St. Jerome Elementary School

5580 Thornburn Street

Los Angeles, CA 90045

32 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 25, 2025

St. Jerome School is thriving! The current principal and staff have completely transformed the school into a high academic, safe, and fun environment. They truly care about the students and families, and it shows! You do not get that everywhere! There is always a special activity, treat, field trip or experience at St. Jerome. I am fortunate that my daughter attends this school. It is the best place for her. She is well taken care of, challenged and happy. It is a nurturing place, instilling morals and values, where kids can learn, while practicing their faith and God's teachings. In today's climate, where schools are battle grounds, I am fortunate my child attends St. Jerome School!
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2023

Great catholic school and lovely staff! The students are well cared for and i love the fact that bullying is taken seriously at the school! I feel blessed to have my daughters attend St. Jerome school!
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2017

I enrolled my children at this school towards the end of the last school year in May 2017. It has been a great experience for our family. The teachers in the junior high are experienced and very caring. My children were behind academically and struggled. They recognized in themselves where the gaps in their education were and continue to work hard to address them. The teachers and the principal have partnered with me to make sure we can get them prepared for high school. More importantly my children feel more at home at this school than one they attended for several years. Sure, the school is in a rebuilding phase but I think the principal, pastor and school support organization are working together to build the infrastructure and I can see the results in my brief experience.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2017

Terrible! Terrible! Terrible! Principal is only concerned with revenue. The positive reviews here are a result of an organized effort by a handful of parents. Do not risk your child's education or safety by enrolling in this school. The teaching staff is unprofessional as whole. Veteran teachers are bitter and newer teachers are poorly trained. The school will enroll anyone with a checkbook and do not provide the proper assessment or support for special needs. The school has a long history of success but has declined drastically over the years. I had pulled my child out in the middle of the year because of safety concerns due to the teacher's poor classroom management. He was significantly behind the other students in his new school. This school should be shut down it is so poorly managed!!!
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2017

This is a small school where all of the kids know each other. You'll hear them saying goodbye to each other after school. My younger kids will often have kids from the older grades saying hello or good bye to them, by name. The parents are warm and welcoming. You won't find any cliques here among the parents. The principal, Mrs. Doorbar, is easy to talk to and readily available if you need to speak to her. All of the the staff knows every student by name. Everyone is so friendly and caring there. There have been many positive changes in the last year. They added chrome books, archery as part of the PE classes for the middle school students, a comprehensive art program and Fridays are dedicated to S.T.E.A.M. activities. My fourth grader is learning to play the ukulele during music class, which he really enjoys. This year they departmentalized grades 3-5. I wasn't sure how that would work out, but my son is doing so much better academically. He enjoys having several different teachers during the day. For him, it breaks up the monotony of being with one teacher in the same classroom all day. It also gives him the few minutes he needs between classes to get up and stretch his legs, which definitely helps him to focus better throughout the day. My kids love it here. My older son had behavior issues at his last school (a nearby montessori school) and was also bullied there. He was showing physical signs of stress. We switched him to St. Jeromes and we only wish we had made the move sooner. His physical signs of stress are completely gone and he feels safe at the school. My younger son is advanced in math, so they are letting him work on math at an accelerated rate so that he can stay ahead and not be bored working at a level that is below his abilities. It's surprising how large the school is too. They have an art room, a science room, a music room, a computer room and a gymnasium. I admit I'm not a practicing Catholic and I was unsure how my kids would feel about attending mass every Friday with the school. My kid actually enjoy Friday morning mass!
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2016

This is a wonderful school where the students are taught by teachers who care about the whole student and make sure they have the tools to success.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2016

We love St. Jerome School! We've been part of the St. Jerome Family for 8 years, and our daughter continues to strengthen her academic and leadership skills. She's developed a strong spiritual foundation, and friendships to last a lifetime. We are very pleased with the SJS Principal's leadership, and the highly dedicated and caring faculty and staff. We are so blessed to know that our daughter is in a safe learning environment, where she continues to strengthen her academic, leadership, spiritual, social and community skills that will lead her to a successful future.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2015

