Mission Avenue Open Elementary School

2925 Mission Avenue

School District

San Juan Unified
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for San Juan Unified 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 16, 2025

The current principal took this school from a 8-9 down to a 3-4. Parents used to be included in all classroom activities. That is what made the school the best in Sacramento. The current administration pushed parents out of the classroom so that social agendas can be taught without the parents' knowledge.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2022

Our child attends Mission Avenue Open and while many people had recommend this school, we find that it doesn't exactly fit our family. The academics are just okay and have suffered with the large increase of ESL students. There seems to be a greater focus on social gatherings, field trips and being unique people - which isn't exactly what we are looking for for our child's education. Academics at this school site (and possibly this is systemic of San Juan School District) seem to be very concerned with social emotional California thinking versus basic, solid academics. The area too is experiencing a lot of change - making the campus not as safe as it used to be or should be. In the time we have attended the school there have been multiple incidents with theft, hate and destruction of property. We will certainly be looking at other school sites for the next school year.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2019

Mission is in the flux of change. You do want a school to change for the better as needed. The new principal and new teachers seem good for the school. The traditions that have set Mission apart from other schools are dwindling. The current generation of parents up and coming like the idea of volunteering but don't actually do it by and far. For a school that relies on parent participation for many aspects of the program, it cannot continue on the same path without parents committing to working on PTA, running the book fair, coordinating author day, helping in Kindergarten and in other grades as needed and requested. The same 12-15 parents cannot do everything that Mission intends to accomplish each year. The teachers are amazing and take on extra ad-hoc tasks and jobs but parents need to step up. It would help if the district would promote Mission as its purpose and "open" concept intends for enrollment.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2017

My child attended this school for a full seven years. I can tell you this, Kindergarten and Sixth grade are amazing experiences both for hands on learning and academics from the first year and the last year. Kindergarten has the right amount of learning while sixth grade definitely gets students ready for middle school. The grades in between those years are a mixed batch. Some teachers are truly focused on the "open" concept while others vary the learning a bit. Others are clearly moving away from that "open" concept with some too focused on standardized testing. Overall, the learning in the field and hands on experience is strong, yet less than it had been in years past. Parent participation is dwindling and the "open" concept relies on it. Speech, art, music, and band are strong at this school with impressive teachers leading the way. Resource support lacks in experience. School administration seems to have opposing goals to learning than the open concept classroom has in its typical precepts.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2017

Excellent, this has changed my daughter's life.
Submitted by other on June 23, 2014

As a former student, I can't help but be just a little bit biased to my own experiences. Mission was the best possible place for me to attend. I would not be the person I am today if I had gone to any other school. In my seven years there, I had an amazing time. I'm still friends with some of the people I was friends with there when I was five. I haven't attended Mission for a while now, but I still come to visit and I'm always welcomed. I still feel nostalgic for the many amazing field trips I went on every year, and hum the songs I learned in my one year of choir. This is all my own personal experience of course. Everyone is different, but Mission is about taking what makes you different and using it to make you the best you ca be. Besides, who really wants to go to Merimont?
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2013

Mission is great for the kids, not for adults unless you are a certain type of adult. One that fits in with the cliques of parents. I find myself, a working loving mother, an outcast at Mission. Not only by the parents but by the teachers as well. I have an upcoming field trip for 3 days to Mt Lassen, I am not looking forward to going because I have to deal with a bunch of snobby parents. Excuse me for having a job and not being a stay at home mom, not everyone has that option. What I like, my kids are happy there and I feel thier learning is on track. I like that they offer band and choir as well. I just don't like the cliques of parents.
Submitted by other on August 01, 2013

As a grand parent I have been on several of my granddaughters field trips. The most impressive one was an overnight in the Sacramento Zoo. The zoo staff was very complimentary of the Mission Avenue staff and even waived some of their restrictions on overnights because of Mission Avenues outstanding programs
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2012

Sometimes I can't believe that most people (many are) aren't knocking the doors down to get their child into this school. While there are many great schools within the San Juan Unified School District and the surrounding area, this school stands out for for reasons including academics. The learning at this school is enhanced by the projects, field trips and the parent involvement that each student experiences. This school is a community and a great example in today's world. To put it simply, a school official emphasized that this school offers a private school education but is a public school in the San Juan Unified School District. http://www.sanjuan.edu/MissionAvenueOpen.cfm?subpage=157900
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2011

I've been a parent at Mission for many years now and Mission used to be a really great school. Administration changes have taken the "open" out of it and for me, the cliques of parents and the total inequities that take place on a daily basis ("rules" or not), got very old to me and my family. The elementary grades are wonderful, starting with Kindergarten. Many students leave after fifth grade, rather than staying for sixth grade for many reasons. This is a school where one of the parents should not work so they can be in the loop of favorites with teachers.
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2011

The teachers at this school are great. The only problem that stood out for my child and I was the fact that sometimes there was a lot of clicks and some minor bullying. There was also a little too much parent participation to the point of gossip and clickiness among the parents as well. Overall my daughter's experience academically was excellent but socially she was lacking. She loves the new school she is attending socially and academically.
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2010

I attended Mission many years ago and now my oldest son is lucky enough to attend, everything is as great as I remember. The teachers, principal, assignments, parental involvement and field trips are fantastic! My son is at the end of his first grade year and we were lucky enough to have Miss Rausch as his teacher. We look forward to what second grade brings our way. We are truely blessed to have or son attend this school and our youngest in a couple years!
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2010

I loved Mission when my daughter first started there. It is a very good regular school. Changes in the past 4 years have really removed a lot of what was special in the 'old days' when it WAS a special school. For kids who are self directed, this is a great school. Lots of field trips. Good for high acheiving kids too. But if your child needs any services or help, you had better be ready to fight for it. And smart kids need services too sometimes, speech for example. Many parents leave Mission instead of fighting for help.
Submitted by other on November 27, 2009

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Submitted by parent on June 15, 2007

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