My daughter and I played outdoor pickleball at McKinley School on a Sunday afternoon. It was around 1:00 PM. There were 3 courts open at the time. One court was already taken. We played until shortly after 3:00 PM. The courts are really nice. I prefer the permanent pickleball court on the north side. The permanent pickleball court on the south side has more shade because there are trees near it. However, I find the ground on that side with more leaves and dirt. Hence, the north courts are better IMHO... there is still some shade there later in the afternoon. Luckily, we found street parking that is free on Sundays. I think there is a parking lot on the school campus, but I just don't know where exactly. The courts are actually on the side of El Molino Ave. Entrance is north of the gymnasium that happens to be north of the courts. When you see the courts, just walk north of them. You'll see a gate that will be open. Walk through it, then you'll see the gymnasium on your right. After you pass by the gymnasium, you'll walk through another gate. Walk down the steps and turn right. You'll see the courts in front of you. Stay on your left as the entrance onto the courts is on the left. There is only one entrance and one exit. Entrance and exit is the same. Have fun playing pickleball and/or tennis!!! We did. We'll definitely be back for more pickleball play. It's a very good pickleball courts alternative besides Allendale Park and Farnsworth Park in Pasadena. read more

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Please don't send your child here unless you want them to be constantly bullied by kids that are never held accountable for their actions. The only reason my child has stayed as long as they have is because of Ms Dot from learns and Ms Ortega. Kids are always fighting and from what Ive heard smoking in the bathrooms. Please steer clear from this school and save yourself the headache. read more

I was the one who got in trouble "for being disruptive," just because I yelled at a guy after being sexually assaulted because he smacked my thigh and gripped it after arguing with dude cause he kept trying to aggravate me, the teacher saw it, I explained what happened but apparently that didn't matter + she didn't care. I had my hair pulled and head slammed into a desk. That wasn't even the worst of it, but I honestly don't want to get into the rest. The education system here is seriously questionable. It makes me wonder what the goal even is, if there even is one because it doesn't seem like helping students is a priority. The teachers saw I was failing and falling behind, and they didn't seem to care. No real effort was made to help me learn or catch up. This school's approach to teaching is completely off. You'd think they'd try harder to support students, but they didn't. There were so many disrespectful people. Teacher was practically gone most of the year and didn't do any real monitoring. A student even pushed a pregnant teacher down. Some kids were doing inappropriate stuff, self-harming in class, others were vaping or passing vapes around. Fights happened regularly. It's way too easy to fall down the wrong path here. All of it makes it hard to focus on learning. No one really cares about your well being or if you're actually understanding anything. It feels like the teachers are just doing their job to get through the day, not to help us succeed. I never got homework, and even though it was obvious I was behind, no one did anything about it. 0 stars bc that's what it really deserves to get. read more

I wish I could rate it 0 stars because the school is super bad and they have a wellness teach but if you get in arguments/fights they might blame it on you and the school is dirty. read more

based off my own personal experience the bullying here was super bad. From physical violence, slamming one kids head into the locker, homophobic/racist/ableist attacks, lots of theft, shoving others from the stairs etc and there wasn't really much done to prevent it. Based off hearing other experiences of current and former students it looks like it's still going on too Though, it was also super easy to sneak out of the campus or skip class, not that I'm saying it's a GOOD thing but it goes to show how little they pay attention or even care about the kids. Lol. read more

Based on my experience talking about my kids teacher she doesn't seemed prepare and ready to teach the students. She was absent most of the time one time almos 3 weeks and my kid was learning out of school app on her laptop with a sub, whom I don't think had credentials to teach in her class grade. The teacher was not organized and with no desire to teach academic assignments. I am happy the school year is almost done, and my kid will not come back. I truly regret putting my daughter through this experience since her last school was nothing compared to what we have experience these past weeks. We moved and unfortunately this was our home school, I hope they can change and make an effort to change we deserve more for our kids. read more

