When we relocated to the area, one of our biggest concerns was finding a high-quality preschool. We…read morespent hours reading reviews, touring schools, and agonizing over the decision. Ultimately, we were referred to Carlsbad Country Day School by an acquaintance--and we are so grateful we followed that recommendation. From the moment we toured the school, we were impressed. The staff is incredibly warm and welcoming, the campus is clean and beautiful, and the overall atmosphere is calm, joyful, and thoughtfully run. The curriculum is fantastic--our kids enjoy yoga, sports, reading class, and so much more. The school also provides healthy and delicious meals daily, which has been a huge relief for us as busy parents. Even better? The kids love the food! As for their teachers--Mrs. Gina and Ms. Stephanie are absolutely wonderful. You can tell they truly care about their students and pour so much effort into making each day special. Mrs. Gina creates such a positive and engaging learning environment for our older child, and Ms. Stephanie brings so much warmth, fun, and care to our younger child's classroom. We feel so lucky they have these amazing educators in their lives. Our kids are genuinely excited to go to school each day. One of them won't even say goodbye at drop-off, and at pickup, it's like pulling teeth to get them to leave--honestly, we take that as a great sign! The outdoor space is spacious and full of activities to keep them busy and happy. The school also hosts adorable events throughout the year--like a mother/son dance, a Christmas party, and more--which really make families feel connected. They also offer professional school photos twice a year, and the sibling pictures are to die for--some of the cutest we've ever had taken. We truly feel like we won the lottery finding Carlsbad Country Day School. Our only wish is that they went through elementary school too!

I'm a grandma to three kids who've attended here. I've never seen a better school in my life!…read moreClean, nice teachers, newer modern school. They even have healthy school lunches (unlike public school). My mother was a Special Ed teacher, so I grew up hearing about education. I'm soooo impressed! And grateful my grandkids had such a great head start!

My daughter is in her second year at Native School and we cannot say enough good things about it!…read moreUnfortunately there has been some bad publicity because a former employee (trying to steal students away to a competing school she was opening) fed parents misinformation that scared them, including launching a really personal attack against the amazing director, Shannon, who is an incredibly transparent and thoughtful preschool director. She hosts regular meetings for parents to talk to her and will also always be happy to hop on a meeting any afternoon to discuss any questions and concerns. The program itself stood out to me immediately for being a really good supportive model for development. The students are not playing "Lord of the Flies" out in the woods, they are guided and supported by amazing teachers who spend their afternoons writing documentation of the learning in their classrooms and designing emergent curriculum. We could not be happier with the school we chose and our daughter loves school passionately. We have even decided to keep her in Native School another year instead of moving to the free public TK because of how much we love the program and the teachers.

***Warning to parents*** My experience with the teachers…read morewas generally good but you could tell there was a disconnect between them and upper management due to the high turnover rate and disruption in teacher continuity. The frequent and disruptive staff changes significantly effected my 4 year old son who was upset to see teachers come and go. At the end of our semester for 2024-2025 it became worse and substitutes/new faces were very common. We were told by some teachers that quit that safety regs/guidelines were not being followed(especially on rainy/stormy days). All that being said, we decided to pull our child out from the Fall 2025 semester. We had already paid for it but we figured we would be returned our reservation money due to the circumstances. Management refused our first attempt to reimburse us even after my child's spot was filled(Bad business etiquette). So here we are with our reviews and our next steps will be small claims. In the contract it states that they will maintain a consistent and properly staffed program...That was not our experience.

5-year update: We have 3 children attending CCA, and we…read morefeel confident that this is the best place for them emotionally, academically, and spiritually. It feels like family: from drop off to extended care (which is super reliable & affordable). Teachers each have their own personalities, some are super warm, while others are stricter - but they all really try to help every kid. During our 6 years here, we have not experienced any bullying. Actually, every day kids are specifically taught to be kind and supportive to each other, and teachers and the principal get involved (very involved) with any behavior issues immediately. The bad reviews are from a few families that were likely not a good fit from the beginning, even though the school did everything to make them welcome. Over the last few years, the school has grown tremendously, and one thing we'd recommend is that they screen & educate incoming families a bit better.

