Balboa School

855 Brotherton Rd.

Escondido, CA 92025

32 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on July 20, 2020

Balboa School provides a very high quality educational experience to its students - both domestic and international. Small class sizes, individual attention, and dedicated and caring teachers and staff make for a great environment for students to achieve great results. Balboa School has helped countless students change their lives through fostering an environment within the school community that promotes academic success, creativity, and prepares students for college and beyond. Additionally, the school provides one of the top sports programs in the area with a nationally recognized boys basketball team with amazing coaching staff, many who come from professional sports backgrounds and have played and coached at the highest levels.
Submitted by student on April 06, 2018

I feel great about my experience at this school. I have learned many subjects and topics in class discussions and more. The basketball team is great and I especially like no. 3 he is a great player/student.
Submitted by teacher on August 28, 2017

My experience at Balboa School has been outstanding. The Administrative Staff and the Teachers are conscientious and work hard to insure that the needs of each individual student are addressed. For two years I worked as a Substitute STEM Teacher for Teachers on Reserve, and taught at more than ten different schools in San Diego County--for example, in La Jolla, downtown San Diego, San Marcos, Vista, Escondido--also, at a private school in Mission Viejo. I had an opportunity to teach at several schools full-time, but after substituting at Balboa School in May 2015, I chose to become a full-time teacher at Balboa--primarily due to the diverse educational environment promoting high academic standards, and the emphasis on building the skills that students will need for college, career and civic life.
Submitted by other on August 22, 2017

Balboa School is an amazing environment for any students who wants that individualized attention from their teachers and staff. Additionally, the school culture at Balboa is extremely welcoming. We have a great group of students from all over the world, which allows for a diverse educational environment. I highly recommend this school without hesitation.
Submitted by principal on August 21, 2017

The teachers at Balboa School go the extra mile to help each student succeed. They genuinely care about their students, and it shows in the campus culture.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2017

We've had an amazing experience at Balboa School. The teachers are friendly and have high expectation of students. With the small class size, my child always receives the attention necessary.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2014

I am not sure what the latest review is referring to... my child has homework 4 days each week and is testing an entire grade level above average.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2014

I am not happy about this school. My children don't do anything. Program Is made for kids with problems such as aggression and learning. I would say that I have never seen worse school than this. There are no homeworks. Teachers teach things that my kids have already studied. Students at school are said by the council that this school is great. Teachers can't expect made homework from students. Don't be fooled! Don't trust their website. Many students wear the same clothes everyday. Don't destroy your's children future.
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2013

I have a kind, friendly boy of 12 who is exceptionally gifted and has a serious medical issue. I totally gave up on the public school program here to educate him, even though he was in "seminar" for the top 1% of students. The program was little different from the regular classroom. Many teachers, administrators and medical personnel were callous, rude and unkind. I live in La Jolla, where this was the best of the SD schools. So, I enrolled Alec at Balboa after explaining both his academic and medical needs. Honestly, I was shocked at the difference. They've been AWESOME! They put Alec in classes well above his grade level to challenge him. They take his medical condition seriously and follow the procedures I've set for them. I don't mean to say that I know everything will go well, but that the difference in attitude and effort is remarkable. The teachers and counselors are kind and the curriculum demanding enough that Alec is engaged in his education for the first time since we moved here. They've combined flexibility with academic rigor, and mixed in compassion. Dr. Parker totally got it with Alec, and they designed a program that fits Alec's needs perfectly. Outstanding! Go BCS!
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

Balboa City School has been an excellent choice for my son. The staff and administrators are very responsive and the curriculum is challenging and broad. The teacher to student ratio is excellent and allows for a lot of individual attention. This is the first school my son has attended where he has felt safe.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2013

We have two kids at this school, one started in 5th grade and is now a 9th grader while the other started in 4 th grade and is now a 6th grader. The class size is small so that kids get more individual attention. There is a good deal of flexibility to take the child's individual needs into account. Our sixth grader does well in math and was able to move up a grade in math. Our 9th grader is taking Japanese as a language. Our kids have done better at Balboa than they did in our school district Our older son brought home less homework his first couple of years at Balboa. I was a little concerned by the difference in the homework amount. In the public school he scored at the high end of students on the CA standards test. He took the Stanford achievement test at Balboa and scored similar. The biggest difference seems to be the public schools assign more homework, than Balboa needs to assign, to learn the same amount. There is great deal of diversity at the school also and the kids come from all around the county. Recently there have been more foreign students attending. The teachers are are caring and keep you posted as to how the kids are doing. A good school and staff.
Submitted by other on March 08, 2013

