Sunol Glen Elementary School

11601 Main Street

School District

Sunol Glen Unified
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:23
Type

public

School Map for Sunol Glen Unified 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 February 26, 2025

Sunol Glen School is such a hidden gem. When we tell people where our kid attends school I am shocked how few people know about it. Our family is so fortunate to have found it, it's a great fit academically, socially and emotionally for our kid. The teachers and staff are such passionate educators who clearly live what they do. They are attentive to the needs of students and their families. The parent and student communities are close knit and welcoming. The curriculum is excellent with frequent enrichment classes like art, music, piano, garden, science lab and other extras woven in regularly throughout the days. The campus itself is beautifully park-like and feels like a mini nature reserve full of abundant trees and opportunities to observe wildlife. It's an idyllic little slice of our world.I regularly hear shocking stories about things happening at our home middle schools that are just not an issue at Sunol. The kids are kind to their peers and rise to the occasion of setting a good example for the younger kids through their words and actions. The big buddy programs that partner middle school mentors with elementary kids is fantastic and enriches the feeling of community at the school. Our family and child could not be happier to be at Sunol Glen. It's a wonderful school and community that is more than worth the short drive in from Fremont. I see a few reviews mentioning the intolerance and politicization of the school board impacting the school in 2023-2024. The community of educators, parents, Sunol residents, and former trustees joined together to call for a special recall election that successfully removed the problematic board members who were the root cause of the divisiveness and negative light that shined on the district for a short time. The current iteration of the board in partnership with the new superintendent/principal has righted the ship and is now fully focused on the well-being of Sunol Glen School, its students, teachers and staff as it should be. It was a rocky patch for sure, but the community pulled together to take care of the school and came out the other side stronger as a result. There is no need to worry about that drama now or moving forward. In 2025 I recommend Sunol Glen wholeheartedly with no caveats or hesitation.
Submitted by other on March 18, 2024

Was a great school, their board recently voted in two board members that take their game plan from Moms for Liberty. The school has changed from inclusive to divided. The conservative majority doesn’t seem too like “ outsiders”, which is 80% of the school. Without the “outsiders” the schools budget would be destroyed. This board chased their principal into early retirement. Molly is a big reason for the schools success in previous years . There is a recall election for the two board members that have demonstrated their incompetence in running a board meeting, dismiss opposing views from teachers and parents and quite honestly are destroying the school. My grandchild was taken out of the school by his parents because he was being bullied for over two months . This was brought to the schools attention numerous times and instead of dealing with it they basically told my grandson to avoid the bullies. Nothing done about the bullying and essentially victimizing the victim. Found out the day they pulled him that the teacher had one of the bullies seated right across from him. In my opinion this school is losing its way and failed my grandson miserably. He loved that school . I watched him in a period of two months go from a kid that loved school and learning to an anxiety ridden kid that did not want to go to school any more. They should be ashamed.I can not reccomend this school anymore with all the turmoil going on, not a very good environment for students and if the recall fails this school is toast.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2024

TLDR: Be cautious if you're considering this school in 2024. There is a lot of change underway, and the community and town are at odds on how to move forward. There's reason to be concerned about funding, curriculum, and teacher satifaction.Until recently, the school board had been mostly liberal and very welcoming of all sorts of kids and families. After all, 80% of this school is transfers (216 students and 2.9 million of the overall budget.) Only 20% (55 students and $700k of the budget) are from within the local area.The most recent board has a conservative majority and they are being influenced by and consulting the Moms For Liberty and other far right groups with religious undertones. It is making for a very tense situation. The board has started taking issue with the number of "outsiders" in the school (a word they have started to use. aka 80% of their budget and current community), and taken to blaming "outsiders" for the many problems the school has. Nothing could be further from the truth - many commute hours each day to get to school, and provide financial and volunteer support (in addition to the tax dollars Sunol Glen receives from the state for each "outsider" that attends. In Feb 2024, the principal of 16 years has retired (the board made it clear they were after her job). In the most recent board meeting, right leaning towns folk started bad mouthing and name calling teachers. A board member accused an IT person at the school of doctoring videos and running "a cover up." Needless to say, this mess is taking more energy and attention than needed for a school (at least for the adults involved). With the principal leaving, it would be reasonable to think some teachers will leave and some of the "outsiders" will find another place with less drama. The board is starting to run a "back to basics" focus, which may mean cuts to arts and music. The ACOE (county level) that oversees the school has warned that the school is in danger of losting too many students to support their current budget, and depending on numbers and curriculum decisions, Sunol Glen could get placed in the jurisdiction of another district or be in danger of receiving no funding.And, there's a recall going on. So before signing up do some research and google Sunol Glen School Board.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2022

