the school is good, bathrooms are always dirty, very sad that the school walls were torn down, made many friends there, had a good 6 years there :) read more

This is my granddaughter's first year at McKinley and she is doing so well. She's a third grader and she was struggling at her old school. The teaching staff the principal everybody has been so welcoming and she is thriving. read more

This school is targeted my biracial kids. They called children services on me saying I neglected my children. My boys had a tendency of eating their lunches before lunch time and would complain they were hungry to the lunch teachers. Instead of any adult contacting me for permission, they woulf make my boys get lunch and then charge my school account for me to pay. As a single parent I couldnt afford this. However I barely made too much for discounted lunch and meals were almost $4.00 per kid. (I have 3, so imagine the amount I had to spend) I instructed my sons not to accept food unless the teacher called me first for permission, which they NEVER CALLED, but my balance due kept increasing. So I called the lunch teacher and explainned to her my concerns and how my sons were basically trying to double up on lunches. She told me she will speak to management and call me back. She called back and said I have nothing to worry about and that it has been taken care of.. A week later my daughter calls ne frantic because children services came to her school. When she went to pick up her brothers from Mckinley they told her they came to their school and questions my kids. Askef them if I hurt them and if I feed them. I was furious!!!! Because I knew the school called. My kids had nightmares over the incident because my poor kids thought they were going to be taken from me. I immediately withdrew my kids out of the school because my kidss were afraid to go to school and was confused why the school would do such a thing to me as their mom. I would not recommend this school at all. My kids were also bullied there and teachers were rude. For them to call children services was absurd. I mean I was living in Santa Monica paying 3k rent and taking care of 3 children alone. Do they really thik I would starve my kids? That was a slap to my face! Never again! read more

I was there for 6 years and everyone there was great. My kindergarten teacher was a great man. Always helped me. The bathrooms were always dirt with peace's of paper on the celling. All of the teachers were great. Over all a good school. read more

We have been part of the McKinley community for a number of years and highly recommend the school. The staff, both teachers and administration, are excellent. They sincerely care for the students and their families and are always striving to bring out the best. The education standards are high, resulting in improved test scores, and the curriculum includes plenty of extras like art, theater, and music. The McKinley campus is really quite beautiful and keeps getting better with recent improvements such as AC and remodels throughout the school. Both families and staff are diverse and inclusive. The result is a great environment where kids of all races, genders, and socioeconomic status blend together in a remarkable way. And perhaps best of all, Melissa and Erica in the front office will aways greet you with a smile and address your needs. read more

We are a proud McKinley Family! Our school is inclusive, diverse, and has a wonderful community of committed parents. We've loved our teachers and have never had a negative experience. McKinley is a true community school- children walk or bike to school and the events like the Harvest Festival are well-attended and fun for the whole family. read more

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This school is in development and trying to improve but we had to leave last year after a lack of discipline for physical altercations and a lack of appropriate SAI accommodations. The teachers are great. The principal is cold. There is a lack of parent involvement and the administration does not make it welcoming to parents. read more

McKinley is a second home to my two children, currently in 5th grade and 3rd grade. In this new year 2021, I reflect upon the people and places that deserve special gratitude. McKinley is one of the places that came to mind, especially as my son is in his final few months of a 6-year tenure at the school. As a parent, I was heartbroken for my children when schools closed in March 2020. McKinley provided a warm, nurturing, and engaging place for my kids to spend their days. Distance learning was all so new at the beginning of the pandemic but the resilience and ability of the teachers to switch gears on a dime and adjust to the new model was remarkable. My son's 4th-grade teacher deftly utilized online software like Epic! and Seesaw to provide structure to my son's school days and my daughter's 2nd-grade teacher used her mindfulness skills to bring emotional balance and calm to my daugther (and me if I am being totally honest). Simply put, McKinley's teachers are special! Let me further remark upon how McKinley's teachers are impressive. Under the strong leadership of Dr. Benjamin, McKinley's principal, the teachers worked tirelessly over the summer to be ready and equipped for distance learning in the 2020-2021 year. Dr. Benjamin made a presentation that was comprehensive and clear and gave me reassurance that even under the most challenging of circumstances the teachers were going to be able provide a strong educational experience to my children this year. While I am confident that their teachers this year are teaching the academic concepts that are required, the eagerness with which my kids hop on to their Zooms every morning and the laughter that I hear sprinkled throughout the day is what is most heartening. The joy that they are still able to experience even in distance learning is a testament to the passion and dedication of their teachers. McKinley is a beautifully diverse and dynamic school family. As families have done during this time of crisis, we have brought all components of the McKinley community to keep doing great things for our kids. At a time when we have to be apart, McKinley PTA, teachers, staff, and students have innovated ways to continue to foster our McKinley community spirit through many first ever virtual events including a talent show, harvest festival, family literacy night, and winter-themed performance. I also want to take the opportunity to thank and highlight the front office staff, Melissa and Erika, for their constancy and dedication to our families during this time. I miss hearing them cheerily greet every student and parent by name in the morning with a smile. We are grateful to the teachers and administrators that have been unwaivering and to the other McKinley families that are constant sources of inspiration. We are grateful to be in the McKinley Pride and look forward to when we can be together again in person! read more