There is an issue with integrity at this school. Mr. John Maynard seems to be level headed, logical and compassionate. It's a good thing because he is needed at this institution. I question the integrity and moral compass of some of the teacher. 3/5 so far have outright been dishonest and disrespectful about conversations and discussions held in front of other staff. It is obvious this school isn't used to parent who are involved. You must be involved as they will never care as much as you do as a parent. There are racist undertones from the top down, with passive-aggressive and micro-aggressive interactions and the children of every race feel it and act accordingly. I would suggest that any parent or student involved at this school, document interactions and responses for 2-3 weeks. I would suggest that you record your meetings with all staff teachers and the principal as there is an integrity issue and an inability for them to conveniently "forget" or change a story to a more legally beneficial version. There are also tactical intimidation's for questioning and speaking up. Keep questioning them, keep speaking up. These are our children. Always stay calm. The school board is literally across the street. I suggest after you document your interactions you email them to Juliane Reynoso. I would also suggest that you have an affidavit made that says you need to look over any admissions of events for guilt, victimizations, confession or witnessing to your child before they attempt to have your child write a statement. You should be looking over anything that can be considered a legal document including acts of hate crimes and violence to or from your child, particularly at this school. I would say the extra curricular activities are the best part of this school. They have events, after school programs, sports, music and exercise classes. Some of the staff is allowed to tutor although the prices they charge are not competitive with reasonable market standards. This school has lots of potential, so we won't allow a few bad apples to spoil the bunch, instead lets document them and help move this school of the arts in the most positive way forward. read more

I was on a walk today and could not believe the filth and trash at McKinley School play yard for younger kids. The side facing Del Mar, a Main Street in Pasadena between El Molino and Oak Knoll. In the beautiful Playhouse District how would the city let this happen? Even more important, what about heath codes? There was even a can of insect killer on the ground! What is going on here? Why are teachers and parents not speaking out? This is a disgrace. read more

McKinley School - Elementary Schools Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I am talking for person experience and the stuff that happened. I went to this school in 2022 for third-fourth grade and it was horrible. The kids there were rude and they bully me so bad I had to wear a mask. The staff were so rude and they would curse kids out. A lot of the teachers would touch kids. A few of the kids were vaping and some of them were 10-12 . The school bathroom was getting flooded. There was also a rumor that one of the kids there was touching kids in the girls bathroom. All of the kids were bad and some of them were gay or lesbian or bi at age 10-9. A few of the 9 year olds and 10 year olds were kissing on the cheeks and on the lips. Also a lot of the kids would do inappropriate stuff to kids and pretend to do inappropriate stuff. A few of the kids would pretend to be having sex and would be humping the desk. A bunch of kids would also cheat on the test. The teachers would also mark a question wrong on a test even if it's the right answer that impacts to improve there grading. They also need to improve their security because 2 fights would happen every week about a argument or a physical fight. I do not recommend this school because it did not teach me nothing. read more

I went to McKinley from fifth grade until eighth grade and I graduated in 2009. It was NOT a pleasant experience whatsoever. Teachers were great especially my English teacher (Ms. Alves) and my history teacher (Steve??) But the other staff gave me nightmares. Bullying is also rampant while I attended and the staff will do nothing. I only gave two stars because of the teachers. Like I said, they were amazing. read more

Don't let book covers fool you, this is a great school! Yes, it's underfunded and it's a shame because Pasadena has money (please!!). The teachers do their best to keep the school active. My son is in the 1st grade, and we had a wonderful kindergarten experience with Ms. Bergman. Now in the 1st grade, my son LOVES going to school and loves his teacher Ms. Wood. I hesitated enrolling him at the school because I focused on the exterior cosmetics and playground, but I am glad I went through with it. The school has an active PTA and a great arts program. I would recommend this school to anyone who is in the Pasadena area. I will say to anyone "Forget private school! Save your money, place your child in this public school and use some of that money to contribute to the school". The YMCA offers before and after school care (you can drop your kid off at 6:45 AM!!!). Ms. Kiki, Mr. Marcus, and Ms. Brittany are great with the kids. I think the kids listen to them more than they do their parents!! A great program! As you can tell, I love this school. Thank you for reading. read more

If you were looking for a gem of a public school look no further. McKinley school over the last two years has flourished and become an amazing school right in the heart of Pasadena. Here you will find the arts are alive and well, the academic rigor is unsurpassed, and most of all kids, parents, and teachers are happy. Our school has recently been named a demonstration school for the city of Pasadena for modeling the workshop model for reading, writing, and math. My only complaint is that our school only goes up to eighth grade, how I wish it could be an ETK through 12 grade school! read more

This is a school with a very dedicated staff of teachers and administrators. Complete "TEAM" environment to help your little ones prepare for high school. BONUS it's K-8, so your child can experience elementary and middle school in a comfortable environment. Also, when the construction is complete, the campus will be breathtaking! read more

