Cal Coast Academy in San Diego | Military Town Advisor

Posted: May 21, 2026

Jan and the staff at Cal Coast were a Godsend to my son and our family. Trying to fit into a traditional program was traumatic and painful for him. CCs customized, individualized, student focus learning approach and small classes were transformative!
Regarding the negative reviews:
Yes, it is a small, private school with associated costs and tuition. No one is taking in profits.
The school isnt for everyone and cant solve everyones issues.
Yes, the class sizes are very small. That is the point.

Posted: January 7, 2026

I am currently a 7th grader at Cal Coast Academy and I love the school. I have previously attended 3 other schools and Cal
Coast Academy is the best by far. My teachers always go out of their way to support me in my learning. For the past 2 years the school has worked around my soccer training schedule so that I have the time I need to succeed in both soccer and school. I would highly recommend Cal Coast Academy.

Posted: January 27, 2025

Money hungry leadership whose communication style is rude and explosive. Pity to those who work for her.

Posted: May 25, 2023

Cal Coast Academy was the diamond in the rough that we needed for our son. After a rough covid and difficulty finding a school where he could move at a pace that worked for him, Cal Coast did both. He has some social anxieties as well and the small size of the classes gave him a safe space to participate and rebuild some of his social skills. He has been very happy in his classes. The teachers are patient and dedicated and deserve lots of credit for his successful year.

Posted: June 26, 2022

Cal Coast Academy offers a dynamic learning experience for students. Jan Dunning, Principal/Director, is an exceptional leader. Teachers and staff are welcoming. Students are held to the highest of academic standards. The learning environment is dedicated to growth in each individual student's areas of interest and in fostering overall social and emotional wellness. Students flourish at Cal Coast.

Posted: June 11, 2022

My time at this school was amazing, the hospitality of the teachers and the kindness of the students made it a experience ill never forget. When I went to school it never felt like school it felt like a second home. I am happy I chose to go to Cal Coast Academy and highly recommend it to anyone else who is looking for a truly awesome learning experience.

Posted: June 23, 2021

Cal Coast and our instructor Nin are amazingi!!!! Our daughter plays competitive sports all year long. We looked into doing a class with Cal Coast Academy over summer for several reasons, including wanting to make sure our daughter had time to focus on both her academics and her sports during the school year. We honestly had no expectation that she would end up loving her biology class through Cal Coast Academy, but she does! Thank you so much to Jan, Nin and the school for providing her this opportunity and working so hard to make it happen!

Posted: June 23, 2021

Posted: May 24, 2021

I am a current student at Cal Coast Academy and I really appreciate the teachers attention towards the students. This school is super individualized and I am excelling because of how much the teachers help. I would definitely recommend this school and am so glad I transferred here 2 years ago!!

Posted: May 24, 2021

Posted: May 19, 2021

My son is a homeschooler but took several AP exams at Cal Coast Academy this year. They have a nice, quiet outdoor setting where I felt safe for him to take the exams. Haile (the administrative staff) was friendly and helpful throughout the process. My son also had a very positive experience taking the tests (he said CalCoast was a MUCH better setting than other places he's taken APs in the past.) Everyone I encountered at the campus was professional and courteous.

Posted: May 17, 2021

We used Cal Coast Academy for concurrent enrollment for our son. The head of school worked hard to create a flexible schedule for my son and family. We were able to quickly get through the class and will be reaching out for more class needs this summer.

Posted: May 17, 2021

Posted: March 13, 2021

9th grade at Torrey Pines for our daughter was a disaster, she was never treated as a person but as a number. We moved her to Cal Coast academy the year after and she's like a different person. She loves going to school, enjoys all the interactions with the students and teachers and since the school is small it really feels like a family.
When COVID started, they quickly moved online without losing a single day, all teachers continued the education efficiently online. Because of the uniqueness of the school, they were also able to set up in-person school allowing our daughter to continue to go to school instead of staying virtual.

The school really works with the uniqueness of each students and finds the right way to challenge them and help them grow.

Posted: March 13, 2021

Posted: February 27, 2021

Our son is a Senior at Cal Coast Academy and has attended for four years since his Freshman year. We are very happy with the school and the low student teacher to student ratio that allows real learning to happen. Cal Coast did a great job of improvising so the school could operate in person and on campus during Covid-19. This was very important for us and our son who is graduating in June. So many students throughout San Diego have had to complete school online and this is not always the most ideal way to learn. Cal Coast offers a great alternative. Our son is heading off to college next Fall and Cal Coast has played a key role in helping him get there.

