Columbia Middle School

739 Morse Avenue

School District

Sunnyvale
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:19
Type

public

School Map for Sunnyvale 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 August 28, 2023

I had no choice but sending both of my kids here. The bell schedule is horrible!! Some kids can't even remember the time to go to upcoming class:8:34-9:24Period 19:27-10:22Period 210:22-10:35Brunch13 min10:38-11:28Period 311:31-12:21Period 412:21-12:51Lunch30 min12:54-1:33Advisory/FLEX1:36-2:26Period 52:29-3:19Period 6Why such a an odd bell schedule?? can they just do the times which is easier for parents/students to remember??? And late start is a joke!! I want my kid to have a consistent schedule NO LATE START PLEASE!! There is no point of having start start days!! That doesn't help any parents who's working consistently with the same schedule everyday. Late start days would ruin their schedule especially the parents who work in the medical field. If i have any other choices, i would send my kid there NOT here at Columbia!! I would NOT recommend this school for new comers! Spend extra money and invest in other schools! I've never engaged with teachers nor staff at this school !!
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2023

Thai school sucks the only reason I have my kid I this school is because it’s cheap but I hate the fact that they have office hours and I have to get up extra early to take my kid to school.
Submitted by parent on December 13, 2022

My daughter went to this school the first year in 2021 and got beat up because she was short and my daughter at that first year was an A student. So they suspended both of them and the bully gets a day less then her. Come to find out, The bully beat up 3 students before she got to my daughter and its amazing they kept the bully in there after all that harassing other students. We had to file a police report and contact order on the other bully and to find out after her 5th time of beating up helpless students, She was there amazingly. So the next year another new bully came to the school the following year and tried to fight my daughter at school and when she reported it to the Principal, The bully and 13 of her friends surrounded her the next day and told her they were going to jump her. So I pulled her out of there into a private school. Its such a joke there that they would rather keep the bully there torturing other students than rather keep my daughter who is an honor student there. This is the most pathetic, Unprofessional, Incompetent run school I had ever seen in my life. In my days, They used to expel the bullies after the 3rd time for bullying. So the first bully gets to stay after 11 times of what I know and the second bully 7 times of bullying people is so out of the question here. Just be prepared for your kids to be considered the bad guys and the bullies good people because that's how its run there by the incompetent people there. But if you decide to put your kid in that school, please put them in MMA school at least a year before they go there or your child will be in a living hell hole there.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2018

Both of my kids attend Columbia and have had great experiences. They are in the UPP program and have had great experiences in band and choir. The teachers are great and the principal is a strong leader who sets high expectations. The school climate is reported by my kids to be very nice, and they have made good friends and have not experienced bullying, which was very important to me in a middle school environment.
Submitted by student on June 18, 2018

TERRIBLE!!! I was bullied so much and I wore blue on accident because I forgot the rule and was punished
Submitted by other on August 12, 2016

This is a great school for all kids... New staffs are here to help your kids exceeding their learning goals..
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2016

My daughter is in the UP program, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well this school is run. Great principal, teachers, extracurriculars, and education.
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2015

It's only October, and so far I've had a parent hit my car while opening their car door, a child has attempted to break my antenna off my car (with me in it), and saw two moms pass dope to each other in the parking lot.The neighborhood is extremely sketchy and it makes me sick every time I have to drop off and pick my child up from this school.The only reason my child attends Columbia is because it is our assigned school and we lost out on buying multiple properties outside Sunnyvale to cash offers. Now we are stuck here unless we pull our child out and away from her friends.Horrible.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2015

This school is so good. The Principal is the heart beat of this school. If you email her she gets back to within a couple of hours. She is present at all school events and I have seen her at many School sporting events. Columbia was just awarded the California Gold Ribbon award. formally called the distinguished school of California Award.Columbia also received the 2014 Hoffman Award -- Awarded by the Santa Clara County Office of Ed to the top programs in the County each year. We were one of three schools to win it in 2014 for our Flex program.THIS SCHOOL IS SO GREAT. I AM VERY PROUD TO HAVE MY CHILD HERE.
Submitted by parent on July 17, 2015

