Foothill Ranch Elementary currently has over 1,100 students, way beyond its designed capacity of…read more650, by adding modular classrooms. Traffic is horrible during the drop-off and dismissal periods. Parents are filling parkings at the FR public library, Borrego Park, and neighborhood streets, yet it is an hour gridlock in the morning and the afternoon. Police officers have been seen on-site to keep traffic moving and give citations, and the crossing guard did her best to keep pedestrians safe. Summer 2023 FRE underwent a major renovation that lasted the entire Summer. It now has a digital marquee that shuts off at 6pm. Fall 2023 FRE got a new principal, transferred in from Serrano Intermediate School. FRE was a California Blue Ribbon school once upon a time. I hope it can achieve academic excellence again soon.

This school sucks I was here and they're staff is horrible the teachers also are mean they don't…read moretake care of the school they're is trash everywhere one of the supervisors called me Pathetic and more she also touched me this is the worse school I have gone too.

We definitely wish we signed our son up here sooner. Our son has learned so much and the small…read moreclass size allows our son the extra help when needed. They provide a loving environment and I drop off my son daily knowing he will be cared for and will learn. Everyone knows our son my name and he always loves to tell us about his day. They have farm animals (a pig and a tortoise) but the pig is not for play but the tortoise the kids get to feed. If you're on the fence, please give Country Village a chance. Thank you Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Yuta, and Ms, Mary I will be sad once our son leaves for Kindergarten

I am so glad that we found Country Village! When we enrolled Onyx he was speaking very little. It…read morewas also very hard to get him to follow directions. He has been in Ms. Sucell's class for five months now and it's like he's a completely different child. He has grown his vocabulary so much, he is following directions much easier and he loves saying his ABCs, numbers and reading books. Their staff is amazing Miss Jutta and Miss Baja were so patient with him because he used to cry when it was time to go into school. They calmed my mind and assured me that this was a normal part of the transition and sure enough he quickly began walking into school without tears. Ms Jennifer is always sending me pictures and I love that! I also love that they take temperatures at the door every morning and I have no idea how they get Onyx to wear his mask but every day he comes out with it on! They are child whisperers :) I couldn't have chosen a better school to help develop our Onyx!

Fulbright is a hidden gem - it is tucked away on a quiet street and you won't just happen upon it…read more We are so glad we found this school! My daughter is excited to go to school literally every day. With a Montessori approach, there is not homework, exactly, but she is motivated to keep learning at home. She takes an interest in all kinds of topics and even wants to pick out books related to her classmate's research topics and to do her own projects in her free time. There are thoughtfully chosen books for literature circle, and the children get together in smaller group to discuss them. There are opportunities to delve deeper into topics that are of great interest to the group, or to individual students. Ms. Cherish is in charge of the elementary class and she is a blessing. She is one of those teachers who seems to bring out the best in everyone. I'm not sure how to really describe how wonderful she is - like Ms. Honey from Matilda plus some Fairy Godmother powers? The children really trust her and look up to her and it shows in the warm, positive atmosphere. My daughter has grown so much this year, and she feels very much a part of a learning community that Ms. Cherish has created in this class. More generally, I can also comment that things seem to really run well under Ms. Maha's leadership, like everyone pulls together to create a smoothly running ship. She is very present and available. Communication is great and families know what to expect. All the random curveballs one must deal with in a typical school year? We haven't had any of those since coming here. Finally, though this school year has not ended yet, my daughter is already asking about when next school year begins. This school and the teachers in it inspire children to want to go to school and to want to learn.

This school feels like a second home. Thank you to the amazing teachers for the love and care you…read moregive every child, and to the wonderful director for leading with so much heart. It's because of you that our children grow with confidence, kindness, and a true love of learning

