I taught at this school in 2023-2024 and it was perhaps my worst experience as a teacher of 30…read moreyears. My assistant and I both considered leaving in the middle of the year. We taught special education and we loved the students and we are devoted to the field of special education. What the district was doing with special education students seemed illegal. I could just move forward and say nothing since we escaped the corruption but it is worth mentioning and maybe the more people that complain the sooner changes will be made. First, there were some wonderful people that worked there and I want to be clear that it was a special education problem. There were teachers and staff we thought were nice and fair and effective. Much anger and unrest was felt and there was a team that was reporting to the new Super about all the injustice. I wrote to the Superintendent as requested by a staff member and a parent but no response was given by him. The glaring injustice was in the special education department. There was no SDC class at Prunedale, and RSP teachers were strapped with a disrespectful principal that seemed to have no interest in special education. I read through numerous IEPS and many of the students in RSP had come from an SDC class. The district was poor or spent money on the wrong things and special education was underfunded. SDC students belong in SDC classes and not thrown into RSP because they cannot afford an SDC class. We were told that they could not find teachers because it was too expensive to live in the area, however they treated the teachers they hired poorly and there was a huge turnover. One special education teacher I worked with quit by November due to a medical leave caused by stress. Sadly, the students are the ones that suffer in the end.

Reached out to the "school" multiple times regarding my daughter attending, even emailed multiple…read moreschool email addresses and never heard back. After doing my own research and investigating via state and federal data bases,it's come to my attention that this "school" doesn't even have any type of accreditation. That was a deal breaker for me, that would completely ruin a child's ability to attend universities or even transfer to another school if we move. I do not understand why they wouldn't want to give a child of God every opportunity for success. Seems a bit un christian like to take people's money and not offer every avenue for success for their child. They do not mention anywhere that they are NOT accredited,shady!!. Your child is better off at a public school. My daughter is now enrolled at Notre Dame High School in Salinas.

Must still be an amazing school to still be there over 30 yesterday afternoon . I went there in 1st…read moregrade, I'm 43 now

Very beautiful mission. It seems like every-time we go it's a gorgeous day. There are a variety of…read morerestaurants to choose from and a very good local ice cream shop. There is an amazing small flower garden that has a variety of different flowers. The masses are lovely.

Micro tiny town that has huge history!!…read more I think the population is like 1500. This town is cute and quaint. The locals take pride in their city. It's very clean and nice landscaping. Most business are family owned. You won't find many commercial businesses here. This city is known for the mission San Juan Bautista and also for the San Andreas fault line. Both are located in this city. This is a nice place to visit. It's simplicity awesome and appreciated

This is an excellent school! It's small, which means that your child doesn't get lost in the…read moreshuffle. It goes from preschool to 8th grade and the students get to know all of the teachers well in advance of being in their class. The teachers are fantastic! Ultimately, this school is a hidden jewel tucked away in a charming little town. We are very fortunate!

Big city Mom finds herself in a small town... First thought - where the heck do I send my kids to…read moreschool?! Well what do you know? There is a preschool/daycare center smack dab in the middle of little old Aromas. Yes, of course my second thought... but is it any good? do I just get what I get and deal with it? NO! Dear ABC Staff, you are truly amazing!! You loved and cared for both my 3 and 6 year old in a way that made them wake up and want to go to school. What more can you ask for right? Kris and her entire staff are a gift from above: loving, genuine, understanding, and professional. They are involved, they care, they take their work personally. As a mother- this is what I want. A warm, comfortable yet structured place for my kids to feel at home. Unlike larger franchised big-box centers who seem more concerned with keeping up appearances and their reputation (yuck). ABC is a quaint place but not small. There is a separate space for school aged kids (where my 6 year old was) and for the preschoolers. There is a good sized blacktop yard with lots of space for biking and playing, there are two separate sandbox/play structure areas as well and a really cute garden full of sun flowers. They walk the school age kids to and from in the am and pm. Snacks are provided and even a microwave for the bigger kids to heat up their pizza (for example). ABC was always clean and tidy. They even took some time off (with plenty of notice in advance) to revamp their center for the benefit of the kids. During summer months they kept their program interesting and fun. Price wise - You definitely get maximum bang for you buck. I was paying around 3200 up in the Bay Area for the same hours. Insane right? And on that note, Kris was always able to work with me during times when I got a little off schedule. We all hate to admit that those things happen but they do and she did not blink and eyelash to help me get back on the horse. I could really go on and on but I'll sum it up with this - when we left I shed a tear because I have never seen my kids happier than at ABC.

