Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

5405 E. Pinnacle Vista Drive

School District

Cave Creek Unified District
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Cave Creek Unified 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 May 15, 2024

We have loved our time at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School. The principal, Mr. Pettinato, is so passionate, energetic and engaged it is hard not to get excited at every event. The school hosts a number of fun ways for families to get together and meet. The families who are part of Horseshoe Trails are the most friendly and helpful I have come across thus far within the 2 different districts we have been involved with. The campus is open and bright. The teachers are what make the school additionally special - they are not there for the highest paycheck. The teachers are there because this school has the best culture (and principal). Your child will thrive here.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2023

We used to love HTES. Over the years however, the seasoned teachers either retired or left the school district. The principal, Mr. Pettinato, made a fatal error by abruptly dismantling the Mandarin program and drove out the families that provided most of the school's funding. Many of the current teachers are inexperienced or uncertified, long term subs. If your child has an IEP, this is probably not the school for them as the school doesn't follow through with services on the IEP's. Good luck fighting that battle with your child's IEP, as it is never ending. There are no qualified staff capable of providing those services because the school isn't able to find anyone to work there. If you have a neurotypical child, who can sit still in their chair all day, and blend in, then this school might be the place for them. This school is not equipped to provide support to children who don't fit that profile.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2023

This is a great school! The teachers, principal, and community of parents are very involved and nice. My child is excelling here and I would recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2023

Very active PTO, passionate principal, dedicated teachers (most, if not all, specialty teachers have their Masters degree), newer facilities, overall we are happy here!
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2022

This review is not necessarily for Horseshoe Trails but for CCUSD as a whole. It seems that they are riddled with financial problems they keep cutting programs left and right. I thought this would impact me but now it seems that it’s impacting everyone. They keep paying administrators more but tons of teachers are leaving. It doesn’t seem to make any sense they only care about their paychecks and not about the students.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2022

The school is average at best but for many it’s a nightmare. The bullying and lack of discipline at this school is unbelievable. My son is a great student and needs a challenge. The school has cut their gifted program to the very minimal requirements they must do legally. I hated this but persevered in the hope it would be ok. It was not. When my son tried to take projects further he was made fun of. He came home in tears nearly every week. Mr. Pettinato actually tried to say my son needs to learn to deal with it. At times he did say he would discipline the bullies but then that never actually happened. Now that summer is upon us my son is finally happy. That was enough for me to decide it was time to move on.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2022

We may be new to this school, our child just finished Kindergarten, however, I have been around education systems long enough to know what quality is and this school is a true BLUE RIBBON school. Yes, the mandarin immersion program was cut and that’s tough, however, we still chose this school because as soon as we met the Kinder teachers at Enchantment night and went in the tour with Mr. Pettinato - we knew! This is the a wonderful school that has brought so much enrichment to my child’s life. They have MANY teachers that have been their for st least 10 years. The horsemanship program is legit and is all a part of character building. My daughters Kindergarten teacher was so available and involved with my daughters well-being. Not just her education alone. The principal, Mr. Pettinato, knows every kid by name and is totally approachable and works SO hard to make this school the BEST. Do we fundraise? Yes. Doesn’t every school? We had our first trunk or treat which was great, the kiddos celebrate all the holidays with representation for all, the Chinese New Year parade is awesome, the annual Hoedown we just had a couple of weeks ago was, again, awesome! And, of course, the academics are just as good as the district around the corner. Not sure why this school is taking a beating on many of these comments because this school has been everything we ever wanted and more!
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2022

The administration and staff at Horseshoe are beyond amazing. They go out of their way to give our kids the best school experience. I personally feel such a sense of community between families as well. We are Stallion Strong, as we say. And the Horsemanship program on campus is just the icing on an already wonderful cake.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2022

