Ahh yes. The glory years for some and the awkward years for others (me). I can't say I enjoyed my…read moretime here during the 3 years I was here. Back in the early 90s BJH had a 9th grade level. I can't be sure but I heard they no longer do the 9th grade level and focus on 7th and 8th grades now. They also do uniforms now? I recall my years here having some eclectic teachers like Mrs. Madden my Social Studies teacher who called her students "little buddies" and Mr. Pruitt, the shop teacher who cut his own finger off. I found the irony in his teaching about telling his students to always pay attention to the buzz saw machine because if you take your eyes off it while cutting something your fingers will go with it. I also had some really cool teachers like Mrs. Lecren (who taught my 9th grade English year) who taught me how to be a good writer in school and Mrs. Brown who was also a great English teacher (my 8th grade year). A lot of kids here back in the day fell into the category of wanna be's...gang bangers, cool kids, your goth kids, etc. I fell more into the background kid category where nobody seriously knew who I was but there I was everywhere in the background. Kids back in the day could be brutal as well. Before social media kids here would throw their food at other kids and literally spit on their backs. Needless to say if they felt this behavior was okay I can only imagine the sad state of their homes they went to at the end of the school day and what kind of parents they had (or didn't have). Kids today need to realize these school years are temporary and everyone will be awkward at some point in their school years. It will not define how you will become and succeed as a person! In some odd way these days did shape my views on the world to some extent and made me more confident in myself to basically forget what others think and focus on you!

I called the school in the morning and asked if the kids were going to be let out early today…read morebecause my son mentioned they might have a half-day. The office assured me that there was no short day and that the kids would be let out at the normal time of 2:55, my son just now called me that he's standing waiting outside the school at 1:50. The entire staff is lost and clearly you can't call the office for accurate information.

This school has been truly wonderful. My son has attended since TK and is now graduating, and my…read moreyoungest, who also started here in TK, will be entering 1st grade. The teachers are kind, caring, and consistently go above and beyond, even with limited resources. I have nothing but praise for the entire staff--Dr. Pham, the principal, the teachers, and the administrative team. Their dedication and compassion are evident every day. They've even recently opened a park that is shared with the community, further showing their commitment to creating a positive environment for both students and families. This is a fantastic school.

Boone Elementary has been around since this neighborhood was established in 1961, along with many…read moreof the homes and the fire station just down the road. This is a part of San Diego that's seen little in terms of investment, and homeowner churn (thanks to Prop 13 this means less tax revenue), until recently. This year the school is seeing considerable, much needed, investment with new facilities and improvements which bodes well for future generations of Explorers. Many of the staff have lived and even gone to this or nearby schools, and they truly care about the students and this community. Our daughter went here and learned English as a second language quickly, thanks to the compassion and attention instructors gave her. The principal, Dr. Pham, is a treasure I hope continues to lead Boone's students, staff, and parents into a new age of academic and civic excellence.

My son has been attending a charter school for a year, it is one of the top ten STEM (science,…read moretechnology, engineering, math) schools. The children there are laughing and playing in the schoolyard in the morning, they greet parents, do running club, or go to the library. The children there are taught character, and a foreign language starting in kindergarten. I'm amazed at my son's progress and the stark difference in his educational environment. Kids are allowed freedom to learn in a fun atmosphere and it shows in their demeanor.

I went here K - 5th grade…read more This school has changed. They went from Kindergarten - 5th grade to K - 8th grade. WTH??? I thought this was an elementary school not a elemiddle (I made that up). I wish I still had recess when I was in middle school =( I'm sure some of my teachers are long gone, but from what I can remember they were all great!! That is all.

Wonderful elementary school, the staff are amazing. So thankful they finally got their new school,…read morethey deserve it.

