St. John's Lutheran School

154 South Shaffer Street

Orange, CA 92866

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 08, 2024

St. John's is an outstanding school for those seeking a quality education for their children in an environment that is built around Biblical values. We have two very different kids enrolled there, and the school has been wonderful for both of them. I've found the teachers to be caring, supportive, and responsive for student and parent alike. The principal, Dr. Hollatz, is a strong leader and as hard working an administrator as you'll find anywhere. I'll never forget how hard he worked to keep the place running during the COVID period. The school features a beautiful campus that they're constantly investing in, and best of all, very high levels of parental involvement -- which anyone will tell you is a major marker for student success. The only drawback might be the lack of resources for special needs students. But all in all, I highly recommend St. John's.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2024

We have been at St John’s for 10 years now and it’s one of the best decisions we have ever made. Our daughter is flourishing in high school after attending SJL K-8, she is taking AP classes but more importantly, she has a strong faith base and stands firm in her Christian values. The staff at SJL is wonderful, they have a beautiful campus, and armed security guards 24/7. We love the families, the sense of community, and the strong Christian foundation for our children.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2024

The principal at St. John's has really done a disservice to this school. The school as a whole has gone downhill over the last several years. The principal is rude, unprofessional, and does not exemplify the core values of the school. He is not open to feedback and is quite dismissive. His customer service skills are horrible, and he does not treat families with respect. The poor leadership of the school, and in turn it's staff, has led many families to leave and/or become dissatisfied with the school. I cannot recommend this school to people looking in the area for a quality elementary or middle school.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2024

Absolutely love this school. There is a real sense of community.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2023

This is a great school. We've been here for 10 years. Great teachers, curriculum, and faith based teaching. We have been very satisfied here. I highly recommend this school to anyone seeking a private educational institution.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2023

We love St. John’s. The curriculum is challenging, the Christian values shine through and the teachers create an atmosphere where learning is fun.
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2023

Our classroom is pleasant and we have loved our teacher and teachers aid! Our son is a dupe 1 diabetic and has received the best care through the on staff nurse. We feel he is in a safe environment and look forward to next year.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2023

We didn’t have a good experience in this school. We attempted to bring up some major issues to the Principal, but he was unwilling to meet with our family. If you are a high donor, your child will do well here. They also keep track of how many times you attend Church on Sunday and families who are in the “clique” or live in the right area get preferential treatment.The quality of education isn’t great either. During our school tour, we were told that they have small class sizes and the teachers can help cater to each child’s skills. This was a lie. The class sizes are very large, minimum 27 kids. And our child never received any additional instruction for being highly advanced. In fact, we were instructed to not tell our child that they are smart. On a positive note, they have increased their security in recent years. So I give them credit for that.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2023

Christian centered eduction with Apple technology and small classes make St John’s Lutheran one of the best schools in Orange County, CA.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2022

We could not be happier with this safe haven of learning and faith within our community. My husband and I are in public education and that is one of the main reasons we love St. John's. While our children have attended other private schools, we are happiest with St. John's because the school is a well-oiled machine. With over 130 continuous years of operation, they have perfected the art of providing a solid foundation of faith while delivering an appropriately rigorous curriculum. They blend art, extracurricular activities, and technology seamlessly. Our children love the education they are receiving and are flourishing in every area. The principal, Dr. Hollatz, is always responsive to any parent concern, always responding same day. We cannot recommend St. John's highly enough.
Submitted by other on June 30, 2022

It was okay. If this is your only option, let it be a placeholder for now. Claimed to be for people of all beliefs but ended up singling non Lutherans out and making them feel wildly uncomfortable at times. Atmosphere is somewhat toxic and not the best place for kids to learn and build their character to bring with them on their life journey. They have found a way to incorporate large quantities of the Lutheran catechism and ways to mispronounce “China” in history class but have somehow concluded that Black History and AAPI month do not fit into their curriculum. Normal curriculum wise, it was great, no doubt about that. Some teachers overshared their viewpoints on political and social topics which was interesting, it seemed to sit just fine with almost every student in the room. If you do however select this school, you will have quite a nice experience despite everything I have stated.
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2018

