Balboa Elementary School

Posted December 15, 2008

As far as education goes this school is fine. However, culturally and socially this school is horrible. There is almost zero diversity at Balboa and students who are picked on for not being part of the majority get very little support from the faculty in those matters. I was even told that if I want my child to fit in I should enroll him in classes where he can learn to speak Armenian. The administrative staff has been unfriendly, unhelpful and even hostile at times and the lack of supervision after school is ridiculous. Children are allowed to wander out of the gates without anyone watching.
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Posted September 26, 2007

I pulled my daughter out of a private school and enrolled her in balboa last year during Kindergarten. I was very happy with the teacher and and the academics. She learned how to read and write in a 2nd grade level. I love the monthly spirtit rallies and the fact the principal knows every child by name. I made the best decision last year and am very happy with her 1st grade teacher this year.
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Posted August 28, 2007

This is a neighborhood school that truly feels as though the community is involved. My chidren have attended for the past five years, during which the scores and programs have continued to improve. The PTA is active, as is the Booster Club, though as is typical a small number of parents run the activities of both. The principal is strict and yet imbues a sense of fun into the academics, with monthly spirit rallies and theme days. Seasonal schoolwide activities also help bring out the comraderie among students. The vast majority of the teachers I have encountered are incredibly dedicated to their profession and the students, and find ways to teach the standards that still allow for creativity and fun in the classroom. I would highly recommend this school to anyone considering moving to this pocket of NW Glendale.
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Posted August 6, 2006

The teachers and principal are caring and responsive. Facilities are nice. The school administration is somewhat disorganized as far as procedures for picking up and dropping off children. The cultural majority of the students is Armenian. The major drawback to this school is the lack of cultural diversity. This is especially apparent in the lower grades, where in my child's class there are only 2 non-Armenians in a class of about 25 students. If this school had a more diverse population, I would rate it much higher.
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