Esperanza Elementary School

40521 35th Street West

School District

Westside Union Elementary
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:23
Type

public

School Map for Westside 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 October 31, 2022

Such a great school. With great resources for students. I think it comes down to also have great principles. They are just so wonderful Mrs Conner and Ms Hofmann just really seem to care. They have great after school programs and I feel like the teachers really care. They also listen when parents have concerns. The only thing I wish they had was more guidance on drop offs and picks ups. When a staff member is out there making sure parents aren't parking in the pick up and drop off area and getting out when they aren't supposed to. It goes so smoothly. But when no one is there it becomes quite frustrating when parents decide to just not care and hold up the line so that can get a little hectic. Besides that best school in Westside school district. I know some will argue it's Gregg Anderson but I think Esperanza takes the cake.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2019

My kids have been at this school for 5 years now. We have experienced just about every issue from bullying to having a child moved to another class. Mrs. Hernandez has been very open to taking meetings, listening to my issues and making decisions when things were out of whack. As a parent, it is our job to find out what is happening with our kids, ensure they are learning at a high level and if there is an issue be their advocate. The school is limited in what they can do, they are overcrowded, as long as we do our part and not expect them to do ours as well as theirs things work out. I appreciate the teachers and staff at this school.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2018

My kids had a great year this year! They had great teachers as always!
Submitted by parent on November 28, 2017

I was very disappointed in our experience. I made the decision to homeschool after only one year at this overcrowded mess of a school. The K teacher wanted to retain our child because our child couldn’t read at all by the end of the 2016-2017 school year. My kiddo is testing at or above grade level now in every subject, and can read. There was no reason for retention except that my child could not function in a room with 29 other busy little bodies. The teacher couldn’t patiently deal with kids who are outside the norm when there are so many kids in a classroom. I volunteered in the class, I know how little teaching was done and how chaotic the environment was. I don’t know what the whole picture problems are, or how to fix it...but I’m really sad that this school is not what I expected. We really looked forward to sending our little one there and then - they’re little spirit was really crushed by this environment. Luckily, other teachers have patched them back up since we left there and they’re learning quickly and happily.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2017

Worst school I ever came in my lufe....Too much bullying at school.Choking,hitting,partial irritated teachers are always unhelpful. My son went through a lot of trauma in this school,went down in grades.The principal is always absent,vice principal Torres is too incapable of taking any decision.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2017

Lowest of the low. We have experienced 2 elementary schools prior to this one, this has been the worst experience. It has been nothing but stress for myself and my kids. Do not send your kids here!
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2017

I would rate our experience as: Stressful. My child always loved and enjoyed school until Esperanza. Now, there are days my child does not want to go to school and way too many days when my child comes home with a sad face instead of a happy face. I think school should be fun, challenging, and full of learning. Instead, Esperanza has given us unfair, condescending, and oppressive. And even though I hope my child can be transferred to a better environment, if we end up staying here for another year, our family will be sure our child receives everything every child deserves from our learning institutions: encouragement, support, adequate and fair instruction and discipline. We are not the only family being negatively affected and I'm happy to know other parents that I can lean on for support. Also, for parents, there is a safety issue at Esperanza. Talk to your kids and you will find out a lot goes on at the school without any parent notification: heads hitting the concrete, kids getting hit in the eye, sprained/fractured ankles, etc. I hope this is helpful to other families.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2017

I am happy that my children are older and leaving the district but I live near the school and the traffic is insane!!!! This school has reached a new low...
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2016

This used to be a fantastic school. I had three kids attend here. The teachers are still great, but the new principal is horrible. She is ruining the morale of the teachers, screwing up the dynamics, and is not a good administrator. It's amazing how fast poor leadership trickles down into every area. It's sad to see the direction this school is headed solely because of her.
Submitted by other on December 08, 2015

The teachers and staff really care about the students. The communication between teachers and parents is excellent.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2015

The principal is awful. She has no regard to parents needs. I made an appointment to meet with her and my son's teacher that I had to take the day off work for. The principal called me 2 hours before the meeting to cancel. She said she was sick, which Im perfectly accepting of, but she said she had been sick for days! Why couldn't she have called me the day before to cancel, not 2 hours before! This year I contacted her asking her if it would be possible to move my daughter into another class. She never contacted me back with any sort of solution. I'm not sure what she's doing other than bringing the school down. I miss Mr. Lots, and so do the kids. The school is overcrowded and handled extremely poorly. You will also note that the majority of the reviews are for the school BEFORE the current principal. Take that into account.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2014

This school is over crowded and some of the teachers are so bad that my child has started disliking school. My child has been accused of missing and incomplete assignments. (We keep copies to show the teacher) I have to re-grade assignments and give them back to the teacher so the grade can be changed. Esperanza may look good to the outsider, but this school is full of PTA drama to the point that it affects the children. Children often hear rude comments made by the PTA members about parents, teachers, and other children. The parents who are involved are cliquish and some are out-right rude! Principal does nothing about their behavior and lets them rule the school. Children are taught to be bullies and with PTA's bullying attitude, it shows the children that the behavior is acceptable.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2013

my child just completed kindergarten with Mr. Lindoff, he is hands down the best kindergarten teacher at the school. He communicates great with parents, he is patient and discourages bullying by not having classroom favorites. he is fair, treats all the children the same and is compationate to children with leaning disabilities or behavioral problems. I hope next year we will be just as lucky
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2013

The office staff is THE BEST! Thank you ladies up front. You make everyone feel so welcome!!!! I came from out of state and have to say, California schools are lacking in enrichment opportunities. No ART, No Music, No language, It's really bad. The kids are barely in school and have early dismissal once a week, two week spring break, three week Christmas break. The class sizes are crowded (32), I am not sure if my child is learning anything. The pick up and drop off is a joke, and there is a false sense of security by having the children locked in school. This frightens me more than my child not learning. Maybe for the Antelope Valley area this school is good but I am not impressed with the entire package.
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2013

Esperanza Elementary is an excellent school. The teachers and staff are dedicated. Our principal is very hands on. I am very satisfied with my son's teacher. Teacher student ratio is a little high but that is because Esperanza is a top choice school! I volunteer in my son's classroom to help his teacher make her job a little easier. The PTA is excellent and lots of parent involvement. I am proud to be an Esperanza Golden Eagle! The students, staff, parents, and teachers makes this a great school.