Bay View Academy

222 Casa Verde Way

School District

Monterey County Office Of Education
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

charter

School Map for Monterey County Office Of Education 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 22, 2024

It's hard to ignore the high turnover rate for both teachers and principals. Class sizes are becoming larger, and despite how much the teachers dedicate in time and resources, I get the feeling that everyone working there is spread incredibly thin. Thus I feel like my child is not getting the attention they need to really master basic concepts in all of their subjects. I can see now why some parents are starting to place their children in other schools with more resources and stronger, more organized leadership.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2023

As a former parent and former teacher who has worked here, I would NOT recommend this school to any teacher looking for a job or parent looking for a school; it almost seems like adult children run the school - most of the faculty is under 40. Admin means well, but all the faculty at the top lack experience, professionalism, and proper training to run a school successfully. There is, however, a big family involvement in the school, which works in bringing families into the school. Over the 12 years it has been open, some improvements have been made, but there is a serious lack of basic tenets for students. My biggest gripes involve:1) There is no cafeteria. Students eat outside (or on the ground) on parent-built picnic tables that aren't cleaned before using. There is often bird excrement on these tables. How do we raise leaders who are treated like animals, when they eat lunch on the ground? 2) There is a lack of learning resources for students needing extra support. 3) There is NO LIBRARY! What kind of school can have a thriving literacy program with no access to books? 4) After-school staff and classroom aides seem under-trained and lack professionalism.5) The retention rate for teachers at Bay View is very low - there was a recent third grade teacher who left in December! What kind of school environment forces a teacher to leave halfway through the year?Walk, don't run to other Monterey schools.
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2022

Focus here on administrative team: Every Bay View Parent I run into has some kind of story/stories like mine. My hairstylist, the produce market checker, our neighbor. This is not an isolated rant. To protect my child’s privacy. I’m not being specific with the details for fear of retaliation. My child has been bullied, verbally and physically. There is a serious lack of supervisory staff (actual fights go on for long periods of time- there’s video out there). Head of School (principal) plays favorites with kids and acts like one herself. Responds inappropriately to parent concerns, shifts blame, and exhibits bias. The vice principal appears to be more professional but is inconsistent. If your child goes to this school and gets through unscathed, you’re lucky. If there’s a problem, they’re going to do the bare minimum (as legally obligated) but in most cases, there is zero follow through. My child was supposed to meet with the (rarely present) counselor and was never called in. Seeing him was part of an “action plan.” Or maybe an “inaction plan.” I was so excited when my child got in— I ignored the medical assistant at my doctor when she had all these stories. Now I know better. This is my public service announcement/ cautionary tale.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2019

A nightmare. Worried my child would be hurt and worried about transitioning to another school because he was not up to par with other schools at his grade level
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2019

So far we have had a good experience, math program is great, we would love for a foreign language to be taught in the Lower campus.School should offer free field trips and perhaps hire a school bus to transport the kids rather than having parents drive them.
Submitted by parent on November 25, 2018

Bayview split into two schools and there isn’t enough funding. Teachers come in and it’s a revolving door. Principle has changed 3+ times and there is only one for both schools. The education is far behind other schools. This is one lottery you don’t want to win.
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2018

This school has strong math and science program. If your child likes math and enjoys science, this is a great school for you. Students break into small groups to do math, which I love. Teachers and staff care so much about students.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2017

this is the best school iv'e ever been to. it has all 8 grades. I think that the teachers really care about the kids. All my teachers like the kids to learn good. they are not to strict, but strict enough to not have the kids goof off.if you are looking for a great school for your kids this should be your first pick.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2017

Terrible. The teachers are not empowered and the leadership is uneducated on many levels. I have never seen so much chaos and situations that are not dealt with as I have witnessed in the amount of time I have been at bayview. The board needs to do major reconstruction to keep this school afloat. We were delighted to get in and now can't get out quick enough. Until change is made, do not send your child here.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2017

My two boys started their education at a private school. I wanted them to have PE, Art, Music, and all the other extras that have been cut from our local public schools. Then I heard about what Bay View had to offer and I haven't looked back since. The teachers are very accommodating to the different learning styles of their students. I couldn't be happier!
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2017

The diversity of BVA's students needs to be reflected in their teachers and school leadership. This would make the school even better.
Submitted by other on March 01, 2016

There are just not enough wonderful things I can say about this gem of a school! All 3 of our kiddos attend BVA. After dealing with multiple other schools I know what to look for in a school. As others have mentioned before, this school offers spectacular programs for our children such as art, music, Spanish, P.E., swimming, SPCA club, sports, after school club, tutoring, math and reading intervention, and lots of beneficial field trips. Even the hot lunches served here are amazing and are catered through Aqua Terra. But the staff... Oh my goodness! The staff is outstanding!! I don't know where they find these folks, but I sure am glad they do. Every teacher and staff member I have encountered here at BVA are amazing and bring something unique and special to the table. We LOVE BVA!!!
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2015

