Carrillo Elementary School

Posted: March 12, 2026

As a past student this school was horrible for me and a lot of others to go to. During my last year in Carrillo we had gotten 0 homework assignments, and while this seems nice for a lot of students during that time, it is horrible when you get into middle school as you will be unprepared for the amount of homework that is given. Most of the students there were also the least respectful people you could ever meet, if you want your child to be bullied and left out then this school is perfect for you. The only good thing about this school I can even think of is how some of the teachers were nice, but I don’t even know if they teach here anymore. Please NEVER let you kid go to school.

-student from 3 yrs ago (attended from 1st-5th, currently in 8th)

Posted: March 12, 2026

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Posted: April 30, 2025

We enrolled our son here for kindergarten since we are local in the community living in San Elijo Hills.

On day one we lost trust in the school since the first day of school, our teacher was not present. There was miscommunication and discourse, and our son got left behind at lunch. The teachers failed to do a headcount.

We escalated to the principal who now has transitioned over to San Elijo Elementary and there was no general feeling of care, just excuses.

The class sizes are atrocious and the number of classes per grade is off the charts for what you would hope for a solid local elementary school.

We have transitioned over to private and could not be happier.

Avoid Carrillo at all costs, the San Marcos Unified School District needs to elevate their game across all their school and the drawn boundaries where your child attends school is an absolute joke.

Posted: April 30, 2025

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Posted: December 5, 2022

If you want to be discriminated against this is the perfect school for you. It’s a joke of a program from the top down. There are some nice teachers, but if you're anything other than typical get ready to be discriminated against. No homework given to kids so when they enter middle school they’re completely unprepared. Overall a poorly put together school

Posted: December 5, 2022

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Posted: August 10, 2019

Excellent! We love Carrillo Elementary. They are inclusive, challenge the students and provide resources for students that need extra help.

Posted: August 10, 2019

Reading is pushed which is important for student development.

Posted: August 10, 2019

Posted: August 10, 2019

The school has a monthly character trait focus for all students and also utilizes Restorative Practices to handle conflict and disagreements between students which has been highly effective.

Posted: August 10, 2019

Awesome Principal, Assistant Principal, administration and staff.

Posted: August 10, 2019

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Posted: December 19, 2018

If I could, I'd give this school 6 stars. There are of course the plus and minus in everything. Yet, the plus from Carrillo elementary school supremely outweighs the minus.

Posted: December 19, 2018

This review is for TK and Kinder grade only.

Posted: December 19, 2018

I haven't had a chance to meet all the teacher. However, all of the teachers I have been into contact with are approachable and they seem to teach because they love teaching and they love kids. They are willing to spend their extra time and efforts to help managing and governing the school.

Posted: December 19, 2018

It is written in the mission statement of the school: We lead by example and follow the Carrillo Way: “Do the right thing, because it's the right thing to do, even when no one is looking.”

Posted: December 19, 2018

I didn't make any review until a few months into the school year to make sure my opinion is reasonably accurate, objective and non-biased. The principal, the admin staff, the teachers, the PTO..etc.. they are astonishingly effective in what they are doing to achieve the common goals: to instill the love of learning, the respect for other students, the compassion for others all the while building their own self-esteem and self-confident. I was told the new principal solved the traffic congestion problem during pick-up and drop-off. I am amazed !!

Posted: December 19, 2018

The principal focuses on a pro-active approach to support students needing help at the first level to make sure the students have time to progress and to catch-up.

Posted: December 19, 2018

Based on the reports of other parents and the teachers, as well as what has been transpired, I strongly believe that this school is and will continue being effective in dealing with bullying.

Posted: September 7, 2018

The staff at Carrillo are amazing. My two sons learned a lot very quickly and had tons of fun in the process. The teachers and principal so everything they can to make school an enjoyable place to learn and grow.

Posted: September 7, 2018

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Posted: February 11, 2018

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Posted: February 11, 2018

I would rate this school five stars on experience.

