Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School

Posted: June 12, 2026

In my experience, Mary Fay doesn't follow IEP's at all. I find that the special needs program is unsafe and unproductive as the teachers are aggressive and punish the students in unfair and cruel ways. No patience with the students for learning. In my experience, if a parents speaks up or try to advocate for their child. The special needs teacher will target that child and make life difficult for them with false accusations and nit-picky write ups. I have watched this, not only with my child" but with many others with IEP's as well. I ended up homeschooling my kids to get them away from such an environment and they have thrived in every other school away from Mary Fay. I do not recommend the "Middle School" IEP at all.

Posted: June 12, 2026

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Posted: May 11, 2026

Do not recommend. My TK wasn't safe at this school.

Posted: May 11, 2026

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Posted: November 14, 2025

This school needs a serious change and an immediate update to its culture. My child’s kindergarten experience was extremely concerning. He dealt with frequent hands-on bullying, and when he went to teachers for help, he was dismissed and told to “stop being a tattletale” or to “man up.” We ultimately had to withdraw him due to the emotional harm he was experiencing in this system. No child should have to endure that.

Posted: November 14, 2025

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Posted: July 20, 2025

This school does not take care of the children or keep them safe, multiple kids, especially in the younger classes like TK, have gotten hurt or are being bullied, my daughter included. They don’t help them find there way, my TK daughter had to figure out in her own how to get to breakfast and get food.

Posted: July 20, 2025

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Posted: December 6, 2024

Please give these teacher some clothing allowance. Yoga pants are inappropriate for any work related environment, please use some common sense, my goodness.

Posted: December 13, 2017

Love this school, we have two children attending, both stared in kindergarten and are now in 3rd and 6th grade(s).

Posted: December 13, 2017

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Posted: November 25, 2017

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Posted: November 25, 2017

Amazing staff, great parent teacher involvement. Student development is the focal point.

Posted: November 25, 2017

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Posted: March 23, 2017

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Posted: March 23, 2017

The only person here worth anything was the school physchologist. The teachers treated both my kids like problems rather than working with the IEP team on solutions. It was sad to see such disrespect at a military family school. I have to say I was extremely disappointed. Mr. McGough, though had great speeches at back to school night, was certainly not a person of action in those ideals and rather was quick to label kids as bad and then refuse to be helpful....I had to have the EFMP coordinator come in as back-up. It was sad to see how little they cared about the actual children. Not what I expected on a USMC base for sure.

Posted: April 16, 2016

We have been at this school for nearly three years now. Our first year was rough. Then Mr. McGough came in as principal, and over the last two years has revamped the entire setting. The teachers are happier, the focus is better, and my kids are all excelling. I have three different types of learners in my kids attending MFP, and all have been embraced and uplifted. Any help, enrichment, or gifted needs were all addressed. The community is thriving, and the Leader in Me program is a huge success in supplementing a rigorous Common Core curriculum. People mention bullying; my children span from kindergarten to middle school, and there is very little to write about on that front. The teachers and the administration are very actively involved in all the students. Children are encouraged to be leaders, and have stepped up to that role through various community groups (implemented as part of Leader in Me). Academics are rigorous, but the teachers will bend and work with each child as needed. One of mine needs more help, and from day 1, his teacher has communicated with me about his needs, fully supporting and implement a 504 plan. Another of mine needs more challenging work, so his teachers allowed him to come up with projects directed and imagined by my son to drive his passion and intellect. Each time I express need, it is immediately addressed! PTSA has been completely re-staffed. Mary Fay is the ONLY school in the state of California to be both a Leader in Me Lighthouse school and receive the Gold Ribbon for academic excellence. If you've been at MFP in the past, take another chance. Classrooms are crowded, but not to the detriment of the students. This school is excellent!

Posted: November 22, 2015

Back in 2013 I used to live on base in a beautiful house in a good neighborhood (San Luis Rey) but the school was awful. My son has autism and the special education staff at the school district doctored his tests to exit him from IEP. When we went to have a 504 meeting with the principal the first thing he said was " we don't have money or resources". This school gets federal money that someone is pocketing. We purchased a home in Temecula where the teachers adviced us to get an IEP going because he obviously needs it.

Posted: March 18, 2015

Classrooms are overcrowded, teachers are great, I feel bad for the teachers. Not enough supervisees for recess and lunch. District won't let the school hire more. Behavior is a huge problem at the school. There are older kids there that should have been expelled because of stealing, physical altercations, bullying the supervisors and they are being treated like innocent 5 year olds.