My family and son have had a wonderful experience with Carlsbad Christian Academy. My son is in…read morekindergarten and reading already and thriving at the school. The Teachers, Principal, Pastor and staff are top notch plus the aftercare is beyond affordable for parents that work late. The staff cannot anticipate everything that can happen during a busy day but when issues have arisen, appropriate action has been taken that is reasonable and commensurate with the situation. I have read some of the poor reviews and cannot identify with the person(s) and feel they may have ulterior motives? We give Carlsbad Christian Academy our highest recommendation. Steven, Leisl, and Beau Alden

Fabulous School. They provide amazing education and a safe…read moreloving environment. We are very very happy!

The best school! My son goes here and the teachers and staff are all above and beyond fantastic…read more The perfect balance of faith and teaching math, science, music, computers and everything they need to know to prepare them for the future. All the students from Kindergarten to 8th grade are good souls and really good kids which I attritibute to the families they are raised in and the teachers at St Pats.

Sending your a Son or Daughter away from home for the first time can be the most stressful decision…read morefor any and especially us as first time parents. Our stress immediately went away once we met Mrs. Cynthia and our daughter started attending Big Futures. She started at about 2 and half and attended Big Future up to TK and we were supremely impressed by so many teachers there especially Ms. Marlene, Ms. Kerry and Ms. Angeles and are so thankful for the whole experience for our daughter. Beyond the classroom the outdoor space is amazing and gives the children a wonderful outoor experience not found at many pre-k school. We would HIGHLY recommend this school to anyone nervous about needing more help caring for the there children of any age!

This is the most amazing, caring, special preschool in the area. 2 kids have graduated from here…read moreand were overly ready for Kindergarten. There is a wonderful balance of educational focus and play. Lots of outside time. Great kids, families and most importantly teachers. Each kid is made to feel special. I love this school.

