McKinley Elementary School

701 Paloma Avenue

School District

Burlingame Elementary
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:19
Type

public

School Map for Burlingame Elementary School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 12, 2025

We recently switched from McKinley to another school mid-year due to safety concerns and administrative issues. Our experience at McKinley was deeply disappointing, especially in the Spanish Immersion program, which is in a troubling state despite attempts to hide it.Key Concerns:1.Bullying and Safety: My daughter was repeatedly bullied. Despite months of reporting it to the teacher, the situation escalated. One day, she came home with ice on her neck after being physically hurt by two classmates. The administration failed to address these incidents effectively.2.Dishonesty from the Principal: The principal misrepresented the Spanish Immersion program’s condition before the school year and denied knowledge of a child’s aggressive behavior, despite emails from other parents and several incidents with that child requiring staff intervention.3.Lack of Transparency: The administration seems to avoid accountability, such as sending a last-minute email at 5 p.m. before school year started to announce our class does not have a teacher or burying an important meeting announcement about the immersion program in a long email. Parents who attended the meeting confirmed this program has been poorly managed for years.4.Construction Chaos: Ongoing construction left half the schoolyard closed, creating unsafe conditions during recess and lunch. Limited space and poor organization led to dangerous activities, especially for younger kids, and an accident occurred. I doubt the new TK building will be finished on time by August 2025, so I would not recommend the program.5.Concerning Staff Behavior: The staff member responsible for Spanish testing demonstrated behavior that, in my opinion, makes them unfit to work with children.Positives:The teachers were wonderful, but their efforts were overshadowed by the administration’s failures and poor management by the Burlingame School District.Conclusion:We left McKinley because it became clear that the administration prioritizes secrecy over safety and transparency. From mismanaging the immersion program to their inadequate response to bullying, this school was not the right fit for our family. I hope this review helps other parents make an informed decision.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2023

My kids have been going here a few years now and we love it. The parents are very involved and teachers are very dedicated. The programs are well organized during after after school.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2023

Amazing community supports the success of the children through many organized efforts. I love that children are encouraged to learn and speak Spanish through the immersion program.
Submitted by parent on July 29, 2023

We love McKinley for our daughter. The Spanish immersion program is highly sought-after.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2022

Overall, McKinley is a great school and ranks high in child education and development. The teachers my child had so far have been great and very attentive to each child's development. Only complaint is the principal. From my experience, her focus has been misdirected. It seems that the students are the last priority. A student was struck in a crosswalk and parents expressed concern about safety by implementing additional crossing-guards at that intersection. We made her aware about this, however her concern was more around how information flowed to her (as she didnt hear about it). No empathy for the students well-being and family were expressed. No recommendations or accountability was taken. Student safety should be a top priority from drop off, during, and after until the child gets home, however her reaction depicts this is a low priority.Considering no action was taken, as a parent, being vigilant on safety as a community should be practiced.Also concerns about traffic flowing during drop off and pickup is prioritized more than family safety.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2022

We have two children in the Spanish immersion program at McKinley and while I generally think they school does an adequate Job, the facilities are pretty dated and the outdoor space is marginal, huge amounts of asphalt and barely any grass or turf. My children’s experiences are pretty different, our son’s teachers have been excellent but Maestra Cuevas, who teaches kindergarten, really seems like she doesn’t want to be there. She’s curt and uncaring with her students and we’re told by many kids that she doesn’t listen to them or understand their concerns.
Submitted by parent on March 02, 2021

Love the staff and community at this school. The dual immersion program is wonderful and the English program is just as strong. My children are thriving and challenged daily. The principal considers all students' needs when making decisions and is a wonderful leader. We are so grateful to attend McKinley and be a part of Burlingame School Distric.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2017

McKinley is phenomenal. It has a strong principal whose words are followed with appropriate actions focusing on the children's education including safety, bullying, and bilingual. Great teachers who sincerely care about the kids and challenge them every day. The facility and grounds are great. Most importantly, the McKinley parents are amazing and engaged in their child's lives.
Submitted by other on June 07, 2016

Mckinley Elementary School is the best and most wonderful school because of the teachers my kids have had until now. lt breaks my heart to have to transfer my kids out of the school, but I think it was unprofessional of a teacher to scream at my son because she lost her cool, after reporting her she retaliated against him in my ways. I disliked that despite my several attempts to have attention brought to this matter not one did anything, which brings me to transferring them out. Both my kids needs special Ed And they're being held back from receiving these services.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2013