St. Jerome has been a staple in the community for many years and I am happy to say that this new principal, Mrs. Doorbar, seems to be taking the school in the right direction -- up! Until the placement of this principal, the school had been headed by ineffective leadership for the prior five years, disinterested teachers, with a few exceptions, and a lack of unity. I have noticed a positive vibe with a new group of teachers and the children seem to be happy and excited about the after-school programs. The parents, too, are more positive now that a few "bad seeds" have taken root elsewhere. In addition to attending back to school night, I have had the pleasure of one-on-one conversations with the principal and I am confident that she brings the experience, knowledge, and dedication that will be necessary to restore St. Jerome to its previous glory, both academically and socially.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2015

I'm really happy with new Principal and the direction she's taking the school in. The work is a bit more challenging this year and she seems committed to turning the school around. The staff is caring and the kids are happy to learn. We've been at St Jerome school for 3 years and I'm happy with where the school is headed.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2014

Completely disappointed parents complain about the children but the truth is the middle school literature teacher was unqualified and unprepared. My kid do not read a quality book or complete a writing assignment since February. The Math/History teacher should base his test on his interpretation of Catholicism and his family because again my child was not challenged. The principal in September kept preaching that the children would be challenged and engaged however the teachers she challenged won and she left and we were left with mediocracy. It's a shame because most of the parents are paying for what they could get at a public school for free! I think the parents who ran the principal away bit off what they didn't understand. St Jerome is a waste of money!!!
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2014

This school due to budgetary constraints has resorted to allowing unscrupulous parents access to other parents personal information and other sensitive information. A parent sits in the office from time to time peeking at sensitive information that should not be disclosed and then she discusses this information with other parents. This is outrageous. Her child is also a bully, a known "mean girl" and is allowed to get away with it because there is no one to monitor and everyone is afraid of them. We took our kids out after 4 years of the school going downhill and we will not return. Each year this school gets worse and worse. This is just disgraceful! And the former principal was let go due to unknown reasons, she also allowed, if not encouraged this type of behavior. Get it together or this school will surely crumble.
Submitted by parent on March 31, 2014

This school is pretty good. I think that the middle school will get better over time and that the elementary school is great. The sixth grade however is out of control. But, the new principals are putting things in place and manny of this years sixth grade (class of 2016) will not be able to return to the school because if behavioral issues. Something that greatly disappoints me is that an elder teacher who used to teach is being taken advantaged of by the sixth graders. I think that all together in maybe a year or two saint jerome will be restored to its greatness and there will be no more if them making teachers cry. This year and next year will be the last if it's fooling around.
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2014

My child is in the Pre-K class and absolutely loves the teachers, classmates and even the after school care. So far I've been very pleased with the teaching style and curriculum to prepare the students in moving on to the next grade. I do love the active parent community. I am concerned about the recent leadership changes but hope that things stabilize to move SJS forward.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2013

I am new to the school, so this post may be a bit premature. However, I am compelled to share my views thus far.... Pros: My child loves the school. She feels learning is "fun" and enjoys socializing with the other students. The curriculum appears up to standard. I especially appreciate how the principal has taken steps to implement the common core standards into the curriculum. The school appears safe and the kids are well taken care of. The small community fosters respect and an ethical character. Cons: The principal has the best interest of the school, however she can tighten up certain aspects of administration. For instance, the website is not updated, she did not give details concerning the ipad program until three days before school the start of school, and also changed key details of the Parent Handbook. The newly revised Parent Handbook was not given out until the Monday before classes began. I come from an environment that is structured and student centered. I think the principal is making positive improvements in the school, but could be a bit more Type A, so things will not seem somewhat "raggedy' at the school.
Submitted by other on July 11, 2013

