Santa Rosa Academy

27587 La Piedra Road

School District

Menifee Union Elementary
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

charter

School Map for Menifee Union 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 February 06, 2025

My child absolutely loves the school environment, teachers, and staff. The school recognizes character and teaches students to be respectful citizens. The teachers at SRA are very knowledgeable and the administration does an outstanding job in selecting highly qualified teachers.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2023

Our experience at Santa Rosa Academy has been nothing short of a nightmare. The school is infested with bullies, both among students and teachers, creating a toxic atmosphere that is actively harming the well-being of countless children. Despite an alarming prevalence of bullying, the administration's response is shockingly inadequate, reducing serious issues to mere paperwork with the so-called counselors proving utterly useless.What's truly disheartening is the misplaced priorities of the school, where enforcing rigid uniform policies takes precedence over addressing the physical and academic well-being of the students. The directors, Mr. Hennings and Ms. Bradshaw, seem content to remain hidden behind the curtain, doing little to curb the rampant bullying that plagues the institution.A distressing pattern emerges with the apparent dismissal of excellent teachers, likely casualties of the murky politics unfolding behind the scenes. It's evident that the school is failing its students on multiple fronts, and the lack of intervention from the district is baffling, given the extensive damage being inflicted on so many young lives. Our strong advice is to steer clear of this institution, as sending your children here may expose them to lasting harm.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2023

I had two students in red track and red track definitely gets the short end of the stick. I had one of my kids go on a field trip and not the other... you can imagine the excuses I had to make up. The school is beautiful but the parking and valet is so dumb... having such a huge parking lot why can't they open it up and place a few security guards. The struggle for teachers is real and like I said red track gets the short end of the stick. Once a week my kid gets to go to school for a workshop class and they canceled a few times because the teacher called out and they have no subs. I love the uniforms, I love the building but other than that they are definitely disorganized and once I started seeing their grade levels go down on here I didn't think it was worth my sacrifice homeschooling my kids. Back to public school they go where things here in Menifee are not much better but at least my kids are happy that they get to interact with more kids. The lottery to get into the blue track for the school is all politics. This school is no better than public school that's for sure. Prettier that's all.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2023

Extremely disorganized and uninformed administration. I have a blue track student and was told multiple things that were not accurate, but no one takes responsibility or apologizes for their errors. I don't think it is malicious, but it causes great confusion for parents and students. Teacher and principal turnover is high. Very difficult to get in touch with any administration who has correct and current information. Telephone messages are not returned as well as some emails are not answered. The school itself is showing some wear and tear and is in need of overall upkeep. The traffic created for pickup of students is terrible, but so are most schools in the area. The one positive thing to mention is that the students wear uniforms and that is the reason my student stays. For students to have a positive experience the parents must be constantly involved and very patient. The school tries student and parent patience because of the disorganization and unequal treatment. It is probably no worse than most public schools, except Santa Rosa Academy tries to paint themselves as a high functioning, thus a better version of the larger public high schools. They are smaller, but then it would seem they should be on top of things and they are not.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2019

This school was unable to provide Special Education and based on his last IEP fell 2 years behind and we had to transfer him to another school
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2019

This school is about raising good humans. It emphasizes character and values. It is strict but helps to build confidence that a student can do hard things.
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2018

I found that this school is about the admin. They want things the way they want and they are unwilling to change, even if it means a child's self esteem and self worth being stunted. They do not foster creativity and care more about the color of a child's belt than if they show up at school. The stress related to making sure your child is dressed perfectly alone is not worth it . If they don't fit into their perfect box of what a child should be (preparing for the military), your kid will be an outcast. My child was in desperate need of help and after a written request to receive IEP testing, I was told they would not do it (TOTALLY illegal). After leaving and since attending a new school, an IEP was a breeze and they were happy to do it as they saw that my child was not thriving without special help. He is now thriving and growing as a person and has his beautiful self confidence back, and can wear any awesome hair style he wants! Please, if your child is different in ANY WAY, be very careful about this school. Allow your child to shine elsewhere, because individuality and differences are NOT embraced here. Also, the constant threats of "strikes" (3 strikes and you are out of the school) are VERY stressful and unhealthy for children. This includes wearing the wrong color of belt, having their belt broken, forgetting to put your childs tie on for certain days, not having the perfect shoes, hair styles, personalities or accidentally forgetting an assignment. My child was never issues a strike, but the threat had him (and me) VERY stressed out. Please please please do not let the beautiful campus or promise of good character fool you. Teach your children good character, and send them to a school where they will be embraced as individuals.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2018

Wonderful experience. Teachers are great and put in a lot of time and effort into helping each child succeed. The student to teacher ration is very small so your child matters. I would highly recommend sending your students here!
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2018

