Bel Aire Elementary School

277 Karen Way

School District

Reed Union Elementary
Grade

3-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

School Map for Reed Union Elementary 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 November 29, 2024

My son loves going to Bel Aire. The teachers are super nice and they have a variety of programs for the kids.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2023

We switched from a private school to Bel Aire and I have been pleasantly surprised. The teachers and staff are fantastic. I’ve been impressed by the academics - we found that they use the same text books and programs as our private school. Our son gets math and reading homework every night and a weekly journal entry that does get turned in for class points. They grade it in class allowing the child to see what they might have missed. Class size is pretty small, roughly 18-20 kids per class. I’ve heard some teachers are better than others but that is just like any other school. I also volunteer with math club which is a weekly program that prepares kids for mathletes. I like that it’s inclusive and encouraging of all students.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2021

We recently moved from San Francisco (well known private school) to Tiburon over the summer with 2 kids moving into Bel Aire.We were a little nervous at first transferring during COVID. My kids opted for in person learning and the teachers have done a phenomenal job. They are responsive, organized, kind and my fifth grader was able to have more of a differentiated learning experience in math when we asked more of a challenge.I am not sure why the reviews are low, but our experience has been quite the opposite. The community has been kind to our family, welcoming us even during COVID. Enrichment classes such as Spanish, music, art, PE and library are outstanding. There are even clubs that are at no cost such as math club, band, chorus, C4C, extra Spanish, extra PE, a TV production club and more. My kids are not part of this, but they provide extra help for kids that need more in separate breakouts after school. The academics are on par with our former San Francisco private school, and perhaps even more differentiated upon asking. Our kids do not feel stressed out with homework and are very happy with their new friends. I am especially impressed by all the COVID in person protocols (e.g. PPE, plexiglass, tents, automatic door openers, sinks, sanitization, etc. The Foundation for Reed Schools has sent $1mm + in making sure the schools hav been opened safely. We did not opt for the fully remote option so can't speak to that. I would highly recommend coming to Bel Aire - a smaller school compared to other public schools in the area, and the entire town in the same school which is nice as you get to know people quickly.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2020

Read the negative reviews below. All very true, and telling.
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2019

I'm not sure why many of these reviews are poor. My son has thrived here. He spent K-1 at a private school in Oakland, and Bel Aire (and his 2nd grade year at Reed) has been a better experience for him on every dimension. There have been a few differences (like he learned Spanish instead of being able to pick between Mandarin, French and Spanish) but the teaching has been outstanding, and he has turned into a confident student who enjoys school. I'm glad we moved here.
Submitted by other on November 18, 2016

Outstanding teachers, staff and top rated education. This is the best public elementary school in Marin and the test-scores and achievement reflect this. My child is a 4th grader so this is our second year and the school last year won an award as one of the top elementary schools in the country. Not sure where the negative reviews are coming from but seems idiotic - visit the school and you will see beautiful facilities, ipads for every child, thoughtful teaching staff who teach subject matters plus art, spanish, PE, music, chorus, theater, etc IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL. Get a little perspective people - this is an amazing school and the proof is in the pudding - happy kids, happy staff and an extremely active parent community. only negative is you have to live in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the SF bar area to be able to send your kid here!!!
Submitted by other on May 14, 2014

I agree with all of the negative comments below. I went to this school last year and remembered poor math, art, and music programs, all of which are important in kids learning. My math class last year which was separate from others for advanced students, was very unsatisfactory and I learned virtually nothing that year in math. Computers and iPads do not substitute for hands on enrichment and helping a kid learn. I had three great teachers through my experience at Bel Aire, but others were mean, did not teach well, were not good role models, and were incompetent because of these reasons. The principal practically bullied all of the kids and showed no respect for us. She would always break her own rules for her own pleasure. I also remember all of my friends disliking her. I think she thinks unfairly and so does the PTA. The school play is biased for the kids whose parents are donors to RUSD or the underachieving kids. Despite all of these things, my teachers in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade were outstanding and I learned plenty from them. I am shocked the superintendent now put Principal Purcell in charge of Reed as well as Bel Aire. Written by a former Student
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

The school teaches to the middle and lower end. Higher achieving students are used as teacher aides to help the under achieving students. Students are not held accountable for homework and the curriculum is not well taught. They actually taught the same curriculum my dc had the year before in private but the private did a much better job at the grade below! Some teachers have 28-29 kids in a class! I'm so surprised that such a high achieving community would tolerate such mediocracy.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2014

Bel Aire is a warm and creative place for your child to learn and we have had a very positive experience with both the staff and principal. Our teachers in both 3rd and 4th grade have been incredible!
Submitted by other on February 06, 2014

