Heritage Elementary School

1450 Santa Lucia Road

Chula Vista, CA 91913

School District

Chula Vista Elementary
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Chula Vista 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 December 18, 2023

Amazing school with loving teachers and top-notch education while still maintains a small village-like community. Principal Romo is amazing and knows kids and families by name. This school is a hidden gem.
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2023

Excellent teachers! Wonderful principal! The school truly cares about the students and the community. Highly recommend.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2023

They did not care about my child learning experience.
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2019

Heritage is a great school! The teachers are amazing. We love the dual immersion program. There is a strong community camaraderie at this school.
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2017

My four kids are go to school. All they like teacher and school. Also friends.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2016

It is not ok to be an advocate for your child at this school. You will be ignored and asked to leave, as was the case with our family. I had heard many good things about Heritage, but that was not the case with us. We were there for over 2 years.
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2013

Heritage is a great school! Besides its academic accomplishment, there are many other things that make this school amazing. Heritage parent volunteers are the best! From putting together an enormous and fun school carnival, building and maintaining a school garden, to giving teacher support, the parent volunteers at Heritage are dedicated to making a difference in the students' lives. They even put together a Multi-Cultural Fair every year to give the students the opportunity to learn about different cultures around the world. The Garden Club allows for students to learn about planting and composting and my kids love the "sensory" garden. My kids also look forward to "Science Days". Students are given leadership opportunities in the Safety Patrol, Peace Patrol, Broadcast Team, and Student Council. The school has a boys and a girls basketball team as well as a co-ed soccer team. The students are also empowered to recycle plastic bottles by the school's "Go Green, Bring Fifteen" recycling program every Friday. We are happy that are kids go to this school!
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2013

I agree with a previous poster who gave 1 star. My child was able to withstand almost 2 years at Heritage. We moved to this area specifically to attend this school, what a mistake! This school only cares about shoving information down the throats of these poor children in order to have them regurgitate it onto a test. There is such a resounding lack of passion in the teachers. They come off more as hostages doing what thier master is ordering them to do than a person whose calling it is to educate children. The buildings themselves are even depressing. They have tiny little windows on the upper part of the wall, it reminds me of a prison cell. Speaking of prison, the way the lunch is conducted is remininscent of inmates at a mess hall. The children are only given 10 min or less to eat and they are constanstly being yelled at. The culture of this school is cold and distant. The only sense of pride they have is their high test scores. Theres no pride in creativity, leadership skills, peace keepers etc. Its all about the bragging rights to those high test scores. The classrooms are packed to the max because parents fooled into thinking this place is good. Dont be fooled! Run.
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2012

We are new to the school.Before coming to the public school I had often heard from other parents how many public schools are just teaching to the test. Sadly, this was been proven to me in less than a month.All of the work (in class and homework) that my kids have brought home is strongly concentrated in language arts and math. I have yet to see samples of other subjects being taught. Recently they announced how the school had recieved state scores of 938. Yes, that is commendable but what does it really get them besides bragging rights...do they get more funding? I need to educate myself a bit more on what that means and maybe I wouldn't knock them on that.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2012

I am so impressed with Heritage Elementary and the teacher s dedication to the students. I feel like my children are receiving the best in academia and development of social skills. The teachers really go out of their way to ensure all children are consistently learning and gaining confidence. Even though there are many exceptional teachers at Heritage, I truly believe there is one that stands out amongst the rest, a hidden gem if you will and that is Mrs. Bernstein. She is by far the best teacher and person in the entire district. She would absolutely receive my vote for teacher of the year!! One could only hope your child isfortunate enough to taught and influnece by this remarkable professional.
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2012

Too much emphasis on testing and teaching for the test; have an unfortunate feeling this is the case at all schools that rely on federal funding. Im definately not as impressed as the staff with test scores as a true measure of my childs success or failures.....and my child scores advanced in all areas. I feel the teachers are not enabled to teach to their full potential as they are too busy prepping our kids for testing. Again, this likely has more to do with the current state of public education in general than it does the school or faculty.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2012

Now on our third year at Heritage, I am not happy with the direction the school has taken. Focus is almost exclusively on state testing at the expense of any other classroom enriching experiences or projects. Zero creativity in the classroom. No science projects, art projects, none of the things that used to make grade school fun! Our kids are essentially sitting in a lecture hall all day! Library time is a joke. Some great teachers but having to teach just for test scores diminishes their talent. Other teacher have pretty much given up and it is painfully obvious that they much rather be anywhere else but teaching our kids. Definite favoritism towards a specific group of the school population. Basically if you are not in the dual immersion program or the English learners program, your kid is just a warm body, just adding to the count for state funds. Look beyond the test scores!! It is just a competition between the principals for bragging rights! Our kids need more than that!
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2012