My children have attended this school since moving from Georgia. Before all the renovation started, this school was fun! Mrs. Wilson is a special education teacher, and she's the best. She's worked with me and my children from day 1 until we moved and relocated. She was like my children's grandma, looking out for the best interest of my children with their needs in their academics. She also had Ms. Darnelle and Mr. Marcus working for her helping with the special needs. I think it's great that the school have this program, my children have always been close to them and I appreciated so much of what they have done for me and my children, to our family. Mrs. Renzullo and Mrs. Strehl are the best kinder teacher. Ms. Turley, the vice principal was such a sweet lady. She was the first person we met when we came to McKinley and she's always knew my kids then. I see her everywhere interacting with children and I loved that so much. I also liked that this school has an arts program that allows the children to perform in front of their families. I most especially liked this because for me, it helped my kids confidence in performing in front of an audience. I won't get to see the new developments of the school but I am hoping that more great teachers and staff remain and that others get to work with the people that me and my children miss having around. read more

McKinley School is the worst school I have had the misfortune to send my child. She had the most horrible teacher. My daughter's teacher, Mrs. Renzulo was an uninspirational, manipulative, condescending person with zero compassion. She was the type of teacher that will not be someone my daughter will be thanking years from now for being the success she is now. Thank goodness my daughter is no longer going to this school and has not attended this school for many years now. read more

It makes me sad to write this because there are people who work hard at this school. But if you are a parent thinking about sending your child here. Don't. There are other elementary schools in Pasadena that you can get into on a lottery that are way more safe and peaceful. My son had 3 teachers in one year. The last teacher didn't even work full time and had a part time substitute so he had no consistency. I tried to address this with the principal and it went nowhere. My child was bullied and scared and miserable and no one even noticed. This school is dirty and depressing and terribly under-funded. I think they have a population that needs more attention than this administration has the resources to provide. It's a disgrace that this school exists in such an affluent neighborhood that has the means to provide much more for these kids. read more

We are totally happy with McKinely. The teachers are awesome and the schools offers many programs for kids to learn.

My son goes here , the programs for the students is absolutly amazing , the teachers are well trained and the area is safe. I appreciate all they do for our kids. read more

We are new and have been welcomed in warmly by everyone we have come in contact with! Dr. Heaton took a large chunk of time to talk to us and give us a tour of the school over the summer. All the parents seem thrilled with what he has done for the school in only a year, and excited to see what more is to come. The diversity feels like a beautiful peek into what our country is becoming (if we play our cards right), with seemingly every race, ethnicity, gender, faith, education level, and financial bracket represented. The after school programs are great! There are 3 that I know of. All provide snacks, and have homework time for about 45 min. PARKS AND REC is a high energy, organized sports focused program for high energy, super athletic kids (this is where my kid goes). YMCA seems like a mixture of some running around and various fun projects for kids, not as active as P&R, but more active than LEARNS. LEARNS is a more academic program where kids can get help with homework. So far, I am very happy with this school. The parents are nice, down to earth, and focused on a big world picture. The kids also seem polite, fun, and happy. read more

Awesome school. Led by Dr. Heaton, the principal, and the dedicated team of teachers, McKinley School of the Arts keeps getting better and better. This will be my son's 3rd and final year (TK, K-8 school) and we'll be so sad to leave. The MKS motto, "OneTeam, One Mission, Demonstrating Excellence" is a goal that the MKS team works for everyday. Take a tour and you'll see! read more

McKinley is a fantastic public school with dedicated staff, teachers and administration! As an arts focused school, each grade level experiences a variety of the arts. The teachers are bringing state-of-the art teaching models to each classroom. As a recently designated demonstration school, McKinley is the school to be part of and watch your student flourish! We've been at McKinley now for 9 years and we're so glad we choose public and McKinley!! read more

i have never ever seen a school office not answer the phones. i have dialed there number for 1 hour and no answer, i called another parent and she said that she had been calling as well and no answer. this has been several occasions. this school has went down dramatically. the teachers do not have patience with students ,some do not communicate with the parents. it is just awful. the security talks down on kids, my son has been bullied and nothing was done but when he defends his self then he is at fault. mr. kendrick is about the only one person that cares about the students.mr. lira is horrible. he got tired of me complaining on how my son was being treated and he got tired of my son telling on the kids that were bothering him so he gave my son a d. how do you go from an a to a d? i am looking for a school for my son due to the fact that this school does not operate like it did 6yrs ago read more