TLDR - a small public school with a lot of heart and charm, teachers and staff that care, a strong community supported by parentsAll of our children currently attend the school and we have been a part of the community for eight years. I use the word 'community' above because that is what it is. This school is K-8 and has a total student body of about 300. That is very rare for a public school and that is why many who attend the school say that it feels like a charter or private school. Now that said, I don't think you should expect it to cater to everyone's needs. While I don't know the details I think that's why some people who have had very specific requests or needs for their students felt like they were not met. At the end of the day this is a public school with programming and support for most, not all.For our family, we have been more than satisfied with our experience here. The teachers and staff truly care. We feel like they go above and beyond in not only providing a great academic experience for our kids, but also a nurturing one.The Community Club (PTA) Is active and does a lot for the school. Like any other school, volunteering and donations are critical. At the end of the day, you GET what you PUT into the school.The principal truly cares. She pours her heart and soul into the school and it shows. She also greets every child at drop off in the morning - honestly who does that nowadays? I remember witnessing that the first day we arrived at the school and that was eight years ago. She continues to do this and I think it's one example of what makes her and the school special.Other things that make the school charming:* There is a garden, and students learn a bit about how to properly grow plants and vegetables. The garden is named after a special student whose soul and legacy lives on* There's a nearby park where parents sometimes gather to have coffee and snacks on important school days. It's a nice way to meet others and have a chat* The playground is top notch. Mr Hoxie and the facilities team do amazing work to make sure that the facilities and amenities are updated and fun for the kids* The winter concert is adorable. The music director works so hard to prepare the kids and they always do a fantastic job. Because our school is small it feels so intimate, supportive, and encouraging.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2022

Great school, great teachers & staff, great community. No school is perfect, but this school comes close!
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2021

We are a new family at Sunol Glen, starting in 20-21. We transferred out of Fremont Unified. Overall Sunol Glen has been a great school, with amazing teachers and they have been dedicated to keeping our kids learning even during a pandemic. My child did go back to in person after things opened up and I felt the communication plan was simple, understandable and safe. We received weekly emails and they were helpful to my family. It was a joy to see him smiling and laughing at home as he told us about his new classmates when he finally met them. As for the leadership - sure we are new. I don’t know anyone there personally and no one approached me to write a review. For the negative reviews, I’d ask for perspective. We were in a pandemic and there was no leadership in the world (quite literally) that knew what to expect or what was going to happen next. There was zero precedent for what unfolded in front of us. I feel that the leadership at Sunol did a good job. Why we joined: We transferred to Sunol Glen for the 20-21 school year after having experienced our FUSD teacher literally stop teaching when the pandemic hit. Not a single Zoom call or any real time interaction with the students. One email a week, and the parents went to school to pick up printed out worksheets that covered material the kids had already learned. The kids had no instruction from March 13 through the end of the year. The principal and school board could do nothing, because of the Union, and the superintendent left. Back to Sunol Glen:I am over the moon at the creativity that Sunol Glen teachers displayed over a difficult year. They tried hard to make it a good learning experience. They made themselves available to parents daily. They put out quality curriculum and my son learned a lot. I’m grateful that we joined Sunol Glen and grateful that despite difficult circumstances that the staff kept going. And they juggled having kids in person and long distance. I’m grateful and can’t wait to see what the next few years have in store.
Submitted by other on April 15, 2021

As my eighth grader is getting ready for graduation, I feel compelled to review my experience at Sunol Glen School over the past 9 years. We carefully chose to place our kindergartner at Sunol Glen after considering our local public school, charter elementary and private school options. Sunol Glen offered a well-rounded, academically rigorous education in a nurturing and small environment. Our expectations were not only met but exceeded! Our amazing teachers give individualized attention to every student when needed and have gone above and beyond on numerous occasions. Our principal's positive spirit and caring guidance creates an enthusiasm for learning in which our students thrive. I love the community that is created through multi-age classrooms and grade-interactive activities. Parent participation is welcomed and appreciated at our school. The annual Walk-A-Thon, Wax Museum, Winter Concert and Spring Fling are just a few activities that bond Sunol Glen families together. Our children have always felt included, respected and valued at Sunol. We have loved every moment of our time at Sunol Glen. We truly feel we found a gem in the heart of Sunol!
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2021

