St. Paschal Baylon Elementary School

Both of my sons attended SPBS and they absolutely loved it. The teachers are excellent but the principal makes all the difference. The school is very well organized and all the parents are involved in their children's education. If you have the means, get your child in that school. Your kid will thank you for it. My sons have said so many times. Also, the school has very high academic standards. The accelerated math and english classes are excellent. And the school has great, family friendly atmosphere.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my children's first year at SPBS. I pulled them from one of the "elite" CVUSD elem schools nearby. I am so happy that I did so. Both my children are not only thriving at SPBS--but they are happy as well. Both of their teachers are excellent--but more importantly--they really care about my children. As part of the Catholic faith and teaching--children are looked at as arriving with their own special gifts and talents--and it is up to the teacher to foster and nurture this. My children were miserable at the public school--where despite 20:1--they were just a number. The large classrooms at SPBS are not a problem--every child recieives lots of individual help--and more importantly--there are no behavior problems that keep the majority of kids from learning. We are so happy at SPBS--great teachers, great principal, great atmosphere. It is worth every penny--and we are struggling to make it work. For the first time in their lives--both my children LOVE school--and are excited to go to SPBS each day. Again--this comes from 2 students who were at one of the highest scoring public school in the CVUSD district-.
—Submitted by a parent

This is one of the best schools I have ever seen at this level. While other schools in the area are loosing students SPBS contiually has full classes and other great benefits. The principal is excellent along with all the rest of the staff. The parents provide so much help. While stated earlier the parents really only do volunteer in the classrooms during Kindergarten, parents are involved in so many things outside. The school's PTA for example are involved in running events such as The Shakespeare Festival and the booths and the parish festival. While other events are run by one or two parents such as the Jog-a-thon. This is one the best schools I have ever seen.

Considering this is a private school, the student to teacher ratio is overwhelming. Over 40 students for 1 teacher, and an aide that only works a couple of hours in the morning. The students are missing out. There is also a bullying problem at the school. They choose to ignore it and look the other way. They have no programs to assist with kids that fall behind. All in all the parents are great, but the school could be way better!
—Submitted by a parent

This an excellent school, emphasizing excellent academics & service to others. Our children are extremely happy, the parents are very involved and the teachers & staff genuinely concerned for the kids' well being. We have found that the principle really cares about the school, not just collecting a paycheck/pension, which is a nice change from the public school system. If there is an issue, it gets handled. We are proud to be part of this community.
—Submitted by a parent

A great school on many levels, but I do believe there is room for improvement. As stated in an earlier entry, parental involvement past kindergarten seems primarily outside of the classroom. Quite frankly, with the unusually high student/teacher ratio, I think that they could use the additional help. Furthermore, they offer little to no counseling services except for interns that do not provide consistency. I would be happy to pay more and have a credentialed school counselor servicing the school. Could be better, but better than most.
—Submitted by a parent

Fantastic School! Great teachers, sold program!
—Submitted by a parent