Posted: February 27, 2021

Posted: January 5, 2021

The teachers are very kind and friendly. Overall I felt that the environment was welcoming and I really enjoyed my time at Cal Coast Academy.

Posted: January 5, 2021

Posted: August 18, 2020

My experience was short and could not be any shorter. Terrible school

Posted: August 18, 2020

The principal is rude and disorganized. The education is not worth the cost

Posted: August 4, 2020

My twins were so reluctant to take an AP course over the summer but EJ made it so doable. My twins enjoyed his personality and the accessible manner through which he delivered the content. I would highly recommend this school to other families and plan on returning with my younger boys next summer.

Posted: August 4, 2020

The amount of homework assigned was reasonable and meaningful.

Posted: August 4, 2020

EJ was quickly able to establish rapport with my twins which helped them feel comfortable taking their first AP class. He delivered the content in an engaging manner, making sure to check for comprehension along the way.

Posted: August 4, 2020

My twins just took one summer school course so I dont have enough information to have a fully informed opinion. However, the limited interactions I had with admin were all positive. Jan and Haile were quick to respond to my emails and were always professional and kind.

Posted: February 25, 2020

It's all about an individual approach to education.

Posted: February 25, 2020

The staff has helped with different issues that have arisen from the uniquely small student body.

Posted: February 25, 2020

Amazing. Fantastic learning environment for anyone. Unique opportunities to reach beyond a public school education.

Posted: February 25, 2020

It has saved the relationship with me and my daughter.

Posted: February 25, 2020

They truly care about her success, every day.

Posted: February 25, 2020

I really love the required community service.

Posted: February 25, 2020

Ja Dunning really cares about creating an environment that students can succeed on an individual level.

Posted: February 4, 2020

all I have to say is an awful school

Posted: February 4, 2020

Director does not care about students, this school is awful and I hope it gets shut down.

Posted: November 5, 2019

For three years my daughter was a student at Cal Coast Academy where she was provided with a transformative educational experience in an environment where she was able to flourish. The committed teachers and staff paved the way for Kellys success. Even after graduating from high school, Kelly continues to feel supported by its founder, Jan Dunning, who is always ready to lend an ear or offer a kind word of encouragement for which we are most grateful.

Posted: November 5, 2019

Posted: October 21, 2019

If your kid is not autistic has ADHD or socially awkward or anything else the schools not for you

Posted: October 21, 2019

The school does not deal with bullies well every single case of bullying gets blown off because as the principle is all about money and doesn't care about anyone else only herself she acts like she likes everyone but I highly doubt it

Posted: October 21, 2019

I don't even know how to speak in talking about the school it was the most appalling and horrible experience I have ever been at I have recommended to many of my friends to switch over to high bluff a near a school close by which is a lot better and friendlier

Posted: October 21, 2019

Some of the homework is up-to-date the most of it is behind by a few years to a few decades maybe a century

Posted: October 21, 2019

Teachers are good but the material that they are given to work with is not

Posted: October 21, 2019

Leadership are you kidding I dont know what that mean

Posted: August 18, 2019

Small class sizes should be beneficial for students with learning disabilities, but in reality, this school sets students back in their development. Students are noticeably more immature at Cal Coast than other schools. Students do not develop proper study skills. Management advertises the school as a place for these types of students, but it seems like it is really a plan to take as much money as possible from a desperate and vulnerable demographic.

Posted: August 18, 2019

Numerous cases of bullying between students, although addressed by management, are not adequately resolved. Students can get away with most things - as long as they are paying clients, management will keep them around for as long as possible. Teachers are blamed for student bullying. Management refuses to hire designated campus supervisors and instead expects teachers to fulfill this role during their lunch breaks. Teachers have practically no autonomy or power to discipline students other than yelling or ignoring them. Select students are often targeted by bullies, but little is done to resolve the issue.

Posted: August 18, 2019

Cal Coast Academy should be investigated by the WASC accreditation committee, as it is a business first and foremost, with management seeking to capitalize off of clients. Educational needs are rarely attended to adequately and the environment is poor for student learning. Students are given good grades that they do not deserve out of fear, because anything less would result in management berating teachers. Leadership is incompetent. Test scores - ACT, SAT, an AP - are continually low here. Families should seek other options, especially given the high cost of attendance, insufficient social environment, and low transparency.