I came in here in gratitude that this school had pushed to value the children and education in opening back for learning despite teachers and parents voting to keep us shut down. I look at neighboring districts with teachers unions demanding 30% raises because of going back to their job after covid?? Thank you Sunol for being agile and getting it done. Thank you for respecting everyone's vote and wishes to do what they wanted, distance vs. in-person. Thank you for listening to parents. Thank you for having a balanced approach and supporting all on both sides.Teachers and parents have all had vaccines available to them, and the option to stay home in distance learning. Sounds like those who chose to stay home for fear or whatever reason are a bit jealous of those in the classrooms. Yes, the education at home vs. in-person is not going to be the same. That's what your choice was though. 48% of parents chose to keep kids home. Now quit complaining about your choice. Those of us for in-person learning respected their right to choose. Now it's their turn to practice respecting our right to choose what's best for our children.And... We're not even there yet! We're still not open back to normal, and it's still limited and compromised. Can't wait to getting back to normal and California and county leadership to stop making edicts out of fear and get kids the care and education they need. Hopefully more people will choose to wear their ppe of choice, be smart, get back to work, and care for the children. Push for the children!Small schools are agile, adapt, and the teachers and leadership here are great! They listen and are available. I suppose if you just complain all of the time you won't be happy anywhere. But be positive and realize that with any organization there will be parts you disagree with but it's a community, compromised need to be made to accommodate all, and overall compared to the alternatives this school is AMAZING did the kids!!! Thank you!
Submitted by parent on April 06, 2021

Every recent 5 star review is the superintendent and board member's hand picked, preferred, Sunol Glen family and friends. This is not a representation in any way of the very negative and deficient leadership at Sunol Glen School. The recent cry for help by the board members on social media was a success. The preferred families stepped up and put in their five star ratings utilizing the greatschools.org link provided by the school board member. If things were so equitable at Sunol Glen School, then why aren't all families Facebook friends with the superintendent and board members? Why weren't all families called upon to share their experiences on greatschools.org?
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2021

I think the school has done an exemplary job in the face of a very difficult school year. The one star reviews below demonstrate a complete lack of empathy and understanding. It seems clear the school leadership can’t win. People in person are whining their kids are too close (when CDC guidance is 3 feet spread). People remote are whining about too much off camera work - as if 8 hours of zoom meetings would be okay. They had a poor first communication to parents last year but took the feedback and changed course remarkably well. If you think Fremont or Pleasanton districts are any better, by all means take your kids there.
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2021

I disagree very strongly with the bad reviews that were left recently and would like to respond. Sure there are issues at Sunol, point me to a place that does NOT have them. Here is my rebuttal.I believe Sunol Glen admin and staff did a PHENOMENAL job during this pandemic year. Some teachers went above and beyond, my daughter's teachers have answered texts from me at a time that I never expected a response. They have worked late nights and all day to make learning loss as minimal as possible. As I was saying to a friend recently I don't think there has been much, if any, academic loss among Sunol kids. Of course there has been social-emotional learning loss but that was unavoidable since CA prioritized opening bars, malls. and restaurants before opening schools (that's 'nother rant) Was this year hard for me to help my 2nd and now 3rd grader through her schoolwork? Hell yeah! But do I blame the school and the principal for it, nope! And as for going back to school with poly-cams, they were being used during the 6 weeks leading up to the hybrid reopening. If you thought that was not good enough, why did you not address it then with the teacher/ school? For the parent who is not happy with 20 kids in the classroom, please PAY attention to CDC guidelines. I was nervous too but I trust the CDC. And all the studies coming out of all the places that have opened schools. The school upgraded their HVAC etc and at this point this is a good solution. Maybe it is not the best, do you have better solutions? Just FYI when I was worried that the class size would be too large, I called the school to talk to Cindy (our office manager). The principal took time out of her busy schedule to call me back and explain the plan to me and reassure me. Did you try approaching anyone directly??Why don't you ASK the school about opening the PM section if you want your kid in there? The school did say CLEARLY that if you chose to stay in distance learning as per your survey sent in before March 26th, you would not be allowed to change your choice. They needed that for planning the cohorts. As a parent who has been here for 8 years; Is Sunol perfect? No. Is it is better than most public school districts around? Heck yes! Can things be still improved? Of course!!! When I felt there was a racial justice issue, I openly wrote a letter to the school community & joined the social justice committee. We can improve things if we choose to do it with courage, kindness and humility.
Submitted by other on April 02, 2021