Excellent preschool, I love the close knit community and the learning skills that are taught to the…read morelittle ones, my daughter loves going there and is excited to go every morning. Great playground, safe environment, excellent teachers.

The staff is very unprofessional they don't take care of your kids! They don't call the parents if…read moresomething happens to their children this school has had bad reputation since back in the days and it's still the same thing! Don't they care about the children! Get real employees that are passionate and caring and go beyond to help students and parents! Since my child started school here we've had problems with them not calling me with bullying children putting hands on each others necks while supervisors are on their phones... I've passed by and seen supervisors on their phones while two little kids were hitting each other! Who runs this place they obviously don't know what there doing and the district doesn't want to change my child schools, prunedale elementary is much more strict and follows procedures as should!!! This Castroville Elementary School is the worst!!

The 5 stars are mainly for Mrs.Alvarez-Cortez. I'm shocked that she would even get a bad review…read moreEVER! My son had her last year and he has done nothing but flourish! Mrs Leonard (who unfortunately is no longer at JES) and mrs Alvarez were the best team of 1st grade teachers I have ever come across. The field trips were great, her class was well behaved and her educational structure was fabulous. My son didn't want another teacher for 2nd grade ... He wanted to keep mrs Alvarez because she made it a point to TEACH. Someone mentioned she was racist?! In Salinas ... Really?! That actually made me lol. Unfortunately, teachers now-a-days have to babysit uneducated parents. We have to understand that teachers have a class of 27 or more kids with NO ASSISTANCE! Give them a break and teach your kids to behave so someone else doesn't have to do it. Do homework with your kids which will help with building their educational foundation. I can't speak for all parents but I fully appreciate all that Mrs Alvarez and JES teachers uphold.

As an alumna of this school, I must say, the greatest memories I've ever had while growing up took…read moreplace here. I recall talking to the supervisor, Bob (may he rest in peace) and him constantly telling us to hold our horses while we waited impatiently to get our lunch, talking about Barbie, or simply making us giggle with the many things he had to say. Mrs. Casey's 3rd grade class, where I wrote "Mathy" instead of "Cathy" while doing a math worksheet (I still tell that story, to this day). I had great joy in taking part in the after school GATE program with Mrs. Loy and making zucchini bread. I loved when it rained because that meant that everyone in our 4th grade class (also taught by Mrs. Loy) would get a nice cup of hot cocoa. I remember bidding the music teacher farewell as she retired (Mrs. West, I believe it was). Ms. Myers', art class; oh the joys of playing with paint and using a marshmallow as a makeshift sponge to get that circular shape for our caterpillars. 5th grade Science Camp with Mr. Mayfield, those were the days. Being a 6th grader and feeling like we were finally at the top of the social pyramid. The many field trips we had throughout our years or the days at recess when we would take turns on the swing as someone counted to 90. They were all wonderful moments that I will cherish forever. I don't know how much the school has changed since I've been there, but the many friends that I have made, the teachers that have taught me; if I had the choice, I wouldn't choose to attend any other elementary school. It was amazing. The carnivals equipt with dunk tanks and the snow cones or popcorn sold every Wednesday added to the greatness of it all. It has to be one of the best experiences I've ever had. They prepared me for my future, as any school should. I go off to college this year, and before I go off to major in film and minor in anthropology at SJSU (and in four years hopefully teach abroad); I will be sure to go back and visit my former teachers before I begin my venture into the unknown because without them, I am almost positive that I wouldn't be an AP student or very literate for that matter. So yes, I think this school is pretty great. Maybe it has changed since I've been a 6th grader (about six years ago) but from what I can tell you, this school is one of the best in town.

Amazing school my grandson is a thriving been there since Kinder. My eldest granddaughter is…read moreattending kindergarten this year . The teacher is extremely patient with her students. (Same teacher my grandson had in kindergarten) I wish they offered Middle School because I don't want him going to any other public school.

I've had a unique, non-parent experience at this school. Leadership is working very hard to make a…read morepositive difference for staff, teachers, students, parents, & other stakeholders. The atmosphere is very welcoming & teachers are def committed to their jobs. The student areas are roomy, so students never have to feel overcrowded. The entire school is clean & leadership is working hard to maintain a safe environment for learning and working. If you're in Salinas & looking for an option for your child's education - grades K-6 - come tour the school & bring your questions. Lunch & breakfast are served, the teacher / learning aide ratio to student is very good, and the school is easy-to-access in the 93907.