Posted: February 11, 2018

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Posted: August 26, 2016

We moved from a local community specifically so my daughter could start Kindergarten at Carrillo. The teachers are wonderful, caring individuals and the location is idyllic--such a peaceful campus. Parent involvement is high and communication from the staff to parents is constant. My daughter is now in 3rd grade and wouldn't want to attend any other school.

Posted: June 17, 2016

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Posted: June 17, 2016

This school is all about your child(ren)! They have very organized and structured classes! They also involve the children the community, health, and physical activities!

Posted: June 17, 2016

Posted: October 5, 2014

We moved form a different state. I was excited for my child to go to Carrillo because I heard a lot of great things about it. I was very disappointed with the front desk staff. They are so rude, never smile, they do no make you feel welcome at all! I was even more disappointed with my child's kindergarten teacher after she told me there will not be a kindergarten graduation, but when I was picking my daughter up from her last day of school, she was crying because other parents came to their children's kindergarten graduation and I did not! This was not ok with me and when I confronted the teacher, she told me she did not know that they will be holding a kindergarten graduation. Really??? Overall I think the only reason this school is rated so high is because of the rich families that attend Carrillo.

Posted: August 23, 2014

They say you can't make requests for teachers but they allow PTO parents to do so. If they're going to they might as well say it, maybe more parents would join the PTO. It's so obvious who the favored teachers are, just look to see which teachers the kids of PTO parents and other teachers get. Sherwood followed by Whelan & Danielson in 1st, Yates followed by Rhodes in 2nd (Saulino if you have a son), Cummings followed by Martin than Shultz in 3rd, Duke followed by Mariano in 4th (Cochran may become a favorite), Woods followed by Lancon in 5th and Folk seems to be a new favorite too in 5th. Suppose some have to get the less favored teachers but hate watching all the PTO kids get one of the top favorites ALL the time. >:( And if parent requests were known and those teachers knew they weren't popular, maybe they'd try to improve their act.

Posted: August 17, 2014

IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE, BUT THE REASON THE SCHOOL IS RATED SO HIGH IS ONLY DUE TO PARENT INVOLVEMENT. THERE ARE VERY, VERY FEW TEACHERS WHO REALLY CARE OR LOVE WHAT THEY ARE DOING. IT IS THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE CARRYING OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. BOTH WITH THEIR VOLUNTEERED TIME AND FINANCIAL DONATIONS. THE CHILDREN ARE PUT LAST SINCE THE STAFF WILL COVER FOR EACH OTHER AND SWEEP PROBLEMS UNDER THE RUG IN ORDER TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER. VERY SAD FOR OUR CHILDREN.

Posted: September 25, 2013

Carrillo Elementary School is the best public school there is! I have been there 8 years now with 3 kids going there and have only had amazing teachers and staff for my children. There is a lot of parent involvement also. My children feel safe there and have made great progress in their academics. Carrillo will prepare you for middle school for sure!

Posted: September 11, 2013

Carrillo Elementary has wonderful parents that are willing to volunteer tremendous time and energy. The PTO generates substantial financial resources for the school. However, the teachers do not take advantage of the resources available to help students progress. The school might be ranked as a 10 by the state (#378 in the state) but this is because of the heavy parent involvement. The school number ranking should be hire, but many of the teacher s take this as an opportunity to do less. The school is second to last in ranking for the City of Carlsbad. The rankings for the City of Carlsbad are (#57, #192, #195, #347, #378, # 391).

Posted: December 6, 2012

Despite the potential to be a great school this school is just mediocre. The pieces required to be great are there: good facilities, good students, families who value education and have adequate financial resources. Unfortunately they just can't seem to put it all together. The previous principal was fantastic. The current principal has allowed the school to slide into mediocrity. The teachers range from amazing, to pleasant, to lazy, to down right mean...many seem like they are just going through the motions. Each year the school year begins with enthusiasm, by mid-year the students are ridiculously behind schedule and then there is a mad rush to catch up in the spring before STAR testing begins. There are many parents who are willing to give their time selflessly to help in the classroom. The PTO is another story. They seems to do a good job raising money each year and there are undoubtedly many hard working, well-meaning parents involved with this goal. However, many of the PTO leaders seem to use their positions as a means to get what they want for their own kids (class placement, etc). It's disappointing to see the unrealized potential of this school.