Full disclosure: My children attended this school for 4 years but we left last year after our program was cut without notice. Despite offering to pay for the program and hundreds of parents showing up no one listened and many parents left. I was the “really involved parent”. Garden parent, room parent…all the things to give you full perspective. While we enjoyed our time I did not know any different. We had a few problems with my 2nd grade son and some mean behaviors but nothing major. The school said it was “boys being boys”. My 3rd grader seemed challenged and my kindergartner was happy. We would’ve stayed. This year we switched to another school. It’s great so far. My kids our happy. I would say that it is more challenging but it could just be adjusting to a new school after covid. My point in this review is that there are tons of good schools out there. Good kids will do well with involved parents. The difference is how you are treated, if your voice matters. Fact of the matter is we did not matter here. Despite being involved when push came to shove politics and personal agendas take precedence over parents. It seems to be the same for teachers. One third have left with this new administration. Bottom line is your kids will probably be fine here but just be aware if there’s a problem they probably won’t stand beside you.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2022

We have absolutely loved the teachers, administration and curriculum at HTES. Our oldest is in 6th grade and our youngest is in 3rd grade, and since the very first day of kindergarten for our oldest, this school has been amazing. They have always provided a safe and happy atmosphere for learning, always communicate clearly, and have set our children up for success every step of the way.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2022

My kids have attended HTES for 5 years and we LOVE the school! Both of my children have had amazing teachers who care about their education and social emotional well being. They have created lasting friendships and enjoy learning. Recently, the PTO has started doing more community builders such as BINGO and Trunk or Treat. Those activities are meant to build relationships in the school and surrounding community. We are grateful to be surrounded by caring educators, administrators, students and parents. Come see what HTES has to offer!
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2022

I have two kids attending this school and we love it! A lot of the teachers have been at the school since it opened and are constantly adapting their teaching styles to meet the needs of their students. They actually care about their students and their educational journey not just their test scores but their actual emotional growth as well. Other schools in other districts pay more but they seem to have higher turnover as well. Our school retains teachers because of the dynamic, caring and positive school culture that our principal strives to maintain on campus.Some of my children's friends have come from the PV school district due to the districts lack of following IEPs and have been very pleased with the schools ability to work with their kids to bring them up to their grade level and push them beyond. As far as fundraising from the PTO, the budget has not significantly increased since pre covid times. It has actually decreased from previous years due to the district covering some programming that was previously the PTOs responsibility. While the smaller community building focused programming was all new this year, the main fundraisers this year are the same ones that had been done yearly prior to covid. The main difference is that the PTO appears to be attempting to disclose what the money is being allocated towards and parents are finally listening.Our district is going thru some growing pains as all the districts are to various degrees due to lack of state funding in Arizona public schools. Funding for public schools in Arizona is a huge problem which is growing worse by the day. PTOs in this state have to step up where the state funding fails to ensure we don’t fail our kids. Horsehoe trails has been and continues to be the hidden gem of the cave creek school district…come take a look and see for yourself the amazing teachers and community this school entails.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2022

My daughter has attended this school since Kindergarten and has had one great teacher after another. The school provides great recognition programs that motivate the students to do and achieve better results. We are very happy that we decided to send our daughter to this school/district versus PV district. Not to mention, during COVID, this school was one of the very few that worked hard to give students and parents the opportunity to return to school in person. They provided safety guidelines to protect everyone as much as possible. Many changes (for the better) have occurred when Mr. Petinatto took over as the new principal.Great friendships have been made with parent!
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2022

The school has gone downhill quick. They got a new superintendent last year and I don’t know if this by coincidence but the whole entire vibe of the school has changed. Many kids (over 150 plus left after a popular program was cut). My fourth grader has experienced nonstop bullying and the the parents of the seem uninvolved and I’m willing to take any type of accountability. It also seems as though all the experienced teachers have left. The school has non stop fundraisers because the bond did not pass according to the PTO and they need money for aides and programs. I think we are going to what PV district has to offer around the corner.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2022

