McKinley Elementary School

San Diego Unified School System, McKinley Elementary School does not represent a good special education class as of last year. We have attended this school since early intervention which has been 4 years. If you want to stand up for your child in every aspect of learning, you will be sadly disappointed. It’s a cult in my opinion and I’m better off homeschooling my child with disabilities than to leave him at this school. You terribly disappoint me McKinley!

My two daughters have been attending McKinley Elementary for two years and three years now. I cannot begin to express just how thrilled we are to have chosen this school. Picking a school is not like what it was in my childhood. Back then, kids just attended the school that served the area they lived; end of story. These days, there are so many choices. Between charters, immersions, co-​ops, lotteries and other choice-​in options… it can make your head spin just trying to understand the differences. My husband and I spent almost two years touring schools before we decided to go with McKinley.
This school gives so much more than the basic educational needs. With a huge amount of parent involvement and an International Baccalaureate® designation (
), our kids have developed a genuine thirst for learning. They’ve also built a strong sense of pride their own community as well as an awareness of the diversity of the world, and where they fit into that world.
I also love that McKinley has been able to fund some great enrichment programs, like ceramics (they have a kiln on school grounds, how cool is that?!), dance classes, a huge garden, etc. The best part is that they do this through fundraisers that don’t involve the kids pushing cookie dough or wrapping paper on their relatives every few months. Instead, McKinley hosts some incredible annual neighborhood events that provide fun for the entire community, such as the annual SoNo Fest and Chili Cook-​off (a huge street fair), Casino Nights (Parent’s Night Out!), and they partner with local businesses for Pizza Nights.
Lastly, I don’t know how they did it, but they’ve staffed the school with the kind of teachers I was almost afraid to hope for. Every teacher we’ve had so far has been life-​changing in their influence on our girls. Not only do they keep up with state standards, they keep the kids hungry to constantly learn more. It’s so blatantly obvious that they really care about the kids and teaching them to strive for their highest potential.

I have four children, 2 of whom are in middle school and went to McKinley all six years and two that are currently there. I can’t find the words to express what a wonderful school McKinley has been for my family. I have been a teacher for 17 years so I feel fairly well qualified to assess a school both as a parent and an educator, and McKinley is superlative. The IB curriculum is a world renowned program that is extremely highly regarded and very rigorous. I have been particularly impressed with the IB values instruction. The community at the school is amazing. We have made so many great friends, as have our children. My children are happy, safe and secure at school. The staff and administration have been nothing but responsive and supportive to all of our needs. We have had teachers of the highest caliber for the most part, and my children have never scored below advanced on any state tests. McKinley is an excellent elementary school, and daily I feel lucky for the education and community provided for my family by the school.

We have been at Mckinley now for 3 years and absolutely love it. We have had great teachers every year and have always felt supported by the staff and administration. Julie Ashton-​Gray, our principal, is an inspired leader. I remember when we were visiting the school when my daughter was pre-​kindergarten and she held my daughter’s hand the entire tour, making her feel comfortable and welcomed. The academics are also outstanding at Mckinley, with the right amount of flexibility in the curriculum to be able to support kids who are experiencing challenges while also allowing other kids room to grow and advance at their own pace beyond the classroom. A special shout out to Ms. January, Mr. Carillo and Ms. Som. Can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us at Mckinley!

Do not send your child here if you care at all about their education!!! OMG I could go on for an hour about the nightmare this school has been!!! First of all IB means nothing good!!! The curriculum is AWFUL! They think that children should know a million different concepts instead of focusing on a few at a time!!! My daughter has not learned ANYTHING besides what I stay up at night teaching her. To top it off, the staff has the WORST ATTITUDES! I cannot stand this school!!! I would rather drive an hour somewhere than to send my daughter here another day! I can go on and on but if you have any more questions — email me

Great neighborhood school, with extracurriculars and an IB program to boot!