Having your kid want to go to school does not mean you are at a Good School! like the last person who wrote about this school and gave it a 5 star might benefit from actually going there (3-5th grade). She might learn some basic punctuation, if she is lucky enough to get one of the "good teachers". While she says her son is enjoying going to school , what is he LEARNING? I hope other viewers recognize the lack of experience/knowledge and discount this review. I think people should wait until they have more information before writing a review and or not do it to make friends in the PTA. Another good thing to ask yourself is, do you want your kids to go to school with kids who have parents who do things like this?
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2014

We couldn't disagree more with the rating comments in the reviews. Pati Purcell runs school that has incredibly high morale across the staff and students. We are not big donators but we have always gotten the best teachers. Our 5th grader absolutely loves Bel Aire and his experience there has taken him from a kid that "hates school" to one that looks forward to each school day. We can't say enough about happy we are to be at this school and we hope that our experience at Del Mar will be just as outstanding.
Submitted by other on September 05, 2013

I went to this school many years ago. Besides the after school model airplane class, everything else was terrible. I was bullied and pushed around and nobody did anything. I couldn't stand the kids that went there so when I finally graduated, I made my parents put me in a private school. Luckily, that worked out. It was far and away the worst school experience of my life. I don't remember any of my teachers to this day.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2013

Fully agree with the post right below. Why isn't principal Purcell held accountable? She does not deserve to be an administrator, especially for children! Most parents I Know try to duck under her radar, even when they feel the school and teacher quality are going downhill fast. The other schools in the district, reed and del mar, are still great though. I guess 3 years isn't that long?.....
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2013

If I could, I would give this school a zero. While this school has some really good teachers it is poorly run by the administration. I think the principal is unethical, incompetent, and a bully. I'm not sure how she can ignore emais from parents month after month and keep her job without a response. However, after finally meeting with her personally, I realized most parents are scared of her and therefore don't bother. She is known to be a beligerent person and they also worry their kids will be treated unkindly and not given band aids or a part in the school play. Even though the PTA claims responsibility, she is completely in charge of it! They also worry if they complain that their kids will be given the worst teachers in the school. The music, art and math program are non-existent. Kids who get good teachers and parts in the school play are most likely big donors, untalented or poor students. The math/reading program is completely focused on the underachieving kids. The only thing we liked about this school was the few hard working, kind and talented teachers but with the interaction of the administration, they were never allowed to do the right things.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2013

Awfully. My daughter finally graduated from this school. The school is disorganized.It's too bad the school is ran by such poor quality teachers.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2013

At a party, the principal was complaining and gossiping about the 3rd grade parents. She doesnt mind when the teachers do this either. Not all of them do, but our certainly did! Reminds me if the silly cliques in high school, only it's the supposed role models and educators for our children. Disgusting!
Submitted by parent on June 16, 2013

If you want one of the better teachers in each grade, be prepared to donate a lot of money and time to this school. Seriously, be ready to work f/t hours as a volunteer both in the classroom and on committees. I agree with the other reviewer that you need to be in the "inner circle" with the super, principal, and pta moms who run the show. Some people rationalize it by saying it still costs less than a private school if you have 2+ kids. Just be prepared. I also agree that this school is quite magical and fun for average students. If your child is in the top or bottom 10%, you may truly be better off at a private school. The principal and teacher will act like your child is a nuisance, and I've seen perfectly bright children walk away from here disengaged. We know at least half a dozen kids who left this year and are much happier at their private schools. Many kids also have behavior problems, but if the family is very involved with the school, they are untouchable and know it. We have been to school in westchester and palo alto but have never seen anything like this! There is so much potential and some great families. It's too bad the school is run by such nut cases!
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2013

High performing school..a lot of time is spent on practice tests, test taking skills, and teaching to the median. Differentiated learning is not always available and is teacher and classroom dependent. because high test scores are such a focus, only subjects that are tested (language arts and math) are covered uniformly throughout each grade. Science, art, critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and creative explorations are not nurtured, or perhaps are so if you get the right classroom. The principal is not receptive to any constructive criticism or concern; any suggestions of change are countered with suggestions to look at private schools. Individualism, gifted ness, and learning differences are not valued. The defensiveness of teachers and admin, when trying to open a discussion about anything, is most concerning. Many families believe that higher donations to the foundation can secure better teachers and better response from the admin. Even the superintendent has commented that they seek inout of "key parents" before deciding on implementing change, ranging from support of special Ed, gifted, or non-STAR tested subjects. Looks good on paper....
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2013

Computer time and morning school run t.v time should be limited. More of a back to basics approach would be a benefit to the children.