Between two kids, we have been with McKinley for over 7 years. While every institution has its opportunity areas, let me tell you why McKinley was right for us: 1) Teachers and staff really care about our family (kids and parents). 2) Education standards are high, with the right balance to support all learning levels (from development challenges to accelerated growth). 3) Campus is welcoming and friendly. Kids feel safe and it's just big enough for enough grade level space without being overwhelming. 4) Families and staff are diverse. We feel included and inclusive within our community - race, gender, socioeconomic status ... all are welcome! (PS: we are a biracial family) 5) While my kids have made amazing friends, as a parent I also feel like I have made strong relationships and friendships with other parents and staff alike. While all the SMMUSD schools are great, McKinley was just the right fit for us. Sad this will be our last year! read more

This school is the hidden gem of the SMMUSD! Today is my daughter's last day of school there. We are in the Franklin District for K-5th, but we were placed at McKinley for a year because my daughter was in TK and Franklin (which will be our home school) did not offer a TK program. We had the wonderful experience of attending McKinley Elementary School this year for TK, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about the school, the amazing staff, and the incredible teachers! Our TK teacher Miss Ross, is a gift to parents - she is so bright and creative and thoughtful and kind and capable. TK is taught with a Reggio-inspired approach so that the children are cooperating in creating some of the curriculum based on their collective interest, and there is a play-based approach to learning with lots of physical activity and outdoor time! But, the families that make up this school are what makes it such an extraordinarily special campus. Families from all over the globe bring this rich diversity to the school and there is such a sense of BELONGING there. Over 23 different languages are spoken there daily! There are classes there with children who have severe disabilities and they are given such loving care and are integrated into the school amongst the student body with compassion and respect. I loved that my daughter got to see those children every day and became so familiar with the reality that we are all born into different bodies with different challenges, but that we all belong and we all are here to learn and deserve that chance. The office staff was so supportive and guided me through this year with the most positive and inspiring attitude. They are the kindest and most helpful people!! The PTA was incredible - these parents give SO much of themselves to improve their school and I am proud to be a member and to have learned so much from them. The test scores are continuously on the rise, and the teachers and administrators have incorporated cognitively guided instruction to assist children in problem solving, restorative justice so that disciplinary action is heart-centered and solution-based and not punitive. They have enrichment classes provided by PS Arts every day of the week, throughout the year where as most schools only have these classes in modules. My daughter had STEM Monday, Art Tuesday, Theatre Wednesday, Library Thursday, and Music Monday (please try to donate to Santa Monica Ed fund to keep these enrichment programs going!). The teachers are diverse, incredibly qualified (My TK teacher has her masters from Stanford!!), and there are some relatively new teachers there who are so inspired and enthusiastic and innovative. The school has a huge, organic garden that is so beautiful and the parents are allowed to volunteer and teach a garden class every week! The class sizes are smaller than Franklin and Roosevelt, with our TK class having 23 students, versus the 25-28 that are allowed. The campus is easy to navigate for the kids. And the bond money that is coming in has been used to upgrade the school, and apparently the school is getting AC, which it needs in those hot autumn days! I will miss this school and the children there with ALL my heart. By the way, the preschool that is located at McKinley is really nice as well-it' not technically part of McKinley itself, but it is on the campus and I had the joy of working with the preschool staff on a fundraiser for McKinley and they were fantastic. The things I would recommend to parents who are considering attending McKinley is that you really need to participate and help out with the fundraisers. The school fundraisers are 100% PTA driven, so please be prepared to get involved in some capacity to make these happen. Franklin Elementary has 100% PTA participation, and McKinley would benefit from an increase in the number of parent volunteers. I think that would be my only complaint - the PTA is very small (though the members are some of the greatest people you'll meet - such a cool group of people!) and I found that a lot of the activities fall on the shoulders of a just a few very committed people. So, the school would benefit from more parent involvement for sure. But they are ROCKING it, nonetheless! Terrific school! read more

My son goes to the preschool here and he loves it. The night before school he talks about seeing all his teachers and friends. I love his excitement and fervor for learning. read more