We've been at this school for four years and have finally decided we are leaving at the end of this year. Honestly, I should have seen it earlier, when your PTO is tasked with funding teacher salaries that should be a huge red flag. I went along with it for a while but with so much enrollment loss we are asked for money nearly every week. I don't fault the PTO. No PTO should be tasked with raising hundreds of thousands of dollars so that the kids have a teacher.The gifted program has been all but cut which is another big reason we are leaving. They have one teacher that serves all 5 of the elementary schools. Due to this the time spent with my kids has been extremely limited. With HTES being so close to Paradise Valley schools its a no-brainer to switch as they have fully funded teachers, a robust gifted program, and their bus swings right by our neighborhood.I read a few of the other reviews and the bullying problem is definitely real here. The horsemanship program is extremely limited so if you want to go because of that I would ask about the frequency and depth of the program. Its a nice to have but the loss in my children's education would never justify getting to groom a horse a few times a year.With the loss of so many programs the school is now pushing a community feel. It was hard for me to connect with this as the principal, Mr. Pettinato, comes across as friendly but also pretty fake. He will say what you want to make you happy but follow through on requests and truthful answers to questions are lacking.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2022

We love Horseshoe Trails! I have 3 kids that attend and each of them has an exceptional teacher. My children absolutely adore their teachers, and have made the best of friends (who happen to have wonderful, involved and supportive parents). The PTO is strong, very involved and creative. Their fundraising efforts are family-focused events and campaigns that get the students excited about. My oldest child is in the gifted program and is challenged to problem solve and think critically. Horseshoe Trails puts a great emphasis on reading and literacy programs. My 3rd grader reads enthusiastically (she joined the "Million Word Club" earlier this year). She now has a goal to reach the "Three Million Word" club before the end of the year. This is such a great motivation for her to get those words in! Mr. Pettinato, our School Principal, is an amazing leader who is adored by my children, my husband and myself. He is super responsive to any of my concerns with my children, he is always present on campus and just radiates so much passion. Our school has a robust, parent-led garden program which is so fun for all the ages. The kids learn how to grow food and where our food comes from. Healthy habits are cool! The Horsemanship program is probably the most unique program at HTES. My kids get to interact and care for horses that come to campus many times throughout the year. They just love it!
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2022

We used to love this school and the district but with current leadership I am really starting to question my decision to send our kids here. Every other week is a fundraiser as compared to our previous years which was maybe twice a year. I was told this was bc they didn’t pass a bond. Then after visiting my niece I found out my son is WAY behind compared to their PV district neighbors (my nieces district) .When I voiced my concerns my sons teacher said “he was fine”. I started talking to other parents and supposedly the new superintendent is more concerned with cutting costs than education. I got nervous and I had my son independently tested and he was 2 grades behind! After this school year we are switching.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2021

My kids attended this school for several years. As our home school, I really wanted to love the school, I wanted the community feel. I put up with way too much and regret it thoroughly. I voiced concerns about my child’s reading many times and involved the principal. The principal insisted everything was fine without even consulting their reading specialist. Upon consulting with an outside reading specialist I learned my child was indeed reading two grades below reading level. At this school they offered services immediately and we are finally enjoying school and not just surviving it. Avoid this school if you are someone that values education and a community feel.
Submitted by parent on November 29, 2021

Incredible, kids learn so much. They are focused on quality education, teachers are great, staff is responsive! We are so sad we are moving. This school gets it right!
Submitted by parent on July 05, 2021

Most of the school's reputation and success (along with high test scores) were driven by the Mandarin Immersion program and the students in that program. The new superintendent cancelled the program immediately after he was placed in the position. Most of the children and families enrolled in the program have enrolled in new schools (and new districts) for the 2021/2022 academic year. Along with these departures goes 90+ % of the PTO funding (coming from families enrolled in the program). The school board cares NOTHING about the students or the schools....and even awarded a large bonus to the superintendent. Attend any board meeting and you will find zero conversation about academics. just lots of awards handed out to administrators and some teachers...for who knows what.Horseshoe Trails was recently designated as a Presidential Blue Ribbon school....the only school in the district. This was almost entirely driven by the success of the Mandarin Immersion program and the students enrolled in it. Without this program and the overachieving students the school will likely drop back to the other schools in the district...which rank fairly low. By the way, I have given the school high ranks below based on my two children in the Mandarin program (and the wonderful teachers that taught in that program) this past year. They will be attending another school in the Scottsdale School District next year. Regarding leadership, I do think the current principal is good (probably 4 stars on his own) but the superintendent and school board are so awful the overall rating is 1 star.