Posted: August 18, 2019

The school runs an after-school homework help program from 2-4pm that essentially serves as babysitting. Management has ingrained in students that they can complete ALL their homework during this time. While this may be true for younger students, older students are not encouraged to take extra time studying for more advanced classes at home, often to the detriment of their academic performance. Some students can even skip doing homework and turn it in late for credit as they are bailed out by management in order to keep their grades high. Students ultimately do not develop good study skills.

Posted: August 18, 2019

Teachers are generally fit for their positions, but they can only do so much given the resources and the environment. Because management refuses to collaborate or support teachers, teaching efforts are not as efficient as they could be. Students are often placed in classes they should not be in, despite teacher protests. For example, a student can take all of Geometry over summer school (around 6 weeks) and subsequently take Algebra 2 the next fall. Because these summer courses are another way to charge money, students come out unprepared for the next course in the series.

Posted: August 18, 2019

Students are funneled through this school like a game. Some students realizer this and actively try to "play the system" to their benefit. Management does not establish a culture of compassion and integrity, and this naturally trickles down to students. Students can bully each other, insult teachers, skip class, skip homework, or fail tests with relatively few repercussions. Lunch detentions are the primary method of discipline, but are given inconsistently and for varying severity of offenses - a student late to class could receive the same punishment as a student who attacks another student, or a student who breaks personal property of a teacher. Management also charges students for detentions in yet another money making scheme.

Posted: August 18, 2019

Leadership bullies teachers in front of other teachers, students, and parents. Academic and behavioral issues are often blamed on teachers. This definitely is a "pay for your diploma" type of school. There are no classrooms, only sections of an open building divided by partitions. All SMART boards have functional issues, with most being completely unusable. Whiteboards are not provided to every classroom, and the ones that are provided are far too small. Management insists on using tissues instead of buying real whiteboard erasers. Head of school engages in unprofessional behavior, such as telling students which teachers she is firing before informing said teachers.

Posted: July 16, 2019

Small class size is the only support for students with learning differences. Headmaster and leadership have no formal training for ld community. All of the teachers do not have training for learning disabilities nor do they have any support tools.

Posted: July 16, 2019

The discipline program administered by leadership is dated and based on the culture of bullying. Yelling at students is then norm; misbehaving students are broken into submission. Leadership will take the side of parents willing to provide the most financial backing.

Posted: July 16, 2019

Outdated education practices. Teachers assign homework so students can keep busy during their paid after school program.

Posted: July 16, 2019

All teacher try, however, the owner/head master does not allow the teachers to create plans specific to the students.

Posted: July 16, 2019

The school currently does not provide any comprehensive program for character development. Students are very disrespectful towards each other and staff.

Posted: July 16, 2019

The school is profit driven. Students are sitting in fold up tables and chairs. Teachers must use their own computers and supplies. Leadership does not have any real experience with management or school leadership. Headmaster belittles staff and complains in front of students. Management will support any parents that provide the most financial support over any other student or teacher.

Posted: July 16, 2019

The school is profit first, leadership comfort second, and students are third. Teachers give students a good grade so they do not have to meet with leadership. Academically, this school is subpar and caters to parents who want to pay for inner peace. The school presents outdated and poor curriculum, discipline, technology, teacher preparation and safety practices. It is a mystery that Cal Coast Academy somehow meets the minimum requirements of WASC accreditation.

Posted: August 24, 2018

The director Miss let us on the number of students and did not disclose the fact that the class size was so small there was no socialization . There were classes with two children in them this was the with the 8th grade. The bottom line is school was sold to me and to my family as a school that was very popular bursting at the seams with enrollment a chance for socialization and it's not

Posted: August 24, 2018

Posted: March 18, 2018

There are no learning resources at this school for children who really need it. The teachers are not special education teachers. You have a lot of children with social issues and behavioral issues that are not supported in any way.

Posted: March 18, 2018

Overpriced. You will be nickel and dimed for everything at this school. It is run horribly and the director is good at talking but doesn't follow through. No parent communication. Most of the children have major behavioral issues that are not addressed. If your child has mild learning issues I would look for another school.

Posted: March 18, 2018

At this school you will have some good teachers but there is high turn over.

