El Rancho School

5636 El Camino Avenue

Carmichael, CA 95608

10 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-6
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 01, 2022

We have been an El Rancho School family for almost 4 years. We have a preschooler and a first grader there now. Most of the teachers have been there a long time and seem to genuinely love the kids. In the preschool, there is a great mix of learning and playing. They start working on phonics pretty early, and I credit that as one of the reasons my oldest has become such a strong reader. The campus is beautiful with mission style architecture and a tree-shaded playground in the back. There is even a swimming pool with lessons available in the summers. The principal knows every kid. You would be hard pressed to find a more nurturing environment for your littles. I am so thankful we found El Rancho School. It feels like a hidden gem.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2021

As a parent, your goal is to put your child in a daycare/school that takes care of them and provides them a great education. You want your child to feel safe and enjoy his/her time while there. As time goes on, you get to know the teachers and staff to validate your decision in the school you selected. For 3 years, my son has attended El Rancho School and his development has grown in leaps and bounds. That starts with his teachers - and El Rancho has THE BEST, most caring instructors you will find in the Sacramento region. From Mrs. Analyn, to Mrs. Rosalia and his current kindergarten teacher Mrs. Peyton, my son has thrived under all of their tutelage. But it doesn’t stop their. The staff at El Rancho are all fantastic and led by their amazing owner/ principal Holly Olson. Lastly, the facility has everything you need. Big, shady play areas for all the kids to enjoy at all grade levels. Bottom line - we all want a safe, caring and nurturing environment for our kids to grow and develop. We hope for great teachers and staff. We want playing areas that offer multiple things to do and bonus if those play areas have some shade. If you are looking for all of that and more importantly, difference makers to help your child grow and thrive, look no further than El Rancho School. We couldn’t be more pleased and look forward to our son attending 1st grade at El Rancho in the fall!
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2021

The educational standards at El Rancho School are top-notch. and that is the main reason we wanted our daughter to attend. She is in Kindergarten but her reading and math level would be first grade anywhere else. We also feel good about the balance between schoolwork and time spent outside. The campus is charming, and we all felt immediately comfortable. Our daughter was so enamoured with the school that we switched her over early and she finished out pre-school at ERS. Miss Holly does a beautiful job in running the school, and that is reflected in the engaged teachers and the level of parent participation. The icing on the cake is the on-campus pool and the Red Cross teachers who lead swim classes. We are so happy to have found ERS, and encourage everyone to take a tour!
Submitted by principal on March 21, 2018

I have been very happy with our children attending El Rancho School. They started in preschool and are now in the upper grades. The small class sizes mean that my children are getting one-on-one attention from their teacher when needed. Their reading and math instruction are above grade level and their handwritng is beautiful!! The teachers take time to contact us, and always respond to notes in the planner asking for clarification, field trip questions, etc. We have found our children's friend's to be nice and well-behaved and have become friends with some of their parents. The summer program is great too.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2015

We are a family that is El Rancho strong! 3 kids and three years in. We could NOT be happier with the facility, the staff, and the program. We have referred, and continue to refer families all the time. The extra curricular activities are well-rounded and we've always found other parents and families to be warm and inviting with us. If you're looking for a preschool or elementary school where your child will receive fantastic one-on-one attention, be challenged academically, and be cared for in a warm environment, this is your place!
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2014

El Rancho provides a warm environment that caters to the individual student while providing strong fundamentals including reading and writing. The strong focus on reading begins in childcare / Pre-K with some children reading before kindergarten. The academics program is complemented by the small class size, teacher - parent involvement, art and music programs, and park-like setting making the school a positive, safe environment for my children. We love it at El Rancho.
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2013

My daughter attended El Rancho for 8 years from preschool through 5th grade. The small class size allowed for individual attention and the ability for students to be challenged and advance academically when ready. When she moved out of state she was miles ahead of the public school 6th grade students. Her love of reading, strong grasp of mathmatics, and desire to excell academically came from the excellent teaching and support she received in El Rancho's nurturing environment. Some may consider the structure to be "old fashioned", but their methods are tried and true and produce outstanding students and good citizens year after year. We have no doubt that El Rancho receives part of the credit for her high GPA, high AP and ACT scores, her confidence, and her desire to pursuer a degree in engineering. She has many fond memories of her friends, teachers and the administration at El Rancho. They became part of our extended family. We as parents feel that El Rancho was an investment in our child that we would not trade for anything.
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2013

El Rancho is family run and although that could be a positive aspect, it is not used appropriately. At El Rancho it is evident which families "fit in", and which don't. Children are NOT treated equally, respectfully, and leave discouraged. Everyone appears kind, warm, and helpful. From the school secretary (which there were 3 differnt ones in 6 months=odd high turnover), the children's educators, and the "administration". The school appears well maintained, and the atmosphere appears positive. The word used repeatedly is appears. My husband was cautious when we first considered this school but agreed to allow it a chance. In his initial interview he immediately saw flaws in the administration and felt there was an odd atmosphere, although he kept those to himself. We spent time there prior to our child beginning and both stayed invovled during the duration of his experience. However, my husband's judgement was accurate. There certainly were warning signs and "red flags" I should have paid attention to. Continued onto next review...
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2013

My son recently started at El Rancho and this is his 3rd preschool in a period of 1 year. I must say that I have not seen my son happier at any other place than I have at El Rancho! The staff seems to genuinely care about each childs needs and after my sons bad experience at an in home that put him in danger I have been very picky as to where I would send him to spend the day while I am working. The 2nd school I sent him to told me to "just leave" as my son balled at drop off begging me to stay. At El Rancho the staff welcomed me to stay until he felt comfortable which took all of 10 minutes on his first day! I believe that El Rancho is the best school for my child and for those parents that are looking for a place for their child to feel safe and happy!
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2013

I'm shocked and offended by the previous post. My son has been at El Rancho for four years. It is a welcoming, nurturing environment. He has learned so much in that time and is excelling above grade level in every subject. The teachers are kind, helpful and are able to spend time (because of the small class sizes) individualizing lessons to meet the learning needs of each child. If there is a clique I certainly don't know about it! I have spend a lot of time at the school and have never noticed any favoratism. I couldn't disagree more with the previous reviewer and encourage anyone who is considering El Rancho to talk to current parents at the school.
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2012

If you think that all girls love dolls and all boys want to play baseball, send your kids here. If you're happy with a staff who "sells" incentives to kids ("Tell your parents to sign you up for school early and we will give you a free plasma car!") and who can't handle any questions or concerns you may have about your child's well-being or happiness, then this is the place for you. They may want to consider removing the words 'nonsectarian', 'diverse', and 'all are welcome' from their website and just cop to being 'christian leaning', 'homogeneous', and 'intolerant' so that people like us don't have to go through the heartache of moving their child to another school on short notice.