Petaluma Accelerated Charter

110 Ellis Street

School District

Petaluma Joint Union High
Grade

7-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:27
Type

charter

School Map for Petaluma Joint Union High 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 November 28, 2023

The teachers at PACS are experts at what they do. They engage the students in rigorous academics and meanwhile teach them independent learning habits that will last them a lifetime. I feel my child is being equipped with the study skills to succeed in any challenging academic environment. It is difficult at first because the expectations are high, but my child has learned so many valuable lessons about how to persevere, and the teachers have supported that journey all along the way.
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2022

Our student wanted a small middle school experience. PACS provides a rigorous learning environment. The topics my daughter is learning are relevant and engaging. I'm so impressed by PACS' ability to prepare my student for high school. I'm very thankful that this school is a choice for families who want a different approach to middle school.
Submitted by student on June 22, 2022

I am a current student of this school (2021-2023) and when I write these things, I speak for a majority of students in 7th and 8th graders in the PACS program. I feel this school cares more about their reputation, being a 10/10 school, than their students. Sometimes we get up to 5 hours of homework a day and even more on the weekend. The 7th-grade teachers are really cool but I am not a fan of the other teachers. The Spanish class is horrible because even after 8 years of Spanish she still is teaching us the alphabet. At the beginning of the year, the teachers just threw all this work at us but due to being on break and Covid, we were not ready for it.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2021

Amazing school for kids who want a challenging and rigorous education! My student was beyond ready for honors courses in high school. Kids get one-to-one help daily from teachers who are passionate about their classes. The classrooms are current with technology and provide several STEAM elective choices.
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2021

PACS was the best option for our child, who needed an advanced learning environment yet a small school. The teachers communicate frequently and timely to provide support and feedback. A lot is expected of the students, but with that our child had no problem testing into high school honors courses and is more than ready for high school. We have been so pleased with how Distance Learning and Hybrid were handled. The school clearly put its heart into making learning possible during a trying time. Thank you!
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2021

Teachers should be more positive and encourage questions and discussion.
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2018

A fantastic choice for the oh-so-difficult middle school years. An amazing and passionate principal and staff who have developed a program for academically gifted and high achieving students. This is a gem of a school. My daughter has thrived here and developed close working relationships with her teachers. I can't say enough good things about PACS. Just wish we had a follow on program at the high schools that pursued the accelerated, rigorous model set here.
Submitted by student on September 07, 2017

I believe the teachers are pretty good, but I think the rules need to be a little looser, and that I feel we are being treated younger than we are, for example, we aren't allowed to use our phones AFTER school on the campus, let alone the place where parents pick up. The math, English, science, and history curriculums are very good, but the band needs major improvement and the Spanish isn't very great either, as we are practicing the alphabet after a full year of learning last year. I don't feel a great improvement from my old school to here, as my old school has three ratings, and this one has five. I really like Mrs. Gill and Mrs. Clemmens, as they are really good teachers.
Submitted by other on February 17, 2016

When searching for a middle school for our child, our family took a close look at every middle school option in town and in Sebastopol, from information nights, to shadow days to school tours to talking to parents. After gathering every bit of information we could, PACS rose above the rest for a variety of reasons, especially the STEAM curriculum and approach to instruction, so we took a leap of faith by enrolling our 7th grader in this new middle school. So grateful we listened to our gut. Our child is so happy. She is challenged academically, encouraged to problem solve in a group setting by collaborating with and listening to her peers and she LOVES the two lead teachers, Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Ayala, who are the heart and soul of this program. Their progressive vision of what education can and should be gives children the confidence to take risks in a safe environment and pushes them to reach their academic potential. The approach of supporting groups of kids to work together to solve problems and be able to articulate what they are doing is engaging and fun. Teachers jump in and help when kids are struggling rather than spend the entire work period lecturing. The smaller school setting allows children to develop close relationships with their teachers, which is paramount for kids at this life stage. Before applying, know that PACS is an academically accelerated program. The work and pace are challenging, so it's critical to strongly consider your child's educational needs and academic abilities. Finally, elective choices are of-the-minute relevant and encourage critical thinking. I would love to see more arts electives, including visual art, choir, etc., but they are off to a tremendous beginning and I believe they are just getting started! Bravo to principal Mr. Harris for bringing this badly-needed option to Petaluma!