Watching my daughter grow and thrive at St. Joseph School in Pinole has been an incredible joy for our family. Every year, I see her becoming a more confident, responsible, and motivated student. She continues to improve academically while also developing strong values, kindness, and compassion toward others. As a parent, I am proud to see her excited about learning and eager to participate in school life every day. One of the things I appreciate most about St. Joseph is the strong sense of community and faith-based education the school provides. The teachers and staff create an environment where students are encouraged not only to succeed academically, but also to grow spiritually and emotionally. The emphasis on service, respect, and caring for others truly stands out and helps shape students into thoughtful young people. I also appreciate how the school welcomes diversity and inclusion, creating an environment where students and families from different backgrounds feel respected, supported, and valued. My daughter has made many wonderful friendships through school and enjoys participating in a variety of activities and events throughout the year. From special traditions like Breakfast with Santa to her Spring Concert performances and exciting field trips, these experiences have created lasting memories and helped her become more engaged and social. It is heartwarming to see her surrounded by such a supportive community of classmates, teachers, and families. I am very grateful for the positive impact St. Joseph has had on my daughter's growth and development. Seeing her happy, involved, and continually striving to become a better student each day gives me great confidence in the education and values the school provides. read more

We had a horrible experience as a family for my child's first year of school. My child was enrolled in the TK classroom where there was not much diversity. They only have one AA teacher for years and we received racism and discrimination from Ms. Berry on multiple occasions. I decided to withdraw my child from the school becauae I was no longer going to fund our own racism. Especially from a teacher, we were very disappointed and disgusted by our experience. Hoping other children never experience this as their first time in school Also, I forgot to mention that the teacher left my child in the bathroom by herself while she took the rest of the class back to the classroom on the 3rd day of class. This was another big NO NO. They usually wait for all the kids to walk together but conveniently left the only African American child by themselves at 4 years old at a new school on the 3rd day. I would never recommend this school based off of our personal experiences. read more

Very disappointing experience. The principal and some teachers created what felt like an unwelcoming and unfair environment toward people of color. Unfortunately, this affected my child deeply. Other students labeled and criticized her, including comments about her hair and appearance. As a result, she became very scared, stopped speaking in class or outside of class, and often sat alone. We raised our concerns and met with teachers and the principal hoping for support and change, but unfortunately we did not see improvement. As a Catholic school, I expected students to be taught values of kindness, respect, inclusion, and treating others with dignity. Schools should model strong moral values and help children learn how to respect people from all backgrounds. Every child deserves to feel safe, accepted, and supported. Based on our experience, I would not recommend spending your money here. read more

St. Joseph isn't your typical school. It's a place where kids are truly at the heart of everything. From the moment our family joined, we felt welcomed and part of something special. The teachers make learning fun, and our kids get the kind of personal attention that helps them grow and thrive. What really makes St. Joseph stand out for us is the strong sense of community. Families are encouraged to lean in, get involved, and be part of the experience. It's not just about dropping your kids off at school. It's about becoming part of a community that supports one another and grows together. As a parent of mixed-race children, finding a school that embraces diversity and celebrates different cultures was really important to me. St. Joseph has done that beautifully. It's a place where my kids feel seen, valued, and proud of who they are. read more

My daughter has been going here since kindergarten and now she's in 7th grade. The experience has been amazing and the community is wonderful. We will miss it when we are gone read more

My granddaughter attended St. Joseph's school and had an excellent preschool experience. Unfortunately the TK experience was the exact opposite. The teacher completely lacked classroom management skills. When the parent of another child sent an email to the class parents describing her concerns regarding harsh punitive behaviors toward children and ostracism of children who were struggling, the principal made no effort to intervene.There was no professional development for the teacher or other staff and essentially the principal blamed the parents and the five year olds. This despite the fact that this same teacher had a known history of basically abusive behavior toward children. It was an absolutely heartbreaking experience. Don't put your child through this. There is a complete lack of support, love or compassion in this religious (?) school and a serious lack of leadership. read more

St. Joseph school provides quality education with caring teachers, modern facilities, and great extracurricular activities. Wonderful school with a strong sense of community. The staff truly cares about students' success and personal growth.Highly recommended for any parent looking for a nurturing school. read more

My son attended preschool at St. Joseph's School in Pinole this past academic year, and we've had such a positive experience that we are re-enrolling him for TK. We really enjoy the strong sense of community and the support from both staff and families. The teachers are wonderful--caring, attentive, and truly invested in the children's growth. The school feels like a safe, welcoming place where our son is thriving. We're grateful to be part of the St. Joseph's family read more

One of the worst schools with one of the worst principals Iv'e ever met. For starters this school cost almost 11,000$ a year but for what? No cafeteria, no library, and you still need to pay out of pocket for field trips! Where is the money going? On top of that the teachers struggle to teach any student who isn't already naturally smart, which means kids constantly get overlooked or are labeled as trouble makers. This lack of ability to teach, is most likely due to the staff teaching a subject that they are intimated by because they don't fully understand the concepts well enough to be teaching them in the first place. 2nd The principal has shown multiple times that she has racist tendencies toward minority students and I don't feel right not letting other parents know. I wanted this school to work for my kid but there is a serious lack of leadership and it shows. read more