My son has been attending BVA since its inception, as a kindergartner, and he loves it. Though it has expanded in size, it retains a true community feeling, due to the incredibly dedicated teachers and staff, and to the many parents that spend so much time there to make the school a welcoming environment that places the children's education first. It was a transition for me to have volunteer hours as a requirement, coming from a public elementary school. However, I appreciate this requirement, as it makes me more involved with my son's education, and it shows him that his schooling is, and should be, a primary focus for not only him but his family. The curriculum is challenging, and it has pushed my son to excel in many different areas, from math and science, to art and Spanish. It has been really cool to watch the development of his various school projects, as they tend to incorporate many different skills, from historical research, writing, PowerPoint and public speaking. Teachers remain very accessible, and are incredibly involved with their students' progress. Aside from schoolwork, BVA also offers many extracurricular activities, such as music, team sports and student-led clubs. My son is now looking forward to learning an instrument, increasing his involvement in the SPCA club, and playing on the school's soccer team. This truly is a gem of a school.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2015

Every teacher we met are so involved and professional. Not only does my kid learn a lot, by participating in so many school activities, we learn a lot as well! A lot of the homework projects require parent involvement. For example, during the geology project, the homework is preparing a presentation by picking up a rock with your parents. The student has to decorate the stone (fine art skill), draw a map of the location where you find the stone (learn to read / draw a map), measure it (learn about weight and size), and categorize it (involve some Google search to determine what kind of rock it is) and write a description about it (writing skill). The student has to present the findings in class (presentation/public speaking). This is a very active and well-rounded learning experience in my opinion. Sure, there are constant reminders for money donations and requests for parent participation in school events. As far as I know this is vital to every charter school. Donation at BVA is highly recommended but not mandatory. The school tells us that they need the donation participation rate to be higher to be considered a viable charter school but the amount is not that much of an issue.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2014

This school is the best, my son has Ben in this school since the beginning and I would not change it for any school around here. The teachers are great and everyone works as a team. I read a review of someone complaining about well maybe you should donate your spot to someone else's kid that really apreciates what the school offers for our students . Thanks This year I feel bad because I haven't volunteer enough yet but I'll catch up after xmas. The 30 hours is nothing, what matters to me is that my son knows I'm there for him.
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2014

Two of my children went to 3rd through 4th and 6th through 7th at Bayview before we had to move out of state, due to my husband's job. This school was amazing! The teachers, office staff, and parents were so involved and worked all together to make sure the kids got the best possible education. They offer many different extra programs like Orcastra, Spanish, art, music, math clubs, art clubs, SPCA club, and many more. The field trips were all fantastic and my older daughters 6th grade class took part in the nation wide Tech Challlenge, which was very much challenging and made math and science more fun for the students. Some of the grades even get free swim lessons at the Monterey Sports Center as part of Thier gym curriculum. This is a charter school, so it was expected that parents volunteer and contribute money towards the schools capital champaign, but this is because they don't get funding like a regular public school. Because of this, it allows parents to have more control over thier children's education and the school has more freedom. I enjoyed being involved with my kids education and helping Bayview to succeed and grow.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2014

If you ask a teacher about what they teach your child in class you get a long winded rant about what you re doing wrong as a parent during home work time and how badly your child is doing.It gets old when at every parent function you get a form that you are required to fill out which tells how much you are donating or if you are not donating money so they can track non donators. If I could pay for my child's education I would place them in private school. As it is we just purchased every item on the list of school supplies. They money they are saving on salaries for required parent volunteer hours should be sufficient. Parents have to chaperone and drive students to field trips, parents plan the field trips, parents grade the homework and now apps on their iPads grade testing and school work. I thought this was going to be a well rounded school curriculum with reading & writing homework, science homework, spanish homework and math. All I have seen is a thick packet of reading and writing, projects which parents do for their child because they are too advanced for the child's age.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2014

My son started here in kindergarden and is in the first grade now, we are very happy with this school The principal teachers and staff are truly committed to making this a great school my son loves to go to this school and is doing very well The curriculum is tough and involves a lot of parental guidance, and for me as a parent it is truly remarkable to see him complete his assignments The lunch program is very good the lunches are catered and very nutritious. I also like the fact that they lock the school doors and secure the school parking lot during school hours, there are a lot of activities outside of the school that the kids are involved in beach cleanup day, visiting the Apple Farm, touring the police and fire stations, library and fair visits we feel very fortunate to get into the lottery we live in Marina and our school options were not too good here. Go Bayview