Although there are some very good aspects of this school, there is definite need for improvement. Our experience overall has been okay. Just okay. My children have connected deeply with their teachers making it difficult in them wanting to transition into another school. If it wasn't for some of the wonderful educators who truly enjoy what they do, my children would not be attending this school. For now, it works.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2017

We chose Santa Rosa for their character emphasis and having people who care around our children. On these points, Santa Rosa delivers beautifully.The curriculum (all tracks) and it's implementation (red track) is not that amazing and a lot could be done better and with better resources. The amount of computer work bothers me as it doesn't encourage focus overall. They push STEM, STEM, STEM on 5yo when critical thinking is not developmentally appropriate at this age (this is also true in language art and social studies).... A lot could be improved but still the best school in the area overall.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2017

Test scores and performance is at or below the state average. My son has had a hard time with the spanish 1 teacher and math in general. English is just average. I dont see the big deal except these kids carry around computers which in my thought is more distraction..not impressed
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2017

We've been at this school for 5 years and counting. We currently have 3 students enrolled and another starting in Kindergarten this August. We've dealt with everything from student bullying, to learning differences, to parent / teacher commitment and while there have been hiccups along the way, we have never had an issue with integrity. I feel like our children are receiving a private school education for free. All 4 of our children learn very differently and we feel like Santa Rosa has accommodated their every need. Yes, there are strategies on how to get into this school, including the willingness to homeschool for awhile, until your children are placed into your desired track. If you want your child to succeed, then you need to be involved as a parent in their education and not just leave it up to the teachers. I also agree with another poster, that the grammar and spelling from a majority of the parents leaving reviews is appalling. If you are clearly not educated enough to compose a few sentences without major mistakes, you have much more to be worried about with your own child's education. Speaking to the high turnover rate, there are approximately 70 teachers at SRA and they are almost all paid much less than if they worked at traditional public schools. The teachers at SRA care more about teaching and the students than they care about their paychecks. Those that don't, move on.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2015

My children have had a good experience. They have excellent teachers. But so many amazing staff have left in the past year that it makes me wonder why? I've talked with other parents and they are asking the same question.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2015

I disagree with the parent that says that saying negative things about the high school PE teachers serve no purpose. that is why this website is here, to help parents voice their concerns as well as sing the school's praises.also, constructive criticism is necessary; it allows the school to improve upon its weaknesses.no school is perfect.with that being said, sadly, it is true that the high school PE teachers especially one in particular is unreasonable and treats the students poorly.it is upsetting that as a school who makes character building significant, that the PE teacher's behavior towards students is disrespectful, demeaning and abusive. there is a red flag that needs to be addressed here.in one particular incident, a few teenage students were actually crying because of the severity of the PE regimen that day.I hope Mrs. Badillo looks into this further and beyond the facade that these teachers may put up as they have been with the school for a few years.treatment by this teacher is harsh and unnecessary! unfortunately i don't feel the issue was resolved, and spoke with a vice principal who did not follow up with me.in previous years vice principals responded in a timely manner and seemed to handle situations more effectively.not sure if it is because of the high turnover of staff at the school or perhaps because of growing pains. this school has expanded much since it's inception 10 years ago.pros are that the school population is small enough to keep bullying at bay,and there are some good teachers here, the elementary and jr. high teachers are satisfactory/great.the cons are that you can only enter this school by lottery and that unfortunately the small population can't help that the kids are bullied by their PE teacher; and the high school program leaves more to be desired, as there are very few if any electives and the high turnover of staff.it has been sad to see some great people go.we've been with the school as it has grown and i am not sure to be honest if SRA will continue the school for our family, although it offers a better alternative to the local schools.i do believe the lottery makes the school seem more impressive, but it still has a ways to go. overall i give this school a 2.5 stars. the extra .5 is for some of the amazing teachers at this school. UPDATE: teachers mentioned above are now gone, thankfully.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2015