My son has been attending Heritage elementary for 3 years now, this school offers a great Spanish immersion program. I think the climate at heritage is great, I see so much enthusiasm from the principal in her blacktop assemblies, and during her coffee chat. She is a real positive influence to our school. The teachers are also very good with communication with me as to where my son is doing good, and where he needs help. Overall I feel that Heritage has an excellent staff, and a great group of volunteers that help out with assisting the teachers, or helping those special events come to life. Thank you Heritage!!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2012

Heritage Elementary School is the most wonderful place on Earth! We have two children and have recently moved into the Heritage community. The warm sense of community among the parents is incredible. Most notably at the Family Luau at the beginning of the school year, which felt more like a family reunion than a school picnic. The culture at this school is one of excellence and class! We have yet to come across a group of individuals more dedicated and nurturing than those we see at Heritage. The teachers at Heritage are top notch! They are a collection of the best teachers in Chula Vista. We appreciate the strong emphasis on academic achievement and wish more power to them as they welcome each student into their classrooms daily with warm smiles, a nurturing demeanor, and high expectations. We want the BEST for our children. They are spirited and joyful when we discuss school. Keep it up Heritage! We are very proud to be Heritage Hawks!
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2012

Since becoming a member of the Heritage community almost two years ago, one thing has become astoundingly apparent: Heritage is indeed, a true community. Parents, teachers, administration, and of course students all come together in a way I have never seen in my 20+ years as an educator. My children have quickly grown to love their school, its teachers, and their friends. They have wholeheartedly taken on the overwhelming drive to work and learn that permeates the Heritage culture. They understand the hard work involved is directly tied to their own growth and achievement. The children are assessed regularly, however, the data is used to drive instruction. Student needs are identified and addressed thanks to the results of the tests. Our children love the challenges presented to them by their teachers. They feel they are cared for not only by their teachers but by the entire staff and community. For parents, opportunities abound to become involved in the happenings at Heritage and a visit to any school function will demonstrate the degree to which parents and families support our school. Come and see for yourself.
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2012

Heritage Elementary is a fantastic school, with great leadership and amazing teachers. The entire staff is dedicated solely to ensure all students grow and develop into intelligent, positive and confident young people. I feel extremely fortunate to know that my children are off to a great start in life because they are being influenced by teachers that have great intentions and dedicate their time to ensure each child succeeds. My children love Heritage and look forward to going to school everyday. Thank you Hertiage Hawks Staff for all of your hard work and dedication to helping tomorrow's future, you are doing an amazing job, evidenced by the schools results and the smile on my kids faces!!!!
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2012

Please don t be misled by all of the four star rankings you are seeing. We moved here from TX last summer and made a decision to put our child in this school based on the reviews from other parents. The majority of the faculties concerns are based on test scores. They all seem to be so focused on the scores and their ranking within the district that they have completely lost sight of the child and what they are really learning. My child is in the third grade and struggles to keep up because they push so much on the kids before they are ready. It takes my kid nearly three hours to do homework each day because he doesn t understand what the steps are and that s with me walking him through it. They were and are still doing long division before the students even know their multiplication facts. When I contacted the teachers their only response was he should know his multiplication facts by now and that if he continues to struggle they would teach him Singapore Math I don t even know what that is. If you like test scores this is the school for you. If you what your child to have fun learning and enjoy going to school, you may want to look for another school. I am!
Submitted by parent on January 14, 2012

I can't say enough about Heritage Elementary School! I am a parent of a 3rd grader and feel so blessed to be a part of the Heritage family. My husband and I are confident in knowing that we are sending our daughter to a safe and caring environment, where ALL students are engaged in their learning on a daily basis. If you love to volunteer, then Heritage is the place for you! Spending a little time on campus, you'll quickly see parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles helping, not only their children's teachers but ALL teachers, whenever they can.There are endless opportunities for you to volunteer. The atmosphere at Heritage is one that can be truly felt. You can feel a sense of family, love and dedication from teachers, administration, staff and parents who hold the welfare of the children as their highest priority. From the Blacktop Assemblies to the Chalk Walk Festival, from the Family Art Nights to the Carnival... Heritage is truly the best school in the world!... AND to top it off, Heritage Elementary has been the highest achieving school in the district for two years!!!
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2010

Gloria Ciriza as principal has positively changed the school culture at Heritage. She is omnipresent, has a can do attitude and is a true leader of our school. The office staff is warm and helpful and welcoming to all that come in the door. Teachers are ON, as evidenced by the recent test scores. The PTO is active and always wants a fresh face no matter how little time you have. Academics and safety are stressed, but in between it is never the same month twice. Our new Vice Principal is on top of being available and helping the school keep on its current track. We are a military family that is now planted in the area, and this is the best elementary experience we have had.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2010

Heritage is the best in the district and our 2009-2010 API score of 917 proves it! Principal Ciriza is one of a kind and has turned Heritage into something to be proud of. All the teachers are caring and put our children's needs first! Way to go Heritage Hawks!