Palm Valley School

35525 Da Vall Drive

Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 25, 2023

Some of the teachers are wonderful and others are just average. I get the feeling that they don’t like when parents ask too many questions. We found the kids in my child’s grade to be not very kind. We came from a highly regarded private school in an urban area before trying Palm Valley and this felt greatly lacking in resources-it seems like they just kind of “wing it “ at times.
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2023

Excellent school! Great teachers who go above and beyond expectations.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2022

Enrolled my child for preschool. Lovely teachers. Exceptional learning curriculum. Involved parents. Highly recommend.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2022

Our Daughter has attended Palm Valley since 7th Grade. Please do not look at reviews prior to 2021. The school has done a complete 180 since the New Head of schools Dr. Sherman. Look at instagram and see where the Seniors are getting accepted to. This is an amazing school.
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2021

We joined PVS at middle school, the school has nurtured our child who did great academically but lacked in confidence to be a well spoken high schooler. we are always being complemented on their poise. that poise is what we have seen in all the graduating seniors. they all get accepted to great schools, many with scholarships due to the rigorous but manageable curriculum. we are confident that our child hasn't missed a beat in their education even through a pandemic.Thank you Palm Valley and Love the new head of school Dr. Steve Sherman.
Submitted by parent on June 26, 2021

Psychological support was lacking. Bullying was rampant. Little consequence to bullies that were somehow connected to the school financially or politically. Inconsistent teacher quality. Very little community outreach. Kindness between students was not emphasized.
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2020

Excellent. You would NEVER get a school experience like this for the tuition price in a more urban market. Palm Valley School is a great school and they offer a huge program that is academic, and college prep - even for the littles. We attended for two years and would return if we moved back to the area.
Submitted by parent on July 06, 2019

We love our school. You can tell by the dates of the most recent negative posts below that they come from the handful of parents who were asked to leave over their own ridiculous and inappropriate behavior. Administration is turning things around at this school. A place that used to cater to wealthy families as though it were a country club, has turned into a place that values diversity and holds everyone, regardless of social status, to the same standards of behavior and community Ineffective and lazy faculty have been moved out, and academic standards brought up to match the rest of the world. It's been a tough few years with changes, but they are all positive and the school is now on a great trajectory of growth and excellence.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2018

Where graduates are going is also a good indication of how a school is doing and Palm Valley has fantastic college placement. At the end There are cheaper options than Palm Valley it's expensive, but you get what you pay for. They also give out a fair amount of financial aid. If you compared Palm Valley to private schools in most other places, Boston, NY, Los Angeles.... it's a bargain at 30-40% less. I hope this helps prospective parents. All the best in your search.
Submitted by other on May 07, 2018

Overpriced, overrated, sub-par academically and socially inept. Although our family has wanted an independent school, the academics and ethics are far stronger at the local parochial schools. Parents who have switched to public schools have expressed the same.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2018

Disappointing and overrated. Anti-social and intellectually weak. This school does NOT encourage intellectual curiosity, intellectual growth, differentiation for gifted students, a sense of community, academic aspirations for top schools. It is run by mediocre teachers and a mediocre principal with mediocre academic teaching credentials and mediocre professional aspirations.
Submitted by student on March 24, 2018

I believed I had a decent experience at the school until I just recently transferred to public school. I discovered I had no idea how to use technology and I was majorly behind in several classes and my ability to connect with others. I can't believe Palm Valley can call itself a "college prep" school when I, a high honours over-achieving student who often helped tutor others, found myself drowning in stress due to a lack of knowledge that other students had learned long before.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2018

The only local independent school, but terrible. I never know if the teachers will return from one day to the next. Head of school is rude and overbearing. Students are leaving, the board doesn’t respond to parent concerns. We will not be returning.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2018

The academics are not as strong as they should be at this school. Something is happening with leadership, because the teachers have been leaving in large numbers these past 2 years. This school did not offer all I felt that they should for a private school. Although there have been some wonderful teachers, they do not stay, even going so far as to leave in the middle of the year. I am disappointed with the experience we had here, and we have withdrawn our children.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2017

Palm Valley has been and will continue to be the best investment I have made for my children. The headmaster is not a bully. Ignore the ignorance expressed below written by a superior parent who I am sure was one offended anytime somebody objected to their behavior. These parents “come and go”, but what never comes and goes is the leadership of our headmaster and the Palm Valley School. Mrs. Rice raised the bar and has done a phenomenal job of creating a process of planning and implementation to ensure that our students prepare themselves to live a purposeful life. Palm Valley is a school that promotes equality and strength and focuses on the philosophy that provide students with an exceptional learning community. A school that instills confidence, creativity, and commitment to the students is a school that takes education and our children with great pride. Thank you to all the dedicated gifted teachers at Palm Valley and thank you Mrs. Rice for the continuum of inspiring your team and all of us to see the vision.
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2017

Palm Valley is an amazing place. You have to ignore some of the wacko parent reviews below as we often have families who are entitled and come in expecting to "run the show" and then call our Headmaster a bully because she is tough and runs the school with ethics, equity, and fairness to all families - not just the high maintenence ones like the Headmasters before her. She is tough, but not a bully. Fair, but smart, kind and also leading the school in the direction is should have been headed in all along. The No Bully program is great, my kid is thriving, homework is present, but not overwhelming and standards are high. You will always get mixed reviews for schools like this as they aren't for everyone. The lady below probably should take her kids to public school if she's such a diva about being asked to contribute to fundraisers or whatever - it's a private school, this is how it works! We have to work together to help the school succeed.
Submitted by parent on July 12, 2017

Extremely wonderful and we are very happy to be part of such a positive community
Submitted by parent on June 25, 2017

Horrible school! My child was treated only as a number and we were hounded for money on almost a daily basis. The new headmaster is a rude bully who has no idea what she's doing. Teacher morale is in the toilet along with the academic program. There are plenty of public schools in the area that would provide your child with a better educations. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS JOKE OF A SCHOOL!
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2016

We love our school and will be here for many years to come! There isn't a better school in the valley.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2016

My two children have been attending PVS since preschool and are currently in the Lower School; we have been attending this school for six years. The past six years have been fantastic. We moved to the Valley from the Boston area and wanted a school that mirrored our East Coast values and have found that and more at PVS. We love the small class sizes, the specialized attention, challenging curriculum and forward-thinking teachers and administrators. My children love the Smart Lab, technology classes, art and physical education and most importantly love their teachers and fellow students. PVS has done a wonderful job instilling confidence in my children while encouraging them to challenge themselves. I encourage anyone who is looking for a PS-12 school to check out Palm Valley.