2 kids in school past 5 years. Like any school, you get what you put into it. I volunteer in the yard and no different than other schools- no fights!!! Teachers and Principal always readily available.So work with them! All highly experienced. More diverse demographic than other schools, which I honestly prefer. My kids have friends of varying socioeconomic levels. Parent involvement and the amazing school district really make a difference. They have PE several times a week, library, music, band, an award-winning garden club and Art in Action. Electronic whiteboards in all the classrooms and are purchasing more ipads for the class. District Science teacher and now Math teacher to develop curriculum. Spanish program has provided some more cultural enrichment and next year they are starting a recess program that emphasizes conflict resolution and inclusive play. I would not hesitate to recommend this school and have known parents transfer kids to this school from others in the district due to bullying! Again, you get what you put into it. If you work in partnership with your teacher and Principal, you will reap the benefits!
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2013

Just hope your kid is not bullied. If so then you can forget getting any support from administrators. All they did in our situation was to punish the victim than deal with the bullies. Academically the school is OK. Nothing to right home about. They have some really great teachers and some really bad teachers. They also seem to have many new inexperienced teachers so beware in getting the new one. I also noticed a few "lemons". Good luck I would probably pick Lincoln if I had an option.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2012

This is an excellent school. Our K,1st and 2nd teachers very like a family to the kids. Grades 3-5 get less warm&cuddly and more responsibility, homework, preparation for STAR tests, etc. The principal Ms. Valerio is extremely dedicated - knows every child and every parent. She is the one standing outside at pickup time routing kids to their parents making sure everybody is safe. It's very easy to get a hold of every teacher, the principal and the secretary (that said, try getting Lincoln principal on the phone and good luck with that!). This school is rated 8 out of 10. Lower test scores are simply result of more lower income kids compared to other Burlingame schools. Check out test scores by subgroup - they are pretty much identical across all schools.
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2011

McKinley Is an amazing school with an excellent staff. The school has a very diverse population that is just wonderful. The curriculum is challenging and the teachers are very collaborative. They have soccer coaches that come once a week at lunch, The Physical education has implemented a program for recess coaches and this provides the older students a leadership role. Have I mentioned how awesome the parent community is. We are a big family at McKinley.
Submitted by parent on November 03, 2011

Very bad school which is really a bummer for this area. Nobody cares. There are random people on the premises, multiple cases of kids clothes theft, nobody watches kids, nobody cares about education. I can speak only for K-2, but chaos is there, fights!! and swear words!! and it doesn't seem that things change for older kids. Stay away! Really, it is not worth it.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2011

This school is not what you would expect from a Burlingame school. I would not recommend moving to Burlingame for this school. It lacks good leadership. The focus is not on education. The playground is wild and needs better supervision. Many kids are bused in and that might be one of McKinleys problems. My experience is that problems are covered up rather than addressed. This is very frustating.
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2011

McKinley delivers the state mandated basics to the children, but as another reviewer stated, little else is taught. Science, technology and music are weak while the art program is taught by volunteer parents. Kudos to the parents for filling these needs! Also, the Spanish immersion program is like a school within a school with minimal integration between immersion and non-immersion students. It's unfortunate because everybody can benefit socially and culturally from having both curricula at one school. Communication from the school and the teachers is minimal and inconsistent (website and newsletters are often missing important event dates), which makes it difficult for parents to actively stay involved in their children's education and social integration. There is, however, a strong sense of community but that is only the result of an involved and caring group of parents. The teachers are good, but as a whole, the school needs a lot of improvement.
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2011

McKinley is the ideal school. It has an old fashioned aura, strong family influence and a principal who puts the children above all else. Her leadership is strong and sincere. Her staff and teachers love their jobs. The difference at McKinley is the kids are on the forefront of everyone's mind. EVERYTHING comes back to the well being, academically and otherwise, of each student. What is happening at this school? Learning and loving it! Respect, caring and high standards for ALL.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2011

This school lacks a strong leader and support staff. Communication from school staff is very weak. Academics are moderate and additional school activities and enrichment classes are limited. Moreover, the school campus lacks sufficient playground equipment and is filthy. On a positive note, parent involvement and volunteerism is very strong. Also, the student population is very diverse which lends itself to increased cultural awareness.