Sunol Glen is an award winning school dedicated to its kids. There have been a series of one star anonymous reviews - which frankly are erroneous, riddled with mistakes and deliberately misleading. As a former board member, Victoria Cloutier, I’m not afraid to use my real name and set the record straight here. The school has gone to extraordinary lengths to open the school in a safe and expeditious manner in the middle of a pandemic. There have been on site learning pods since October 2020 and Sunol has been running a highly successful hybrid. The school has been transparent, honest and accommodating. The board are unpaid volunteers working long hours to make the school one of the best in Northern California. In fact Sunol Glen is open and teaching in person while a considerable number of neighboring school districts are still grappling with remote learning with no immediate plans for in person teaching. If you want a welcoming, safe and engaging school with a dedicated teaching staff, superb principal and fabulous support staff then this is the place to be. My kids went to Sunol and received an excellent education. There are an astounding number of dedicated parents who annually volunteer thousands of hours and contribute to our amazing school. Check out our website. Come visit our school with its amazing gardens and our cute silky hens join our wonderful families at Sunol Glen.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2021

Normally, I don't write stuff in public like this, but I met with parents today (on Zoom, haha!) and I'm disappointed to echo similar thoughts after this past year. I understand that schools have been under a lot of pressure, but it just seems to me that while the principal is very quick to share "positive" videos about how well the school has transitioned during this time, the reality just doesn't match that for us. Mostly, this has been due to such confusing communication, but also a plain lack of communication. Our son is back in the classroom for hybrid, but we had no idea how many students would be in that classroom. Based on the information that the school originally shared (and based on the contracts we were made to sign), we were under the impression there would be a lot of distance between students. Now our son's class has like, 20 students crammed inside. I know a lot of our friend's have chosen to keep their students in distance learning, but I have to agree with their concerns because it does feel like those families are getting lost in the mix. If the goal is make everyone feel a part of the school, right now Sunol Glen is not achieving that goal whatsoever.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2021

unfortunately, I have to agree with several of the other parent reviews. we chose distance learning for the remainder of the school year because it made sense to us and because we had faith that the school district would continue serving our student as they have been throughout the duration of the school closure. But it's clear now that if you chose distance learning, then your student is going to spend a lot of time doing independent work. How sad that some teachers think this is acceptable. I'd love to believe that the principal supports our students equitably, but I haven't seen anything to the contrary or received any communication or transparency indicating how distance learning students needs are being met in the same ways that in-person students are. As it is, my student struggle hearing what is going on in the classroom (mostly from other students) and is barely ever required to be on with their teacher in a live format. We were told that the district had been training teachers on something called concurrent learning, where students at home tune in to the classroom. How can they tune in when they're constantly told to sign off and go work indepedently?What a mistake it was to believe that my student's needs would continue to be fairly met. We are looking at other nearby public schools for next year.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2021

after talking to other parents i really don't understand how why some students are allowed back onto campus while others are not. this has not been clearly communicated from the beginning. isn't this a public school? how can you say my student has to stay in zoom classes? i've seen other students return after the deadline. why did the school make a "waitlist" for the rest of us? the communication has been terrible this whole time. how can I commit to zoom learning or in person learning when we weren't told the days of the week to begin with? if the sample schedule was the district provided on the survey was something we could rely on, then why is there no PM classes like they said there would be? what are teachers doing that they can't teach students in the afternoon?the lack of information and secrecy is enough to not return. how unprofessional. and if I ask my student's teacher and they aren't clear or don't know then why isn't the district or principal doing their job with leading and informing? what a joke.
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2021