I am a former student of Balboa City School, and It was a pretty experience. The staff did not let me take Biology and said it was "full", but it wasn't (only like 4 kids in that class) because they thought the teacher had little credentials. It was a waste of 2 months of time to catch up, and now i have to repeat several courses. The geometry class was a joke (so easy). The PE was really good. As I don't like this school that much, Its better than Winston School. I now go to CCA and am blossoming and challenged to my potential.
Submitted by teacher on February 17, 2013

I have taught (substitute) all over San Diego and Riverside Counties. I have been to many public schools, charter schools and private schools, but the culture, student population, teaching approach and leadership at Balboa City School is unique and effective. The class sizes are small, giving the teachers a lot of time to learn about their students as individuals. The access to technology is top of the line. There is a sense of community that I have not seen at other schools, clearly the atmosphere is not lost on the students, because they are all highly motivated young adults. The diversity of the student population is interesting because it gives students from different types of backgrounds a chance to intermingle in an intimate setting without the judgement of peers that often comes with larger public schools. Overall, this is a great environment both academic and social.
Submitted by parent on December 21, 2012

We searched and searched for the perfect school, and we finally found it! I have one child enrolled currently. I love the small class sizes! My child is in 5thth grade, and in addition to their amazing classroom teachers they have robotics class, a rocketry club, a PE coach, and a science class that makes science so interesting. They get to go to Mad Science too! How many elementary students get to do that?
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2012

I made the mistake of sending my child to Balboa City School. Had I known what type of kids they cater to I would never have put my child there!!!!! My daughter did not receive any of the services promised to her. Once enrolled I was told she would only get the promised services if I paid hundreds of dollars per week on top of the regular tuition.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2012

Great place to send students with violent tendencies, behavior problems, and emotional disorders. The the teachers do their best to control the students but they are overwhelmed. Focus is on behavior and not on academics.
Submitted by teacher on October 15, 2012

Balboa City School is the epitome of excellence in education. My educational background is vast; i am still amazed at this outstanding school. The environment here is positive and nurturing. The principal, Administrative Director, faculty and staff work together to create this atmosphere/learning situation conducive to the highest level of academic achievement. Their commitment to the students is com -mendable. Each student receives special attention in class as well as the opportunity to receive help on a one-to-one basis. If all schools were based on the model of Balboa City School, education in our country would improve exponentially. l
Submitted by parent on July 24, 2012

Balboa City School recently sent me an email. The math teacher gave me detailed information about how my child was doing in summer school. And then also invited me to attend live theatre as part of the summer school English program. I never had to even ask for a "progress" report. And I spoke with two other parents who have their children in the school during the school year. They said this was pretty routine for the school. I really like this communication and that I am welcome at the school. And I like the interesting curriculum. My child has never worked harder! I will probably switch to this school in the Fall.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2012

There are some very specific things I like about this school. First, my son used to dread going to school because for some reason, even though he is a perfectly nice child, he was targeted by a group of boys and was bullied and harassed. In Balboa City School there is no teasing or bullying. My son has always love learning and now he looks forward to seeing his friends every day. Second, the school tries to make education relevant to the students. They are teaching programming, rocketry, SAT preparation, and even robotics. And all the usuall classes too. Third, they always have time to talk to me. They welcome me in the class! The teachers are always open and friendly. Fourth, we love the smaller classes. I love the structure within which students and can be creative. And the location is fabulous. I wish we had found the Balboa City School earlier. Also, the tuition is affordable.
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2012

Balboa City School is a wonderful college preparatory school. My daughter is learning in all her classes and despite what her previous teachers said (they were good teachers) she is now truly engaged in her academics and getting ready for college. She has been studying everything from a foreign language (mandarin!) to robotics and advance English and writing. I like that they are so close to Balboa Park that they can attend theatre and go to the museums on a regular basis. What a I like most are the students and the teachers. The students are nice to each other and there are not any cliques. And the teachers are highly motivated and always respond to my emails (except one who is not so consistent). This year they started a kindergarten. I wish we had started our child there a few years ago.