Our oldest boy was at MBCS from kindergarten thru 8th grade and was well prepared for high school…read more Our younger, 4 years later, also was at MBCS from kindergarten thru 8th grade. Both graduated at top of their classes. MBCS had about 15 in older son's 8th grade class and younger son's graduating 8th grade class had about 4 due to some staff changes that parents did not like. The education was still good and MBCS dealt with small class size (something the public schools complain about) by combining some grades. Which was not us parents' preference, but it worked. After all, the USA somehow survived long ago in the "one room school house" days of combined grades.
It worked and our younger son graduated and went on to MVCS in Watsonville, like his older brother which was an academic kick butt school at least until his senior year when new leadership made changes the staff and students did not like ("IB" etc) and lost experienced teachers.
MBCS is affordable at around $7,000 a year. Classes small. Teachers dedicated. They try hard for a small Christian school. And teach both academics for high school prep and good citizenship (Bible teachings) though one does not have to be a professed Christian to attend.
Older son went on to MVCS (Watsonville) and was a top student and got a merit scholarship and then on to U.C.Davis which was good on classes but totally sucked at helping him get into a grad school. Davis did nothing to help. Happily older son made a friend of one professor who helped him get accepted into a good grad school in PA, Marywood University (Catholic) where I think she was alumni, and where he did well, got a job in his major and now works full time and is happy with everything but the weather (hot summers, cold winters...not Monterey, CA weather for sure!)
It took a lot of effort to even get older son's diploma out of U.C.Davis...huge school, huge classes, huge graduation and so next to nothing in support timeliness and help. Plus did forced "get covid shots or get kicked out" right before classes started so no time to change schools.
Younger was a top student at MBCS (the small, mixed grades classes did not hurt...maybe helped with so much individualized teacher/student attention), and then became a top student at MVCS and when applying for college, applied about a dozen schools and was accepted by all. He went to Simpson University in Redding, did well. Good teachers, ho hum counseling dept. A modest sized Christian college where he did well. Worst was 4 in a dorm room for Freshmen, after that he got double rooms with a friend as RA (dorm resident assistant. RA was a good deal...got 1/2 price on cafeteria and free room in dorm as I recall. Plus a $20,000 academic scholarship per year for 4 years. Which was nice for a $50k/year private college (tuition, books/fees, dorm, meals).
Then he applied to grad schools, where all but SFSU (San Francisco) the last college I attended, accepted him and is now at Sacramento State University in a very tough doctoral grad program that makes him glad his previous schools were academically intense.
So two kids, one now working for a couple hospitals (one full time and one part time) and one a top student due to intense hard work with a heavy, exhausting medical-related academic load, both got their start to successes at MBCS. A small, humble, caring K-8th Seaside, CA Christian school where they began.
So yes, I like MBCS because it started out two kids out to a path to successes. And our young niece there is happy. Has friends and likes the teachers.
Where could MBCS do better? It could send graded quizzes, tests, etc home each Friday so parents could get weekly "how their kid is doing?" feedback. I think that would be a very helpful idea. Weekly academics feedback instead of less frequent parent/teacher conferences.
RH