Posted: November 28, 2012

Carrillo has changed so incredibly much over the past few years and I m sad to say not for the better! The amount of money and fundraising they constantly badger us for is outrageous. Carrillo also wastes so much learning time on flag salutes with awards related to running and behavior. But, the kids who do get Triple E s and Honor Roll get shunned and receive their awards in their classrooms to not upset or discourage those students who aren t making the grades. What happened to rewarding and promoting academics? By showing ALL kids academic awards and not just cheesy running and behavior awards helps instill and prepare our kids for the real world!

Posted: June 9, 2012

Carrillo is a great school...perfect? Of course not. Just like any school it has its issues but all in all it is a really good school and my kids are getting a great education. I would suggest to parents to get more involved. The pressure to donate is only there because the state is taking away more and more. I would suggest to some of the reviewers to join the grant committee or help in raising funds for the school.

Posted: May 30, 2012

Pros: Staff super friendly and seem very competent, great social atmosphere for kids, teachers doing a great job with many students and limited resources Cons: The funding crunch has caused the school to do questionable things to students while chasing money. If a child misses 5 days in a year, they are barred from a trip to a pool/water park. We cut trips to visit family (including elderly residents she may not have much time with) short to meet this, but when I chaperoned the party (on May 29), I saw at least 5 kids in just my kids class get to watch the classmates leave for the party while they were effectively publicly shunned for something they (as first granders) have no control over. Kids are also made to attend repeated hyped-up fundraising assemblies, a few of which would be fine with me, but the pressure on kids (and their families) is constant, and as with the pool party, the kids are made to watch as other kids get prizes etc for getting more money. Be prepared to spend a considerable amount not to have the staff make your children feel like they have failed and let down their school.

Posted: April 8, 2012

This school is doing wonders for my child socially. We move a lot and I usually had issues with my daughter's happiness and lack of friends. Not here. The teachers and kids seem to be loving and accepting. It must be that there is little drama coming from upper class homes. Whatever it is, it makes a happy student. She is involved in the activities. There are many to choose from. Improvements to be made include the lack of parking. Maybe they should make a parking structure for the regulars. Also, children who excel at academics need to be recognized and encouraged more. Do they have a GATEs program? Many of the children there are from successful brainiacs, despite how good the school is, this is a great influence on the high test scores. So do we have to move back to the ghetto to get some recognition? I hope they do something. Put it in gear, please.

Posted: March 11, 2012

Let's do a comparison. First, let me say that community is a school starts with the principal, then trickles down. If the principal is not at the TOP of her game, then the system fails. At Carrillo, the principal does the minimum possible because this is a job, not a career for her. She collects her paycheck as does the least that she can. This trickles down to the front office. Please do not something like smile, it may hurt and you don't get paid to smile. Why is this important? Is a school of 900+ students if the first thing you see is a grumpy face how do you feel all day? At Alvin Dunn Elementary, the principal knows her students, smiles, her job is her career, her happy nature affects everyone around her. The front office staff goes above and beyond to assist, and make you feel welcome that you are at their school. Such an awesome difference. We have attended Twin Oaks Elementary, San Marcos Elementary, Alvin Dunn Elementary, and Carrillo Elementary. If you based choosing a school on principals, we would never return to Carrillo. She should retire.

Posted: March 14, 2011

Carrillo is a great place for kids to go to school! There are fabulous teachers and tons of parent help! The campus is always clean and there are tons of afterschool programs to join ! With Education being a sore subject in CA--- you would never know it at Carrillo! They truly love the kids and that is what matters most! A great community an a fabulous place for your child to go to school! My son loves to go to school everyday and can't get there early enough! That says alot about a school!