Posted: March 29, 2014

My son attended kindergarten at this school. I've been told by his teacher that he is the youngest of the class, he can't focus, can't finish his work on time compare to other students. She mentioned because he is youngest of all he'll always be at the bottom of the class. Turned out my son is in the gifted program. I'm so glad I moved him to a much better school. Mary Fay by far is the worse school I've ever seen.

Posted: January 13, 2014

When we first moved to Camp Pendleton we heard so many good things about Mary Fay. My child has been there for 3 years now and each year it has become worse. The communication between parents and the school is horrible. My daughter is in the new middle school that Mary Fay tried to build and I finally have had enough. We are relocating her to another school. The school is over crowded and there is a sense of a clique among the PTA. The website says a class size is 20 which is a horrible lie a regular class size is no LESS than 35. The school does have the potential to be a whole lot better but as of right now, our kids deserve a lot better.

Posted: January 13, 2014

Run!! Your child is not in good hands at this school!!! This is school has so many hidden problems that no one see until after their child is in rolled in it. Cliques among Admin., staff, PTSA (they are really BAD) and volunteers. Being bullied is not addressed they way the school say it will be. They went to this common core learning and now the school is failing from what the state says. That 8 out of 10 is a lie because most of the kids tested in the school are no longer there the next year. Your child could go into the school getting great test scores and then get to MFP and their score will come back failing.Class rooms are over crowed and most teachers have to many kids in their class to really give the children in their class the right teaching they need. If your child needs anything special to help them learn until you demand the help the school could care less about what they may need. I only have the next few months left at this school because we move in July but my child has been here three years and in that time I have learned that if you live in the areas that go to this school just RUN!! DONT SUBJECT YOUR CHILD TO THIS SCHOOL AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT !!!

Posted: July 26, 2013

Not very good.....Mr. Dominguez seems very disorganized . My younger child was in a class of 34 and my older child had 29 in his class. The one bright spot was Mr. Corica (sixth grade teacher) who was transfered out by the principal. I have one more year before we move and I might just get the heck out of dodge.

Posted: October 11, 2012

This is my son's third year at this school and I have nothing but good things to say about it! The new administration is wonderful and is getting the school organized and implmenting new programs. The teachers are amazing and work well to provide the best education for our students. One teacher was even nominated and is one of the top ten finalists for Teacher of the Year for San Diego county!!

Posted: September 20, 2012

Our daughter attended Kindergarten here and we disenrolled her after one month. There were 32 children in the kindergarten classroom with one teacher and NO aide. It was so over crowded that some kids sat on the floor and some sat in chairs during group work. Even though we liked her teacher, it was not a good environment for learning and very slow at making progress. We discussed our concern with the Principal (he's new this year) but there was nothing he could do about it. All of the kindergarten classes were way over crowded and averaging 31-35 students with no aides to help the teacher.

Posted: September 20, 2012

My son attended Kindergarten for the first time this year. He was born in September, just in the middle of their cut out. I was informed by his teacher that he isn't doing good. He is gonna be at the bottom no matter what, because he is the youngest and immature. When I talked to her and try to help all I got was I should move my son down to preppie class. What kind of teacher would you your kid is stupid? Not to mention the first day of school my son was left outside in front of their little office when he supposted to ride the bus home. No staff or his teacher would help and assist him to the bus. Second day he was in the wrong bus. Can you imagine waiting for your kid to get home, but he isn't there? I talked the K leader, and principle assistant, and his teacher. They all made it sound like it is my son responsibility to remember which bus to catch on the second day of school. His teacher doesn't seem passion about making kids being the best they can be. She is good at nothing much she can do to help, she seems overwhelmed by 32 kids in her class. I'm miserable and fear for my son. I will pull him out of this school. Very bad school.

Posted: September 17, 2012

This is my first year at this school and I have heard nothing but great things about it. I have a VERY different opinion. I have never seen a more disorganized school. There is a lack of communication between parents and the school. They give out important info at the last minute. They have marked my child absent when I put her on the bus leaving me scared and wondering if something happened to her between the bus and her class. They have also not put her on the bus and again leaving me wondering what on earth has happened to my child. This is a military base, this school needs to clearly get its act together and PRONTO!! All together making me feel my children aren't safe there!

Posted: May 15, 2012

I have been very happy with Mary Fay's kindergarten program. By the end of the year my son was proficient in first grade sight words & even writing sentences. I couldn't be happier with his kindergarten teacher.