Fire Mrs.Tucker. My child is unable to learn correctly and is graded extremely unfairly. They are constantly deducted points without clarifying an understandable reason why. My child has told me that they aren't given time to discuss certain items during class. Meaning she is unresponsively taking away from their grade with things they were never taught. She is late on grading items, yet she creates many assignments expecting our children to finish all of them by a certain deadline. read more

It's sad that this school has changed so much. This was like home and it was such a welcoming place. My siblings and other family members attended this school. We were part of the community since 2009. It's no longer the same and not worth it. read more

My son has been here for 2 years and we really enjoy the sense of community this school fosters. There are a ton of school activities for families and my son has Spanish, art, music and PE in kindergarten. The staff have always been friendly and we appreciate the morning assembly every day. The police station is right across the street- yes they charge for tardies but we have never been charged bc we get our son to school on time. Parking can be challenging but not impossible. Love that they celebrate Christmas and other holidays unlike a lot of public schools! read more

I'm surprised more people are not yelping this place. This is long overdue and let me tell you, if you're looking for a catholic school for your children, look elsewhere. Especially if your child is going to middle school. High concern over professionalism and unfair treatment of children by the administration especially the director. read more

Our daughter is thriving at St. Joseph's. Bc of her teachers and their support, she loves to learn and her curiosity is growing. We are happy with the community the school builds amongst parents. Overall, St. Joseph's is an awesome school choice! read more

Just wrapping up our first year at this school (elementary-upper grades). We have had a good experience. The location is convenient and across the street from the police station, fire station and city hall. The younger grades have a nice playground and there is plenty of asphalt and space for kids to play sidewalk games, hopscotch, basketball. The school participates in several service projects such as a sneaker drive for kids in africa, toiletries for homeless, earth day walk at a nearby park and others. There are also many activities and opportunities for parents to volunteer. The academics are solid and our child is looking forward to coming back next year! read more

Terrible school! I would give NEGATIVE starts if possible. I really wanted to love this school due to the convenience of the location, but it was a total disappointment. Here is a list of the reasons why I decided to remove my child from the school. Please note that parents were offered service hours to submit reviews, and that is why this school has so many good reviews in other websites. It's shocking after all the negative comments and complaints I hear from parents on the school campus, that the school would have good ratings. 1. The principal is extremely greedy! She is all about money. 2. The principal brought over a group of teacher from St. Pauls (her previous school) and they have a sort of cult and always cover for each other. 3. The kids were having daily morning assembly outside in the cold, at 30 degree weather. They were freezing, not paying attention at all, but yet still had assembly. 4. The principal is NEVER at the assembly on time. She's always walking in late. 5. $25 charge per tardy (this is after your 5th tardy which with accidents, traffic and little kids, can be used up fast). If you have multiple children, then be ready to get a big bill. 6. The classrooms are small, crowded and dark. 7. Mrs. Winters (secretary) does not have a pleasant personality. She seems miserable. Luckily she is retiring. 8. No parking! I have seen kids almost get ran over in the morning, cars driving with doors and trunks open, and just a total disaster traffic in the morning. 9. After school program has no structure, not helpful to the kids. 10. Teachers on social media during class time. I caught this a couple of times. 11. Unresponsiveness to emails. 12. Unsafe - the gate is open at all times of the day and anyone can walk in and out of the school at their leisure. Not a safe environment at all. read more

If I could give this school 0 stars I would. I'm an alumni and I don't recommend this school, especially middle school. The school is very unprofessional and disorganized. Teachers have favorites and discriminate students. Teachers don't treat the students with respect. Many families and teachers have left because of the new principal.The school has gone downhill the minute she took over. Most teachers came from St Pauls (where the principal came from) and they all cover for eachother and gang up on the kids. Save your money and do NOT send your kids here, they're better off a public school. read more

This school is a great school!!! I am a current St. Joseph Middle School parent, who is getting no "service hours" to write this review. This review goes for the middle and elementary school. My daughter has gone to this school for the last 3 years and she absolutely loves it here. The education she receives here is second to none. I know she is learning the tools and getting the education that are going to help her succeed in high school and in life. I know she is being taught by teachers who care and go the extra mile for every child equally. The whole school gathers every morning for assembly inside the gym, except when covid protocol prohibited them from doing so. When it was cold outside they would go straight to their classrooms and have their morning prayer and assembly over the loud speaker. They receive encouragement and a reminder that they are a part of a caring environment. That is the type of unity this school provides. My daughter was very shy and quiet spoken when she first started here. Her third year here, and we'll be back for a fourth, she has awesome teachers who have helped her grow. She has been blessed to be in a school where I can honestly say every teacher and staff member contributes to this being the great school that it is. Most importantly it has to be said that all of this is because of the principle, Mrs. Lenz-Acuna, known as Mrs.A. You will not find a better principal than her. She is an amazing principal who is caring, fair, open minded and THE BEST! There are a lot of parents who brought their children to this school because of Mrs. A and to anyone who has met her it apparent why. She is fully hands on and when you've been to another school where the principal was just the "face of the school " and could give you no information, you truly appreciate a principal like Mrs. A. read more

Good memories of St. Joseph Catholic School back in the 1950's. Left there in 62 after 7th grade. Asphalt and Concrete playground. 7th and 8th combined classes. Nuns that would rap your hand with a ruler if you misbehaved. Dreaded weekly oral reports on news articles...."Torture" before the Giants claimed the term in the 2010's. Bottle cap drives; and, movie passes earned if you did road crossing guard. All good. read more