Cinnabar Charter School

286 Skillman Lane

School District

Cinnabar Elementary
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:17
Type

charter

School Map for Cinnabar 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 December 13, 2024

Absolutely wonderful school. Both my kids attended until we just recently moved to a different state. Staff is wonderful kind people who create a very warm friendly atmosphere. They also have a really amazing buddy system to bring different grade levels together. They have free before and afterschool care. Upon our move we ran into a lot of difficulties trying to have my daughter signed up at her new school and a staff member in the office at Cinnabar helped us through email communicate with the new school back and forth to ensure that my daughter was able to be accepted into her new school. I would absolutely recommend this school to anyone looking for more with their children’s education and experiences.
Submitted by other on April 26, 2024

My daughter went to Cinnabar for 7th and 8th grade, and it showed in high school. She is socially and academically behind in compared to students from other junior high schools. Cinnabar does not do a good job getting students prepared to do well in a bigger setting, and often it shows at the high school level. I wish I would have sent my daughter to a bigger junior high school.
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2022

My kiddo is happy at school and has built good relationships with peers and school staff. The school provides a free bus which is super helpful to us. Breakfast/snack/lunch are free for everyone. I’m so relieved to have a safe and caring learning environment that I can trust.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2018

Our son is starting 7th grade after attending for the past two years. He loves going to school which is music to our ears. Due to the project based approach in the science and technology subjects, there is little to no homework. Students and families have less stress, yet the kids are still learning the most important things: how to think critically, work in groups, solve problems and interact with their peers and teachers in a respectful and kind manner.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2014

I think the info on this school is a bit dated. We are new this year to Cinnabar, but so far, we are very impressed with the quality of the academics and teaching staff. Ms. Kern is new to the school this year, and while I haven't had a lot of interactions with her, my impressions are that she is very level-headed and carefully considers all elements before making any conclusions. In my book, that's a trait of a great leader. Saying all this, though, I know it's not for everyone. The school is small. Thus, one problem with one kid can affect the entire group (like family). For kids dealing with issues, the school seems to take a very accepting approach (that is great if it's your kid, but if you expect perfect kids, look somewhere else). I summarized it recently like this: It's not perfect--it's *real*. So many schools chase an ideal, which has led to disappointment (my experience), but this school seems to accept the beautiful along with the reality, and it works. I also appreciate (GREATLY) that this school does not nickel-&-dime you to death and wildly appreciates contributions in any form (time or money), but all without the typical guilt trip offered by so many public schools.
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2013

Horrible. The administration is oppressive and the handful of quality teachers are locked into the policies of "common core standards." Art, physical education, music, and computer literacy are advertised as backbones of the curriculum but in reality they hold no value to the current principal. What does hold value is the annual STAR test, which could help to remove the stigma of the school's "program improvement" classification. And as our children were driven to achieve high test scores, they were bullied on the playground with no repercussions for their aggresors. There is almost no parent participation and the PTA has dwindled to faculty and members of the board of trustees. In fact the last three PTA presidents transferred their children to other schools.
Submitted by teacher on December 02, 2010

Cinnabar Elementary School was Petaluma's first elementary school, founded in 1859. It celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 2010 with a large festival.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2008

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Submitted by student on November 17, 2007

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