Change needs to occur and the principal needs to eliminate some of the negative parents.... I would love to have a one on one conversation with the parents that are so negative. A Catholic School expert- really I didint know there was such a thing???? I wonder how you dress, is your child reading and writing on grade level, probalbly not because of your post. Believe me I am not Ms. Jones just a person who dontates money to the school for all the parents that cant pay their bills. Have a wonderful day Catholic School Expert! You are such a winner!
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2013

I am a big supporter of St. Jerome School. I have been a parent there for many years. My youngest child started last year and was able to flourish during the school year. I was ecstatic to hear the Kindergarten teacher was hired permanently as a member of our faculty. I am thankful the principal is taking steps to bring in staff members who are qualified and credential. Where the principal is new, she hasn t just sit around and let past systems continue that were not up to par. She stepped in and changed the math program as it was outdated. This upcoming school year we will have a new science curriculum. She also offers staff development to advance our seasoned teachers. She knows what it takes to teach and the importance of keeping children engaged in the classroom as she holds a teaching credential as well. She is making sure our school will CONTINUE to be above standard if not equal to other schools that cost much to attend and ensure our students will CONTINUE to enter the top high school as they graduate from St. Jerome School. This year's 8th grade class got into top notch high schools. I am looking forward to the years ahead!
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2013

I love and support SJS, I've been there for eight years. Both of my children started in kinder and I couldn't be happier my daughter thrived in kinder this past year. I'm so happy the sub for kinder was offered a full time teaching position, she is well qualified and will do an excellent job! The new principal is a real and caring person and a mom she is in touch with what parents want for their children. The most recent 8th grade was excepted into some of the top schools in the city. What more could you want? SJS is a complete school academically, it offers sports, art and music, I can't say enough great things about SJS
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2013

I am always amazed at the negativity and resisitance to change when it is required for improvement. Ms. Jones is obviously an education first princpal that cares about all of the students that attend SJS. Not only does she care about the students personally but she wants them all to be as prepared as they can be for the next chapter in their lives, academically socially, and spiritually. How many Principals are education first. That's the kind of school principal I want leading SJS and the kind of principal that I want ensuring my children get a challenging and rewarding educational experience that is positive. There have been changes at SJS but given time the changes will prove to be great for the students and great for the school.
Submitted by teacher on June 21, 2013

As teachers at SJS, we have had the privilege of working in a school community with a talented faculty and caring families. Working together with parents as our partners has been very important to us, and we have prided ourselves on our constructive relationships with SJS families. When the time came in our lives to have children of our own, we were touched at the level of support shared with us by the students and parents. When we made our decisions about how best to parent our own children, it was with the support of our pastor and administrator and in the spirit of the examples of devoted parenthood we have seen in the families at SJS. Our personal decisions to stay home with our babies had nothing to do with our job satisfaction or feelings about the school's administration, but rather how we felt about being the best parents we could be. The decision to leave our students and colleagues was incredibly difficult for each of us, but we were blessed to have the support of our community. This, in our opinion, is among the best qualities of the SJS community- the warmth and support of a real family working together towards a common goal, educating Christian leaders for our world.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2013

Had high hopes, but will be going to another local catholic school.... As a graduate back in the 90s and now a parent, I wanted my child to have a great experience as i had while at St. Jerome. The principal, Ms. Jones, is unprofessional in how she acts, dresses, and in how she conducts business. Both the Kinder and the 2nd grade teachers went out on maternity leave and decided not to come back (says a lot about how they felt about their jobs). The school 'nurse' is a parent that has no real skill set and utilizes her position in the office to gossip with parents about confidential matters. The subs that were chosen are under qualified to teach the classes given to them and are NOT even certified or credentialed to teach! Reading and computer programs: gone! Most catholic schools need parent volunteers to help and its always the same few parents that want to help resulting in those parents pretty much running the school. Half of the 4th grade left mid year (and pulled the siblings out too) to go to other schools due to the poor leadership and terrible quality of the Administration. Extremely disappointed in how poorly the school is being run. I feel sorry for Monseigneur Norm.