All my chikdren have attended Guidepost Montessori since a very young age. We have had the…read morewonderful opportunity to meet great teachers who are not only experienced but passionate for the Montessori method. My youngest son just started in the Nido program and I know that he is in great and loving hands. Ms Abby and her team are very nurturing, experienced and caring towards the infants. I can go to work in peace knowing that my son is not only cared for with love but is also in an environment that is truly focused on the Montessori philosophy starting as early as infant age. Love the Guides! love the prepared environment!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Guidepost Montessori in Foothill Ranch. This has been…read moresuch a special place for our family and a huge part of our son's early growth and development. We started our son here when he was just 6 months old, and as a first time mom who is naturally very anxious, I was incredibly nervous about leaving him. I worried about everything. From day one, the guides took the time to get to know not just our son, but us as parents too. As time went on and as I built relationships with the team, my confidence grew because of the care, communication, and trust they created. Ms. Abi and her team have been absolutely incredible. Ms. Abi has been amazing at helping guide us through our son's milestones and development, always offering reassurance, insight, and support. Every single guide we have interacted with has shown genuine love and care for our son. Ms. Abi, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Marianna, Ms. Dora and so many others always took the time to give thoughtful updates about our son's day, which meant the world to us. Our son truly loves it here. He lights up every time we pull up to the building and is excited to see everyone inside. Knowing how happy and comfortable he was made all the difference for us. We are heartbroken to be leaving, only because we are moving out of state. This community has meant so much to our family, and we will always be grateful for the role they played in our son's early life. Thank you to everyone at Guidepost Foothill Ranch for creating such a warm, nurturing, and supportive environment. We will miss you all so much.

It's such a bittersweet moment for me as we say goodbye to what has truly been the best preschool…read more Both of my children started their journey here--my daughter, who is now 7, and today was my son's very last day. Leaving is incredibly emotional because this place has always felt like family. From the amazing teachers to the wonderful management and the kindest owner, every single person here has been so caring, welcoming, understanding, and supportive. The love, attention, and education they provide are simply unmatched. If you're looking for a preschool where your children will be genuinely loved, nurtured, and cared for like family, this is the place. I will miss you all so much, but I know this isn't really goodbye. I've made lifelong friends here, and I had to get all the teachers' contact information because I couldn't imagine not staying in touch. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving my children, believing in them, and giving them the most beautiful start in life. We will always be grateful

do not recommend this school based on our family's experience. Unfortunately, we experienced…read moreongoing stress due to the school's administration and management. Communication was often difficult, and we did not feel supported when concerns about our son were raised. One of the biggest issues was the constant turnover of teachers in my son's classroom. During our time at the school, his class had multiple teachers, making it difficult for the children to build stable relationships and adjust to a consistent learning environment. Several staff members expressed concerns about the work environment, which was disappointing to us. The administration/ specially director did not demonstrate the level of knowledge or expertise in child development and child psychology that I expected from a leadership team responsible for young children ( I even heard this from teachers). Rather than working with families to understand children's behaviors and support their growth, I often felt that the focus was on discipline instead of teaching and guiding children through age-appropriate challenges. Young children need patience, consistency, and positive guidance to learn appropriate behaviors. Unfortunately, I did not feel that the management took that approach, and I believe my kid would have benefited from more understanding and support. It was my impression that families who gave gifts or maintained a closer relationship with the administration received more favorable treatment. As a result, I felt our kids did not receive the same level of support!!!!! Last but not least Please consider that very serious Goddard director talks about "fairness " however she treat parents differently when they give her expensive gifts? I've heard this from several parents who warned us, but unfortunately we didn't listen.

My daughter graduated from this school in 2015. I later found out that most of her teachers (not…read moreall) were just awful to her and her classmates/friends. Up to this day she and her friends would talk about how awful some of these teachers treated them. The teachers absolutely showed favoritism to students whose parents practically did their job by volunteering everyday and will not let any parents do so. My son was attending at this school but their Special Education is less than satisfactory because they had nothing to offer him. I ended up transferring him to Foothill Ranch Elementary and it was best thing that ever happened to him. When my son strarted attending Foothill Ranch Elementary, they sent me a letter saying that they were opening up a class accommodating my son's needs and that Portola Hills is his home school. I told them that he will never return to this school. I saw my son get bullied by these kids in front of my eyes by purposely not including him to their reading groups during Dr. Seuss birthday celebration in their classroom because he read slow. He read slow because he's autistic. My daughter is forever scarred by this school but fortunately, she overcame it with my constant re-assurance because this school destroyed her confidence. By the way, Cookie the office woman was just awful to my son. She would get upset if he comes in to the office to ask for help. If you are a brown nosing parent you will thrive in this school but if you are working mom who cannot always be there. I wish you the best but keep an eye on your children or you can transfer them to Foothill Ranch Elementary. For what it's worth, Mrs. Shanton, Mrs Morrow, Mrs Lindenhoffen (my daughter's teachers) are wonderful teachers. Mrs Lau and Mrs Franco are wonderful as well, they were my son's teachers. The rest, well...Good-luck along with the principal Mr. Ledaux (if he's still there)

This is a great school with caring teachers. My son has been here only a few months but acclimated…read morewell. The afterschool program is great and the supervisor is amazing as well (I know this should be a separate review but it is on campus). I would love it if they allowed kids to play on the playground before school like the schools in Irvine but that is my only complaint.

