Although the school is noted as "one of the best," Paine is a true INSTITUTION. Please note, this is not reflective of other schools in GGUSD or individual teachers.
Overall, the Paine administrative staff is very cold and clinical, but they are professional.
Doors are closed on time, which I understand. However, the entry doors may literally close 5-10 seconds early. This means the student and parent walk through the office and the child receives a tardy slip. NOT cool.it's very convoluted to expect children to get in the door when the door they are expected to walk through closes when you're 10ft away and have 5-10 seconds left to enter and it goes in their record.
The PTO is very active. However, the vibe it gives the school feels elitist - as if the parents are expected to be balling. There are a lot of events offered; however, many of events tend to require a payment. This includes $15 for "Lunch with a Loved One" day. The "donation" is an entry fee and does not include lunch for the adult. Sure, it's a great way to raise money for the PTO, but it also means that if you can't afford it, you shouldn't/can't participate. The amount should be more "reasonable". In a day and age where schools as a whole can have a bad rap and push parents into wanting to homeschool, you would think that parents would want to be encouraged to participate in their kids' daily lives as much as possible.
It's not a place I look forward to visiting. read more