I would like to address the previous posts about the Physical Education teachers that use to hold positions at SRA. The comments that were made about these teachers were simply laughable. The persons that created these slandering posts were obviously misinformed of their character and intentions. The teachers mentioned or actually not mentioned (you cowards) did everything in their power to only better their students. Without these unnamed teachers the current affluent P.E. program wouldn't even exist. I love how someone can go post such negative and derogatory comments but the reality is i bet their student was the one causing problems or who was simply incapable to complete basic tasks such as running two miles in a completely capable time. I would say to those parents berating these teachers this, your mad about a teacher caring for your students health and wel-being. Your actually mad that they held their students to a higher standard that in the long run would only make them better. It is called character building. The teachers that you mentioned but didn't mention cared more about their students more than anyone else on that campus and I'm sure if you asked them they would be pretty offended by your ridiculous comments. You that left those posts must be of current mind frame that everyone gets a trophy and that if things get tough blame everyone but yourself but don't persevere and come out a better person. I personally knew the teachers you spoke of and if you took more than the 30 seconds it took you to try to make them look bad on this website and you got to know them, they were here for our kids. They were here to better the school. They left a positive footprint on this school. I'm sorry that your students were a bit sad about their performance or their classes performance but I know if my kid told me they had to get alittle more cardiovascular activity because they or their class was screwing around I would say good, and now you won't do it again. This is a minor problem with sra. Soft parents. Please welcome your kids to the real world. Not everyone gets first, not everyone gets a trophy and sometimes to get better you have to work a little harder. Please stop blaming others when you should be looking within.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2015

I am speak of having had my kids enrolled for more than six years, and seeing the drastically sad change in Santa Rosa, we did leave! Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Just because you don't agree with a parents review. Doesn't make it to have no useful purpose. It called The First Amendment,freedom of speech! This school has become a political joke in regards to expectations. Something is drastically wrong when a school has teacher turn over year after year.... More than ten teachers leaving in one year! They isn't a school that has teacher turnover like that unless there is something wrong with that schools administration or lack of. Unheard of in public schools! Santa Rosa Academy is far from all the positives it represented 8 years ago. Some of the teachers are sooo extremely rude . How can they teach a student about character traits when they don't lead by example. Santa Rosa Academy tries to act like they are a private school (Linfield) on public funding! They is so much favortism for the students whose parents work there! Look at the sport trophies in the front lobby. Most of them represent names of a administrator, staff, or a family member of a coach... How Ironic! I know students who have graduated from Santa Rosa and shared, " when they got to college they felt so unprepared." Santa Rosa doesn't even offer AP high school courses. Electives, oh what a joke! High school girls can't even wear fingernail polish. Elementary girls can't even wear different colored ribbons in their hair. Black or Blue... there is no self expression for girls at all! They are so concerned and busy about trying to grow the school facility they have lost sight of what a great school they used to be. What school charges $2.00 just to wear jeans on jean day or 10.00 dollars to walk around the track for a holiday turkey run. Everything fun and out of the normal curriculum has a price tag for the kids to participate! Santa Rosa has lost some very fine teachers and will continue to because it as come down to all about land development for the looks the school growth and facade and lack of investing in the interest of keeping good teachers! I also know students who have left and gone to public high schools and are much more happy with the teachers and classes!
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2015

Most of the teachers at this school are fantastic, but the turnover rate each year makes me question what is going on in the background. The High School Counselor (Mrs. McMullen) is terrible at her job and often leaving parents fighting to make sure their students get the classes they need to graduate. Overall the administration leaves a lot to be desired.
Submitted by other on May 26, 2015

SRA as a whole is an okay school. I had high hopes that this was the school for my kids. My 1st grader had an amazing teacher, Mr. Borjas. We were very happy with his teaching and knowledge. I wish my 4th grader has a better experience. He struggled with school and they tried to help him or made it look like they were trying and still refused to hold him back simply because "we don't do that here at Santa Rosa. I guess it makes them look bad. So much for what is best for the student instead of what makes our school look good. Plus, they have no room for students who need help or that may have to repeat a year. They simply give you no options but for you to leave. Good bye, you are no longer their problem. If you have an outstanding student who gets good grades and learning comes easy to them, like my 1st grader, you will probably love the school and will be happy there. The staff is very polite and welcoming, I do have that to say. I believe every school is what you make of them as a parent and as a student. SRA just didn't have any options when it comes to retention or tutoring for younger grades.
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2015

High school PE teachers at this school are terrible! They seem to really enjoy punishing the kids with excessive running or stations. An incident with one student yesterday caused an additional 2 mile run. That wasn't enough though & the teachers continued it today. They had already been told yesterday what student was involved. Today the student even confessed, yet they kept punishing the entire class. The students were made to work out inside a very hot classroom today with rotating stations. The teachers were heard commenting that they should shut the door & laughed about it. They get a real thrill out of it all! Sad! If a game is being played in PE, they make the losing team clean up & run. If one student is slow, the entire class runs again. The teachers have even said that they'd be nicer to them if they take the new PE elective classes next school year. They play favorites, often doing nothing while watching these kids exhaust themselves & make rude comments about it! There's much more & I hope students & parents speak out. Nothing good is coming from these two PE teachers. They are extremely disrespectful to their students and school.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2015

Would not recommend this school. It's not a great place for your kids. Run as fast as you can from it.