I am extremely disappointed in the way my son's case was handled by the pre school department/…read morespecial education teacher. I obtained an IEP for my child for speech and decided paradise hills elementary is the best choice for placement. I had finally got through the enrollment process and received a email notifying me of his start date. I arrived to the school on the day he was supposed to start & was sent back home due the incompetence of the special education teacher Ms. Angelina who failed to give me a call to prepare for his first day and confirm weather or not any additional documentation was needed. The following day I received a phone call from her and she stated she was out on his start date due to being sick which is understandable. I asked her why she couldn't give me a call before his start date and her excuse was also that she wasn't feeling well. I asked her to take accountability for the lack of preparation she had for his start date and she refused stating she had other things to do. Without a doubt i was not going to leave my child who is 3 years old to someone who can't do their job correctly and can't even acknowledge her mistakes. I was looking forward in ending the year with some type of schooling for my son as he is so eager to step foot into a school setting unfortunately due to this experience I now have worry's for my child entering school. It's sad and discouraging that schools treat parents and students like this when all we look for is someone who is going to provide our child with a safe and good learning environment for our children but can't do their job correctly. Especially when you hold the title of being a special education teacher. This was my experience and I hope moving forward things change but I will not put my child in the hands of ms Angelina. And I hope this brings awareness to any one seeking to enroll their child to preschool program.

Great staff!! Very welcoming and family oriented school. My son is autistic and came from Bethune…read moreElementary which he was moved from due to multiple bites from another student. Since we've been at Penn he has excelled so much & his behavior is getting better as well!

This is coming from a student that used to go there, thankfully i moved. This school is horrible. I…read morehad went here all my life because my past family had also, the years of kinder-3rd were great, except for covid and other stuff. But when i got into 4th, they had gotten a new principle. The old one was kind, completely understanding. But the new one, had never cared about students or their mental health, i had a friend, who was problematic because of her mental health, yet they didn't try helping her. And because of her mental health issues and trama, she had done things i wish she hadn't done with me and my friends, so we started getting in trouble, yet the principal DIDNT HELP ANY OF US. So i moved schools for 5th, and it was the best decision i had made :) now i'm in middle school and doing my best!

Never went here but they have a good music program for an elementary schoolread more

O'Farrell Isn't as well diverse in staffing as it should be . They definitely could use more Black…read moreStaff such as teachers through out the entire charter school ( only the best teachers will do ). The office most definitely need to be more diverse it's all Hispanic ( not good when you see no diversity in the office their the first point of contact and that speaks volumes when you enter a public arena and you see the diversity at first sight). My child has been in the school from kindergarten to current (9 years). The school does offer high standards of teaching, ( academic standards are high) zero tolerance is the standard and kept . Testing is accurate , behavioral standards are required at a high performance. Overall O'Farrell is a High performing school . TOP OF THE LINE IN EDUCATION IS PROVIDED at O'Farrell . Mrs Anderson is the best Principal she's involved and easy to communicate with. Very hands on and involved in the students and keeps the staff sharp on there toes . Awesome listener to the students and there parents needs. I'm not a fan of the lottery either for existing students, I strongly believe they should have a guaranteed spot if they've been Excellent students with Dean List and Honor roll awards. Through out there years at O'Farrell and there not a problem . Work ethic , Grades, behavior speaks volumes( all this should be a major consideration for existing students going to high school at O'FArrell) . My daughter is a high performer while navigating through the crisis we face from the COVID-19 epidemic. Mrs Anderson has hired responsible teachers that are going above and beyond to make sure the students are reaching there academic Goals. When a problem arises it's resolved immediately. Suggestions are implemented into lessons . Mr Vose is an awesome Home Base instructor who makes sure he's reachable at all times while keeping up with the students academics . I pray the high school instructors are hands on, involved mentally and I'm emotionally just as the elementary and middle school instructors. Navigating Through the crisis isn't just a word but a mission to sink or swim perish or survive while in the crisis.

so a lot of fights after school it's like bad kids over there and so my bathrooms are nasty super…read moresuper nasty p everywhere if you send your kid there it's good for math and stuff like good for getting your kids to college but the football team sucks all the other sports are good except basketball basketball's kind of good and then I think it deserves a three stars the prince the vice principle is coolHis name is Mr MichaeliSo I think he should be the next principal.