Colina Middle School

1500 East Hillcrest Drive

School District

Conejo Valley Unified
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Conejo Valley 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 March 24, 2023

Kinda meh. I expected a lot more given the reputation of the school district, but there is nothing special here.With taxes what they are here, you'd figure there would be the opportunity to do something unique and forward thinking in the Conejo Valley, but it's pretty standard fare.Spanish language class from the jump? Nope, you have to wait until 8th grade (meanwhile some schools in LA have dual language immersion from kindergarten). WAY too much homework every day, and even on most weekends.Some (most?) of the homework is clearly just busywork.Most teachers seem nice, but def not all.All of the work is assigned virtually through Canvas, so expect your child to be on a computer for hours on end every afternoon, staring into the screen, just a few clicks away from its distractions and temptations. Let's just say the middle-school mind is not well equipped to avoid such distractions. And rather than look for the solution to a problem in the actual textbook (even the online version), it is much easier for kids to just google it.Choir program lost its teacher to another local-ish school a few years back and hasn't recovered yet.Awesome crossing guard though who does a great job protecting the kids!
Submitted by student on October 10, 2022

The school is a great school and great for its students. Some students have nicknamed it "The South Africa of Middle Schools" because of how diverse it is. The school has one of the largest percentages of LGBTQ+ students in the district (especially Bisexual, Aromantic, Non-Binary/Genderqueer, and Transgender). The school does need a coat of paint and some more space and some of the teachers are not encouraging, but otherwise this school rocks!
Submitted by student on June 12, 2019

I would rate it a 1 out of ten. It would be a 0 but I did make some friends so that was ok.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2018

I would rate this school a 1 out of 10 because the experience with many teachers have been negative. There are teachers here who deserve high marks. They are far and few between.
Submitted by other on October 01, 2017

I rather have teeth cleaned by a sadistic dental hygienist, everyday all day long than go motions at this zombie circus.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2017

I can't say enough good things about this school! First, Mr. Frank and the entire administration is wonderful. They are organized, responsive, and understanding. They hold students accountable and really help them grow into responsible young adults. I have been extremely impressed with the teachers. The work is challenging and my son has learned so much this year. I am looking forward to my daughter attending Colina next year!
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2017

I have attempted to post reviews on Colina before and they seem to have been removed, as have others that said negative things about the principal and staff at Colina Middle School. I have seen two kids through this school and would appreciate having an opportunity to post a review. This school is average, 30% of the teachers are exceptional (particularly those who teach the honors track), 30% are coasting until retirement. The school does not tolerate bullying, and the staff is, as others report, incredibly rude. The major complaint I have is the absolute level of disorganization. The staff cannot seem to manage any simple logistical activity from distributing or collecting text books to managing simple events. The communication skills of the volunteers and staff are lacking. Overall, the school wastes about 15-20% of school time on nonsense tasks that should take an hour or two. The last week or two of school is a waste because they collect books and stop teaching well before the end of the year. There are minimum days, pupil-free days, random holidays. Many teachers choose to schedule elective surgeries with drawn out "recovery times" between November and April. Overall, most teachers seem to work 6 or 7 hours/day about six or seven months/year. The school grounds are locked up like a penitentiary until just before school starts and within minutes of the end of the school day. My kids had no time to go to the library or socialize because they are being ushered out of school (and into paid childcare on site) a few minutes after the bell rings. Schools ought to be a place for kids to be from 8 to 4, Mon-Fri, 9 months/year. Period. This era has ended, teachers are treated like wounded servicemen with extensive vacations, and kids are funneled into service for pay. I suppose this is a lament about the state of public education more than about Colina. I suppose other schools are the same. My kids connected with several of the teachers and enjoyed the experience overall. Test scores are ok to good. Very bright kids are not terribly stimulated and science is somewhat lacking. If you have a very bright kid or learning disabled kids consider other options. If you are easily frustrated by complete disorganization, consider other options. Otherwise, you will be ok with Colina.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2015

Mr. Frank has a zero tolerance policy for bullying between students and teachers. He addresses any issue head on and always makes time for parents and their concerns. He is an amazing principle and really cares about his school. He is at almost every single event the school has, even on nights and weekends. He engages and interacts with every child there and you can tell he cares so much for these kids. Colina was the best choice I could have made for my son. He is supported by the entire staff and has amazing teachers that inspire him on a daily basis. I am sad he will be graduating this year. I will never find another school like Colina. Jen D
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2014

So happy we switched to Colina. My current 8th grader is finally getting challenged in math and is receiving a broader and more in depth learning experience - unlike his last 2 years at Oaks Christian. Similarly my 6th grader who was getting bullied in a small Montessori school is getting the support and structure he needs at Colina. Bullying is addressed in the blink of an eye and is absolutely not tolerated at Colina. The teachers he has are outstanding and supportive. They easily convey their love for and expertise in their respective subjects. In his English class, each child types away on their tablet and benefit from innovative teaching techniques. His math/ science teacher is brilliant and makes learning fun. So impressed by the children's progress. Any concern (infrequent) is typically addressed within hours or a day -depending on the issue - very responsive and organized staff.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2014

Perfect place for our 7th grade son. He is an above average student (A to B+), who works twice as hard as naturally intelligent kids, but the teachers help him get through the curriculum and he loves the environment. He wants to perform to be at this school where the staff makes him feel welcome. Yes, there is 1 teacher goes beyond in helping (math) and 1 teacher who is less than helpful, but overall no complaints, only accolades.
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2013

My son will be returning to his old school next fall. Colina is a huge disappointment. He was new to the school and has had children throw erasers at him during class (where was the teacher?), called names, pushed in the hall, etc. On top of this, the taxpayers have given them great online programs so that parents can track their chid's progress, but the teachers are not required to use them, so many don't. When I've tried to communicate with the teachers, their response has largely been that it is up to my child to contact them at school. So there is basically no way to help keep your child on track if they are struggling. On top of that, they send home so much homework every night that it feels like I'm homeschooling my kid. Yet, it never seems to be enough. No matter how hard he works, there are more hoops to jump through. Heaven forbid they get sick! In keeping with Colina's "zero tolerance" policies, we were not allowed to make up his work because it had not been turned in within 24 hours of his return. I agree with other reviewers. The teachers and admin. are much more concerned about themselves than their students. Our tax dollars could be used much more wisely!
Submitted by other on January 27, 2013

colina is an amazing school i luv it and still do every1 there is rly nice and awesome. da teachers r funny nice and teach rly well. i luv dis school. and no im not an uneducated random person just putting random stuff in i just want 2 b lazy and not do correct grammer or english PEACE!!!!!!! THIS IS A DIFFERENT PERSON Colina is a great school, but it does have some potential drawbacks as a 'role model' school. For example , the teachers are nice and devoted to the education of their students, {excluding few} and they are welcomung to all the paremts.
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2013

The school is amazing, The leadership is empowering and the teachers are, for the most part, very dedicated and challenging. The parents and students who complain are entitled and should consider the private schools in the area. It is clearly the best public middle school in Ventura County.