SINGLE PARENTS W/ DISABILITIES AND/OR CHRONIC ILLNESS BEWARE!! This school is crazy & into…read morepsychological warfare. If you know about the supernatural, if you know God, if they see u sick, see u with disabilities, & u are a single parent, you WILL be targeted. It doesn't matter what kind of sick. I personally have physical chronic illnesses & disabilities. This school made me feel the most judged of any my son attended. No wonder one of the parents with a special needs child felt the need to hold a huge event, a "Compassion Day" at this school. Teaching them about sensory issues & disabilities. They obviously & seriously needed it. Regardless, it didn't seem to work. I don't understand why they put ice cream out in front for everyone to see & only those with $$$ can get one & those who don't have $$$ have to watch everyone with $$$ get what they want. Children are children! They shouldn't have to think or worry about that kind of stuff. Being excluded is really hurtful to the little ones. There was small black boy with special needs, who simply wanted some ice cream. We witnessed him get slammed to the ground & held there like a criminal, over wanting an ice cream too. DISGUSTING!! It was a really hot day on top of it. I said the word " conjuring" in conversation with an employee OFF campus at a local store, and it had been reported to CPS. Completely infringing on the 1st amendment. I was criticized for wearing the same sweater every day. Even though it was the only one I owned at the time, I have problems with body temperature control, I didn't own a bra and I was trying hard to be dressed properly and to cover myself up in front of everyone. I was criticized for my symptoms, that were beyond my control. If you see any ghostly entities on their property, DO NOT mention it, or they will target you. I was trying so hard to keep up with everything and to also participate above and beyond. They could care less about my efforts in the condition I was doing them in. They asked me to bring my son early so that he could play before class to help burn off some of his energy. I would sit with him for breakfast let him go play and I would leave once he left to go play because there is a person there that is in charge to watch over the kids. I would not leave until my son was under the care of a yard duty. I was the only parent that did this. This school requested I bring him early to play before class to help him burn energy. I decided to sit with my son for him to eat his school breakfast which was completely unhealthy and then send him off to play once the yard duty had arrived. They reported to CPS that I was bringing my son to school filthy dirty. You mean, it could not have been because he got himself dirty while he was playing hard before class, as you ask him to do???!! Because our routine included my son getting a bath & fresh clean clothing EVERY single day. I personally noticed how filthy and disgusting my poor son would look when he came out of this school every single day, (don't you remind the children to clean themselves up after they're done playing and if they're all disgusting looking, don't you gently let them know, since they can't see for themselves??). I said something to the school & only then did my son start to appear more clean when I would pick him up. I think they were trying to set me up, trying to create & invent nonsense to try & suit their narrative. It was obvious I was all about doing whatever was needed for my son to be successful, they couldn't get at me the way they wanted. My son had perfect attendance all up until just before Covid was reported to officially hit. He was out for a few days that I called in each day, but that didn't matter. They reported us to CPS ANYWAY. Dealing with this school and the nonsense these people inflict on the parents with special needs, disabilities, or chronic illness, pushed me into further illness a lot faster than necessary. THEY KNEW THAT EXTRA ADDED STRESS WAS PUSHING ME INTO FURTHER ILLNESS, BECAUSE I EXPRESSED IT TO THEM. THEY DID NOT CARE AND CONTINUE TO HARASS MY FAMILY OVER MADE UP INVENTED BS. Unnecessary drama nearly every single day. No wonder I ended up in the electric wheelchair so quickly. If you don't care about the parent and their well-being you do not care about the child and their well-being. If you see a dirty child and you can't do something to make sure they go take care of getting themselves cleaned up, what's wrong with you? Why are you working there? Those children and families deserve better from you! The whole time I was suffering from a Neurodegenerative condition that landed me in an electric wheelchair. Who do they think they are, doing that to someone like me or anyone? To not be safe from the tentacles of these people out in public in everyday life, turning run-ins into stalking. Be very careful who you make friends with at this school. The most fake people I have witnessed were at this school.

Where do I start...Hmmm, my 4 years at good ol' CHS...well before I jump in on that, let me first…read moresay that I have been a high school teacher and administrator in north SD County for 27 years, 9 of which were actually at Carlsbad. My point is I hear a lot of non Carlsbad kids, (grads and current students) state "I hate my school", for a variety of reasons. I have NEVER heard 1 kid, during my time as a student or during the 9 years I was the AD, teacher and Head Baseball Coach, say that about Carlsbad. Not one! I'm not saying those kids aren't out there but all things considered, CHS is a great school. Unless maybe you are a female? I have heard from some students there are a lot of "Mean Girls" there who pick on girls who don't look the CHS way. I don't really know anything about that since I didn't have to concern myself with all that. My focus as a student was being friendly to all the ladies! Besides that, you've got waves just a mile or 2 from a gorgeous campus that was completely remodeled in 2011 (I was there). This is why you have the Nation's top competition Surf Team in addition to a premier athletic program and Californias top rated student fan section. Academics are top notch as well as graduates typically are accepted to the nations premier universities. They have a robust AP program as well. The one area that, for me, is a slight "knock" is the student body demographics which is quite homogenous. Maybe that is a plus win in your book? maybe not...regardless of race/ethnicity, the socioeconomic status of 80% of the families, is high many, quite high!

Many of these kids do not want to learn. The party culture and misbehaviors affect the school to…read morenot value education. The student body is segregated between the majority of whites and hispanics, interacting within their own friend groups. Lack of diversity in the student body. I had a mentor teacher Marissa Considine who was the worst mentor. She never had a student teacher before and wanted to abuse my free labor to her advantage, not contributing to my growth. She affected me psychologically, emotionally, and gave up on me. She wasn't a significant teacher gearing her students toward a mature development. I don't find this school to be the best choice to value education. The good things about this school is extracurriculars, especially sports.