Posted: March 18, 2018

Director doesn't know what she is doing. Doesn't know how to run a school.

Posted: June 27, 2016

Cal Coast has been an incredibly positive experience in my children's education. My girls walk out of their chemistry and biology classes smiling. They come home from class and go straight to their homework. The small group environment created at Cal Coast enables a more hands on, fun, and engaging learning environment. I highly recommend Cal Coast. All my children's teachers have been smart, personable, and dedicated to teaching. It has been a very positive experience where my kids look forward to going and learning.

Posted: June 27, 2016

Cal Coast has been an incredibly positive experience in my children's education. My girls walk out of their chemistry and biology classes smiling. They come home from class and go straight to their homework. The small group environment created at Cal Coast enables a more hands on, fun, and engaging learning environment. I highly recommend Cal Coast. All my children's teachers have been smart, personable, and dedicated to teaching. It has been a very positive experience where my kids look forward to going and learning.

Posted: October 27, 2013

This school is very unique for quite a few reasons. First, there are no more than six students per class. Second, the teachers are very caring and engaging. My son has difficulty focusing and because of the small class size, he is able to do the work without the use of ADD medication. Also, the ambiance at the school is very much about acceptance of differences. In the past, my son dreaded going to school but now, he refuses to miss any days and I think that says it all. Finally, the education is tailor-made. My son is advanced in a lot of subjects, so he's able to take the level of class which suits him best while at the same time having a great deal of support in his weakest subject. If you're looking for a school that will get your child excited about education, look no further.

Posted: July 24, 2013

Our experience with this school was average at best. Tuition is steep and does not include all of the extras, such as uniforms, textbooks, after-school homework help, class trips, etc. Our daughter came to this school because of social issues at her prior school. She is a good student academically. She worked very hard while at Cal Coast Academy and earned good grades. She was frustrated though because she had classmates who she said didn't not try very hard at all and were still earning the same grades as her. It became clear that parents send their children to this school to pay for good grades. Another complaint of our daughter's was the lack of resources in the classroom. Almost once a day she would have to go in search of chairs for her classrooms and there were never enough. This was baffling considering what we were paying. We were also asked twice during the school year to donate money via school fundraisers without knowing how the money would be spent. Needless to say we did not find it necessary to give the school more than what we were paying in tuition. Neither my husband or I were impressed by what we saw when were went into the school. It was very messy!

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Torrey Highlands	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	4 mi
2	Spectrum Center Blvd, Kearny Mesa	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	9.2 mi
3	Canyon View	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	10.9 mi
4	La Costa	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Carlsbad	CA	11.4 mi
5	Windsor at Aviara	Apartment Complex	Carlsbad	CA	12.3 mi
6	Rancho Carrillo	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Carlsbad	CA	12.4 mi
7	Riverfront Condominium Rentals	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	12.4 mi
8	Mission Hills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	13.5 mi
9	Ocean Beach	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	13.6 mi
10	Del Cerro	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	14 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Torrey Highlands	San Diego	CA	4 mi
2	Mira Mesa	San Diego	CA	5.4 mi
3	University City	San Diego	CA	5.7 mi
4	La Jolla	La Jolla	CA	7.1 mi
5	Encinitas	Encinitas	CA	7.9 mi
6	Wine Country area of Scripps Ranch	San Diego	CA	8.8 mi
7	Serra Mesa	San Diego	CA	10.9 mi
8	Old Town	San Diego	CA	12.9 mi
9	Old Town San Diego	San Diego	CA	13.1 mi
10	Mission Hills	San Diego	CA	13.3 mi
11	Loma Portal	San Diego	CA	13.5 mi
12	Kensington	San Diego	CA	13.6 mi
13	Del Cerro	San Diego	CA	13.8 mi
14	North Park	San Diego	CA	14.6 mi
15	Santee Trolley Square	Santee	CA	15.3 mi

Base	Distance
Miramar MCAS	6.8 mi.
MCRD San Diego	13.9 mi.
San Diego Naval Medical Center	15.2 mi.
North Island NAS	16.7 mi.
Naval Base Point Loma	17.7 mi.
Coronado Naval Amphibious Base	18.6 mi.
San Diego Naval Base	18.7 mi.
Camp Pendleton	30.5 mi.

Cal Coast Academy

San Diego, CA 92130

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Cal Coast Academy

San Diego, CA 92130

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