Submitted by Michel Demma, a parent