Worst experience. Sad to think that we live in the area, pay tax to create suck a horrible school…read more Watch your kids closely and dot not take the teacher or staff words over your kid. They lied and will blame in on the kids. Sad!

Such a Great School, Students, Staff and Parents! High…read moreexpectations, yet achievable and students show kindness. Positive experience with all teachers! LFE is amazing!

This is a brand-new campus for the Alpha School system, and I'm so grateful we decided to take a…read morechance on it for our child. From day one, everyone on campus has been warm, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. The guides are exceptional--deeply caring, highly engaged, and truly invested in each child. Even in a short time, we've already seen meaningful progress. Our child is discovering what it feels like to be genuinely proud of her work, reading at a higher level than before, and being both mentally and physically challenged in ways traditional schools never offered. Yes, as with any new campus, there are a few kinks to work out and the apps take a bit of getting used to. But the growth we've already seen gives us high confidence in the system and trust in the process. The workshops are outstanding as well. It's incredibly reassuring to know the kids are learning so effectively in just two-ish hours that they have the freedom to "play" for the rest of the day. To our daughter, school feels like one big play date with her friends--and as parents, we couldn't be happier.

5-Star Review -- Alpha School Lake Forest…read more Alpha School Lake Forest has been a truly transformational experience for my daughter. For the first time, she found real joy in learning. Every day she came home excited, proud, and full of stories about what she explored and accomplished. The environment at Alpha nurtures confidence in such a natural, beautiful way. My daughter discovered new strengths within herself, and I watched her become more self-assured, curious, and motivated. The teachers genuinely see each child as an individual, and the level of care, encouragement, and respect they give is rare and precious. What I love most is that Alpha teaches children how to learn--not just what to memorize. My daughter developed problem-solving skills, independence, and emotional intelligence that I haven't seen in traditional school settings. If you are looking for a school where your child can grow academically and personally, feel safe to be themselves, and truly enjoy the learning process, I cannot recommend Alpha School Lake Forest enough. It has been one of the best decisions for our family.

There's a lot wrong with this school. First off it started with a scandal from the top down, well…read moreok, these things happen, but it never really seemed to recover. The teachers are very green, full of hopes and dreams but egregiously lacking in skill. The administration doesn't seem to be much better, my kiddo was in a class with a pregnant teacher, mind you they had several months to get a replacement ready, however after this teacher went on maternity leave it still took them several weeks to replace her. The student body has a ton of delinquents apparently because they were kicked out of other schools and this place appears to be a miscreant catch-all. I can't tell you how many times bullying has occurred. Their after-school program is a mess, my kiddo was injured by one of their staff who got too over zealous during a game!! And after the first couple years almost the entire after school program staff had turned over. If your school district is half ways decent I suggest you keep your kiddo there. In most cases non-charter schools have been doing their thing for a long time and have already figured out the solutions to the problems that OPA has.

Our son started kindergarten this year and so far we've been very pleased with the school! He has…read morebeen making a lot of progress and I love that he has Spanish, music and steam each week. The administration and teacher seem to be very caring and also very serious/reliable. The PTA is active and the school often has events for the whole family as well as an incentive program to motivate the students. The school is very diverse with many students of different cultures, which is important to us. I was a bit hesitant seeing the reviews on Yelp and Google, but glad we made the decision to send him at OPA!

I was at this school for 4 years and the call rooms are very clean. The bad things about…read moremy school is the staff don't care about you when ur hurt or bullied they only care if u bring food on the play ground and there is a massive problem with bullying

An elementary with a mix bag of faculties. While we're glad that the old is out, the a new…read moreprincipal Cory Pace is dodgy when student issues are brought up. Direct traffic when all is fine, tickles his own pickle by standing in front of parking lots to harass parents about parking when everyone is working on tight mornings, hurrying their children to school. It makes you question if the he is the principal or traffic fairy? There are also teachers, who are there to collect a check rather than to truly educate students. A word of advice for all new incoming families, there are, of course, good teachers, but just beware and gauge your own child's development. Good luck! This place will not be missed.