Anna is absolutely amazing! Our son has been coming here for a couple of months now, and has been…read moreworking on his interpersonal and social skills through the PEERS program, as well as continuing that training in the less formal LEGO club. Each program is designed to aid children who need assistance in developing and growing their social skills, and our son has been making leaps and bounds since starting here! Our son has Asperger's syndrome, and Anna has been wonderful in working with him. We did all of our homework, and her credentials all check out (which is something that we always do before working with a service provider.) Both of our boys come for LEGO club, and both of them look forward to it each week, even though we get up fairly early each Saturday to get there. LEGO club proved to be an excellent starting point for the boys, and allowed them to really grow comfortable in the setting before we got the PEERS program set up for our eldest. Now, to the details: the facility is absolutely beautiful. Build inside a dual use location in Carlsbad, the downstairs is set up for the program. Tastefully decorated, it is fun, light, and airy, with plenty of slightly subdued colors that look delightful without being overwhelming. There are plenty of toys, and the collection of LEGO's is constantly expanding. There is a good mix of special needs and typical children, which allows for real interactions that are all supervised and directed by Anna and her staff. Everyone is incredibly friendly, welcoming, and accepting. We truly could not be happier! Would I recommend her to family and friends? Absolutely, and have already gone out of my way to do so. If you have a child that is struggling with social interactions, if you have a child who needs a boost, if you have a child who just doesn't quite get it, this is the place to go. We have already seen honest-to-goodness measurable improvements (which as an aside is something that is also done through the PEERS program.) In summary, this program is excellent and Anna makes it all seem so easy. And, if I'm honest, I've probably picked up a pointer or two for applying in my own life as well.

My child participated in Ana's summer camp for two summers. The camp counselors all have higher…read moreeducation and training in child development and social skill coaching. The low child to staff ratio allows high level of attention and support to the needs of each child. Summer camp includes outdoors play everyday and field trip every week. Ana knows each kids and spend time to communicate to parents about their progress. Highly recommended.

Weird vibe from teachers, principal, and office workers at this school. Seems like everyone is…read moremiserable on a daily basis. Always begging for donations, and never enough for them.

Such a great school!!! Feel privileged that my kids are able to go to a good school. Good teachers…read moreand overall, a great staff. Just one recommendation: The main lady that works the front desk in office: needs to be by far more friendly, patient, have a positive attitude, and be more approachable. 95% of the time, she is rude to many parents and not willing to answer questions in a nice professional way. There's been times that I've asked for clarification on something and she sounds frustrated that I even asked. If you don't like your job at this great district... DON'T WORK THERE! I understand that the job can be frustrating but hey, life is not a smooth ride for everyone at times. Why doesn't the principal do something about this? I know they see her attitude. Bad example for the kids she works with.

The school should be a model for all other schools…read more We just moved here after having a pretty tragic experience at our elementary school in Vegas. My son has vision challenges, and they adamantly refused to do anything, beyond pressure me to medicate him so he would "focus more." Great solution for blindness. ‍ After nearly 2 years of begging for help and watching my son fall further behind, his father and I decided to move to an area that's known for better schools. We would have been grateful for any school that would help even a little bit. But instead, imagine our surprise when we land at Carrillo Elementary, where they have done more for our son in the first week, than the previous school did in two years. The communication is absolutely outstanding. The teachers and staff catch the slightest details and take action to remedy issues. For example, my son started breaking up crayons at his desk. Which principle noticed and made a note to get a fidget sensory tool for him. Since he's very active, she also suggested an exercise band for his seat. What a difference from anything we have remotely experienced. The school honestly makes me so happy, I can tear up just thinking about it. Just knowing how eager they are to help, and how much they care about each and every student, it's a beautiful thing we will never take for granted.

I love this school and my kids love it too. They have great teachers and lots of fun events and…read moreactivities throughout the year like the Father-Daughter dance and various field-trips. We have major problems with the parking, or lack thereof. And expanding the school to fit more students (and thus less parking) doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But these are educators after all, so they must know something we parents don't.