Our girls love the school and it is a blessing to send them to a school that not only values Christian character, but also HIGH emphasis in STEM and the arts! We love it!
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2017

PreK-8th....if this is your only option, you'll live. If you have other options, look into them quickly.
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2014

St. John's is a fantastic school. My children started at St. John's this year and are happy to go to school every day. The elementary school is challenging, but fun. The middle school offers many extra curricular activities and opportunities for the students through the elective program. The students use computers, iPads, and other technology every day. The teachers are very loving and helped my children make a smooth transition. The church offers wonderful midweek programs and social activities for the students, which my kids enjoy participating in. We are so happy that we found St. John's. I highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2014

St. John's is truly a GREAT school! Considering the beautiful facilities, wonderful teachers, and excellent programs, it is an excellent value for a private school. My children love their teachers and find the other students to be friendly and polite. The teachers deal with problems quickly. Yes, there is religious instruction every day. Of course! But this is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop strong moral character. The parents are involved and St. John's has a wonderful community of friendly and welcoming people. I've checked around and talked to friends and I believe that St. John's is the best school in the area!
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

The school's good at times, bad at other times-Some grades are better than others K, 1st, 2nd are good, 3rd and 4th mediocre to bad, depending on the teacher. Math curriculum is poor. 5th is much better and the middle school is good enough on a intersection with no field and pollution. The children are required to memorize the writings of Luther. There is ALOT of nepotism. They are difficult to negotiate with if you disagree with anything. Criticism is dealt with via denial. There have been several families that have left the school due to the admin refusal to deal effectively with concerns. Most of the students attend because the public schools are Hispanic. Caucasian families send their children to Private. The school keeps the church membership high due to ethnic concerns in public schools and the tuition discount for church tithing. Many people go to other churches. My child commented that the children demonstrate behavior that's non-Christian, bad language, bullying, and making fun of the Christian teachings. Teachers are unable to supervise the children due to staffing and economic hardships.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2013

Moved my children here from another local private lutheran school and we couldn't be happier. The teachers are extraordinary and the Principal has a firm hand in the day to day operations of the school. The students that go to St Johns have all been so kind and welcoming to my kids and we are proud to call ourselves a St John's family.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2013

My child just finished Pre-K at St. John's and flourished. I'm surprised by the bad review posted 5/18/13. Our experience was vastly different- very positive. In particular, I disagree that Lamb's Lot is "glorified day care." They employ the Handwriting Without Tears program, which has been very successful. IMO, the curriculum is more advanced than that of OUSD kindergarten. My nephew attends a touted Irvine public school kindergarten with 37 kids in his class (5.5 - 6 y/os) and not much ahead of mine. St. John's has enrichment programs cross-utilizing faculty, so the kids get to work with the other teachers. It's hands on creativity and experiential learning. They have a nutrition expert on staff preparing all snacks. Kids learn about healthy life choices, including the importance of exercise and nutrition. The tuition is lower than other private schools that offer less. The campus is clean, safe, and secure. Teachers are caring and enthusiastic. The director could be more visible and interact more with parents- I agree with that. I think she's shy (vs. incompetent), but she should extend more effort. I researched many schools and visited 6 before choosing. St. John's is great!
Submitted by other on June 20, 2013

I attended St. John's from 1st-8th grade. St. John's is a safe and encouraging enviornment to grow up in. I was fortuate enough to have amazing teacher's that took the time to assist me with subjects I was weak in. Additionally, they caught my sister's learning disability in first grade and found her a tutor to assist with dislexia and central auditory processing disorder.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2013

We had a horrible experience at St. John's Preschool (Lamb's Lot). It was essentially a glorified day care--the education is so sub par. The director could not be bothered to even say hello when you walked through the door, and there was always tension between staff members and teachers. I know others who shared in our experience. I would never recommend this school!