I have so much love and appreciation for the teachers and staff at this school. Most everyone will go above and beyond. The campus is well-kept, the classrooms are adorable and well stocked, and there is a good use of 1 on 1 devices.So it saddens me to say that I will not be having my students return to this school next year. School closures have revealed to families at so many schools how deficient their school's leadership is and Sunol is no different. How sad to dangle the carrot of reopening the school to parents by offering an AM and PM schedule only to back out after parents committed. The school is small enough in size that it could easily accommodate all students who chose to return if the school did indeed host an afternoon schedule. Instead the Superintendent happily exclaimed that (after a survey to parents) there was no need to have a PM schedule––except this hasn't beentrue and MANY parents are talking about this. Is this not a public school? How can you claim to be "reopened" when you are creating a wait list for some students to return? What is the process for that wait list? (there has been no transprancy) What are teachers doing in the afternoon that they cannot accomodate the "concurrent" teaching the Superintendent bragged about on video to the County Office of Education? Seems to me there isn't much "concurrent" teaching going on at all. My kids, like so many other students in distance learning are left to work on classwork "asynchronously" without their teacher––which is just a cheeky way of saying "your on your own". All that fancy new video equipment the district spent $ seems to be going to waste.So much of this could have been handled with better communication & shouldn't that be happening from the top? The circumstances we find ourselves in are too important to simply leave everyone (teachers included) guessing. I'd say I'm disappointed to be leaving, but I'm too excited to be a part of a new district that handle itself much more professionally & w/ true leadership skills.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2021

I cannot in good conscience recommend this school as long as the current administrator continues to work there. The stars I gave for this review are solely meant for the teachers who work incredibly hard to make this school the gem it is. So many families are being duped to think that the principal who is also the superintendent, is a fun, loving, and caring person - it's superficial. She has favorites and she only really likes families who have money. There has been poor leadership and a lack of communication to her staff as evidenced in recorded meetings from the past year. In the beginning of the pandemic, teachers have stated that they weren't told about the plans and protocols. When parents ask the tough questions, she hesitates and you can tell she doesn't want to answer. She doesn't want to be held accountable. She only wants praises and accolades. Everything has to be sunshine and rainbows even though we're undergoing a global crisis with this pandemic. She clearly has shown that she cannot handle it when the going gets tough. The most disappointing part is that the community can't even get her replaced with a more competent administrator. The district board members are her friends and they're all very chummy. To make it worse, the PE teacher at this school is uncredentialed and happens to be her husband - nepotism at best! It is no wonder that enrollment has gone down, 2 teachers left last year, more staff members left this year, and there are talks amongst the families that there are good teachers threatening to leave in the future. This school will falter without its teachers - the very backbone of every school and the ones who actually matter. If anyone should consider leaving it should be the principal/superintendent. We don't need anymore cringe worthy rap songs from her or fake smiles. We need a good, strong leader and that time is now more than ever.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2019

We transferred to Sunol Glen when my eldest was about to enter 7th Grade and it has been the best decision ever!! Since then, our eldest has graduated high school with high honors and our middle is thriving as a junior in high school. Our youngest is in middle school at Sunol Glen and has been able to enjoy the robust education that students get at this one-of-a-kind school. The teachers are dynamic in their instruction (at all grade levels), the office staff is FRIENDLY (yup, you read that right - they actually enjoy the school, administration, and community), the facility and grounds are maintained with forethought and care, there's a high percentage of parent/volunteer involvement, the students are respectful and lift each other up and the administration always has the best interest of the school and students at the forefront of their decision-making.Each of our children are unique and each has come with their own set of challenges and we're so thankful that Sunol Glen has supported each one of them and provided them with a positive and encouraging experience that has allowed them to thrive in any environment.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2019

We transferred to Sunol Glen Elementary School because we were unhappy with the previous elementary school (principal was horrific and more than 50% of the staff were so very unhappy; in fact, they all left the school and transferred to another school). Sunol has been an amazing school where my kid's friends have remained friends into high school (they are at different HS). The students are prepared academically for high school AND they arrive into high school with a strong sense of self. The parental support and community surpasses the schools I have been to as well as worked at. Like all schools, the culture is led by the administration. This principle works hard to keep the school climate supportive, safe for the children, and happy. Sure, there are the few disgruntled parents/teacher, but doesn't that happen at every school? If there are a few negative reviews, what does that say about the reviewer? The good outweighs the few negatives this school has received. The wholistic approach to teaching the child here at SGS is pervasive. Come see it for yourself. It’s truly the only way to know how good this school feels.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2019

One of the reasons we moved to Sunol was because of the school. My kids had a very good experience at the school and were well prepared for high school--academically and emotionally. As a parent, there are many opportunities to become involved in the day to day life at school and the community is incredible. It takes a village and our family found ours--a wonderful group of teachers, staff, parents and administration-- here at Sunol