Posted: March 7, 2011

A lot of the reviews are correct, this is a good school but with a lot of faults. The teachers are in general very good and some are excellent, but I agree that any sort of complaint contrary to how the school is run falls on deaf ears with those in charge. They do push the children, but some are progressed when they should obviously be held back. They lack severally in science and arts, they claim to be focused on math and English but spend a ridiculous amount of time at flag salutes rewarding those who run, surely this is extra curricular and academics should come first, which it does not. They rely heavily on parent funding and participation which does provide many programs but gives those 'clicky' parents too much power in the school and certain staff pander to those 'in the click'. Class sizes are too big and students get lost if they don't cause problems, there is no provision for those who are not struggling to excel, just meet the requirements. The parking lot is not designed for the parents of 900 kids with no school bus it can take 40 minutes just to get to you child for pick up. My children are happy and learning and this year have amazing teachers to thank.

Posted: March 5, 2011

We just moved to this community and I was very excited about the school. I was surprised at the high level of reverse discrimination. We are fair skinned but from another country with another language spoken at home other than english. I was shocked to see a Chinese program only offered to a selective group of youngsters bc a fund came from a private Chinese money. I see other AMericans of White color (many from all different nationalities mixed) but no particular class offered for them. Instead there money goes to the entire school program to facilitate all other children. IF the money collected came from the nationalities of other origins such as German, IRish, Denmark, Australian etc.... then only those children should be allowed to participate! The school does not even have a art or science room and parents teach art. The school is over crowded and they provide a room for a Chinese class to take place. Then looking at the registration form, why should it matter your race? THey have every nationality of Asian listed (about 20), and Hispanic, And I am other white. I am from a foreign country and we do not speak english but my children are learning and have no choice.

Posted: February 16, 2011

This school has highly challenging academic programs and some of the best test scores in the district. Most children, including mine, perform above grade level. Unfortunately, any concerns I have brought to the staff have been met with defensiveness and denial. Other parents have shared the same experiences. The rule here is "don't rock the boat."

Posted: January 31, 2011

This school is a great school for children they keep them all motivated and the parent volunteer is great.

Posted: May 13, 2010

Carrillo is a great school that continues to provide my children a well-rounded education. I have one in 5th and another in 1st. Thanks to wonderful parent support we have been able to hold onto a music program, computer lab, reading program, and art. Many other schools in our area don't have these programs anymore. The running club has made physical activity fun for the kids. The teachers and staff are dedicated to do what is best for the kids. Parent involvement is high and encouraged at this school. I am thankful for the past six years I have had here.

Posted: May 9, 2010

This school has suffered a big loss. With the previous principal gone the school/staff is just not the same. The overall tone and atmosphere has changed. We love our teachers my daughter is in first and has 2 fantastic teachers (team teaching is a wonderful chance for my child to learn/be taught/guided/and have her needs met by two qualified people; an extra set of eyes to make sure she is getting exactly what she needs) My other daughter is in 4th and loves her teacher as well. Hopefully the district can get it together and help what was a connected happy school get back on track. There could be more emphasis on academics and less on running.

Posted: April 28, 2010

Great teachers, great staff from the principle down.

Posted: April 6, 2010

My daughter went here for a short time this year, unfortunately we had to move and she couldn't stay at this school. I already miss this place and the teacher she had for third grade. My daughter who suffers from ADHD and usually hates school, for the first time really started enjoying it and was excited to go every day, her teacher was so patient with her and not once did this school try to talk me into putting my daughter in special education classes due to her ADHD like her previous school. The only complaint I have is the drop off/pick up process. This really does need some work, but other than that the school and teachers are fantastic. After all what other school has two peacocks roaming the campus freely. They are adorable and even play with the children. As for the principle, I met her a couple of times briefly yet she remembered my name and my daughter s and was always anxious to address any questions we had. .

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