Columbia is a good school with many great qualities. My daughter was a 6th grader and met many friendly girls. There are many wonderful teachers (especially the PE and elective teachers), and the administration is responsive and invests a lot into their students.We have various friends at Columbia who have participated in the music program, the after school Tech Club and this year's Starting Arts play, 'High School Musical'. They all had great experiences.Columbia has much to be proud of, including it's award winning FLEX program that sets a side a bonus class period to either catch up in a subject, or if no need, take a bonus enrichment class. I don't know if it's the pressure of the high housing prices or what, but I feel that everyone it so intent on justifying the cost of their house, that any school, other then the one they've chosen, is painted as subpar. Don't believe the hype !Columbia students, staff, and parents have Much to be proud of..... Go Bulldogs!
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2015

It's very unfortunate that this school has such a negative image with some community members. Our children attend elementary school at Fairwood Explorer, and one of the outstanding teachers from that program now teaches at Columbia. She has affirmed for us several times now that the middle-schoolers are sweet, the preschoolers on campus are safe, and that there have been zero incidents of concern in her time there. I trust this teacher's opinion immensely. Stigmas are hard to change.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2013

School appears to be an up and coming school with some significant challenges. However, the staff appears to be committed to utilizing all resources to meet those challenges and the school appears generally safe. I was pleasantly surprised after being invited to walk the campus and meet some of the parents and students of my son's class.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2012

Columbia is NOT the school it used to be. API scores (and all sub groups) have gone up steadily over the past 3 years. It seems that when parents are looking for a school for their child/children the API score is the end all be all...SO not true. The only reason Columbia has what some consider a "low" API score is simply due to the fact that there's a high percentage of English language learners that are still leaning how to comprehend English...this is not an easy task. It takes years to be fluent in English. The principal and staff are obviously doing something right!
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2011

I moved to Sunnyvale from East Palo Alto because I just knew that the schools would be better, right? No. We live in the Fairwood area so for 5th grade my son went to Fairwood which is an awesome school. For middle school, the kids from our area have to go to Columbia which is in the Fair Oaks area. The kids can't wear red or blue because of gangs. They don't let the kids wear plain old winter hats. My son went there for 6th grade. It was horrible. I couldn't get him into any of the after school programs designed to help him improve his grades because he knew how to read and knew his multiplication and division. The staff wasn't understanding at all with the exception of Mrs. Carmack. I got my son tested for ADD and I couldn't get any accommodations for him. The teachers didn't want to help him. It was so bad that I considered putting him back in school in East Palo Alto. Luckily I got him into a charter school. This is a horrible school. As a parent, I didn't feel right sending him there and I thank God I got him out.
Submitted by teacher on September 17, 2011

Columbia is making a come back! Please ignore all the reviews prior to 2009. They were written when the school had a different principal. Over the past few years we have implemented a number of new programs, both educational and behavioral. The dedicated teachers and wonderful students are making huge strides in a positive direction. Our API jumped 20+ points in the 2010-2011 school year! That is a very difficult feat. Most schools increase 5 -10 points a year, if they increase at all. The school has just undergone a complete renovation also. Our classrooms are new, and full of technology. Yes, we have students involved in gangs. This problem is being taken control of, it is NOT apparent on campus. Any school in a similar neighborhood would have similar problems. These students seek gang involvement because a lack of parental involvement in their lives. If you are a parent involved in your students life, you have nothing to worry about, your student will succeed at Columbia. I am a proud Columbia teacher doing my best to give our students the best future possible. Please do not let rumors hinder your student from attending Columbia. Come see us for yourself.
Submitted by other on February 18, 2011

Columbia is a awsome school i go to this school and some people say its an a terrible school but its not. Our school has a coucler which she could help you out. there is only one teacher i hate so much i cant say who he is but i want him fired