Foster Elementary School in San Diego

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	5/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) data from California Department of Education, and using 2025 California Science Test data from California Department of Education.
Student Growth	4/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from California Department of Education.

Posted: August 8, 2026

My experience with this school, particularly the special education program, was extremely concerning and ultimately led me to withdraw my child in April.

I am sharing my personal experience because I believe other parents deserve to ask detailed questions before enrolling their children.

During our time at the school, my child came home with bruises on his body. I repeatedly asked staff what had happened, but I was unable to get an explanation that addressed my concerns. I am not claiming to know how the injuries occurred; I am sharing that I could not get the information I needed as a parent.

I requested an IEP meeting because I wanted my child to have increased access to general education with appropriate aide support. Although the meeting took place, I was not provided with the data or information I requested to understand the basis for the decision. My request was simply denied.

I also clearly requested that a female aide assist my child with toileting. Without prior notice, a male aide was assigned instead. I only learned this when I spoke with the principal, who told me it no longer mattered because there were only a few weeks left in the school year. I found that response extremely concerning.

On another occasion, I picked up my child unexpectedly and found him outside wearing a sweater despite temperatures being around 80 degrees. When he saw me, he immediately asked for water. His water bottle consistently came home full, which caused me concern about whether he was being offered enough water during the school day.

I also found communication with the classroom teacher difficult. Based on my personal interactions, I experienced the communication as passive-aggressive and, at times, unprofessional when I advocated for my child.

Ultimately, I decided withdrawing my child was the best decision for our family. I am not suggesting every family will have the same experience, but based on mine, I strongly encourage parents of children receiving special education services to ask detailed questions about IEP decision-making, aide assignments, supervision, communication, hydration, and how concerns are documented and addressed.

This experience was extremely difficult for our family and left me with serious concerns about the level of communication and support we received.

Posted: March 5, 2026

Amazing school with so many great things and activities like glow parties and movie nights for the kids to enjoy outside of class. Its wonderful to see a school that makes sure students have fun while still staying safe.

Our daughter had Ms. Tomik, who is an excellent teacher, and now she has Mrs. Rutten. Year after year, the teachers keep getting better and better. They care so much about the kids, their progress, and their success.

Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. And thank you to the reception staff as well. We appreciate you all so much.

Posted: March 5, 2026

Posted: March 10, 2025

We've had a great experience at Foster so far. Our daughter is in UTK and her teachers are caring, respectful, and constantly working to find new and creative ways to engage the kids. Foster has an energized parent community and works hard to do outreach to the surrounding community. The Principal is sincere in her drive to build a foundation for student success on campus and is very available to address parent concerns. Our daughter loves going to school, has made great friends already, and is involved in after school programs almost every day.

Posted: March 10, 2025

Posted: March 6, 2025

We love Foster and our kids are thriving here. The teachers are great and the principal is accessible. We love all of the events at the school and have made tons of friends in the neighborhood.

Posted: March 6, 2025

We chose to not Choice and we are so happy that we have 2 kids at Foster. The teachers, staff, and PTA are stellar. Our kids feel safe. Our teachers are excellent with their communication around performance, positive and constructive. Our school is diverse in abilities and backgrounds. If you are in the Allied Gardens area and thinking about schools, Foster is a great place for students.

Posted: March 6, 2025

Posted: March 5, 2025

I am a parent of two kids at Foster Elementary and our experience as a family has been extremely positive. Each teacher we have had has been deeply engaged in the education and success of their students and our new principal is a veteran in the SDUSD who is invested in the long-term development of our school.

We have an awesome and active PTA that puts on great events for our kids, invests in extra programs like music and art, and is actively engaged in working alongside teachers and staff to advocate for student and school needs.

Our student population is one of the most diverse in the Henry cluster and is representative of the world outside of our school walls. We are growing and our campus is receiving many key infrastructure upgrades to be better prepared for increased enrollment in the years to come.

Don't take my word (and standardized test scores) for it though. Reach out to our Principal - Mrs. Gina Camacho-McGrath and schedule a personal tour of our campus before deciding which school is best for your child and family.

Go Wildcats !!!

Posted: March 5, 2025

We have attended Foster for the past 7 years after neighbors encouraged us to stay with our local school. Our kids have had great teachers, made supportive friend groups and loved the music/art/garden programs. They both are excelling academically and look forward to going to school each morning. We love that they run into classmates at the local park, baseball, or Foster Freeze. We are thankful for the community we have found at Foster.

Posted: March 5, 2025

Foster is a close-knit community of parents and kids who value their neighborhood and working together to make it great! We first selected the school and then found a home in the neighborhood, and we have been very happy with our choice. The school offers my child the opportunity to learn with children of different cultural heritages, income levels, and abilities. The fact that we are the premiere school for children with severe and moderate disabilities is something to be proud of. The new Principal is very talented and invested in the students. The community of families at Foster is also amazing! There are fun parent-only activities to help us connect. The PTA devotes their time to bringing great programs and events to the school, including gardening/cooking classes, music, art, run club, assemblies, Spring Fling Carnival, Freaky Friday, movie nights, and more. My kid loves going to school and learning, which was our #1 goal.

Posted: March 5, 2025

We have had a fantastic experience at Foster since we started. Our daughter was quickly engaged by her teachers and made friends day 1. The transition into "big kid school" was easy and she looks forward to going to school every day! This campus has been "beautified" with gorgeous murals and they host great events that are free or low cost for families and students! We love Foster Wildcats!!

Posted: March 5, 2025

Posted: March 4, 2025

Foster has so much more to offer than what's reflected online. I've been part of the Foster community with my kids since before COVID, and it's been a great experience for both them and myself. The parent involvement continues to grow, and it's amazing to see more families getting involved. The new principal is truly dedicated to our school not only as a leader, but as part of our community. You can feel her commitment to making Foster the best it can be. If you're considering Foster and have any doubts, I highly recommend reaching out to the school directly they'll be more than happy to share what makes our school so special.

Posted: March 4, 2025

Posted: June 4, 2021

Foster Elementary has many caring teachers. However, it is lacking in parent involvement and extracurricular activities for students compared to nearby elementary schools.

Posted: October 31, 2019

Excellent experience so far, greatly appreciate the amazing PTA, teachers, and principal! Very family oriented and friendly.

Posted: October 31, 2019

Kinder homework focuses on reading, not too much at this level.

Posted: October 31, 2019

Great communication, PTA is great and helps new families to build relationships with teachers and principal.

Posted: October 31, 2019

Students are awarded "caught being good" awards at assembly, students are encouraged to be safe, kind, and respectful.

Posted: October 31, 2019

The teachers incorporate multiple way of learning in each classroom, including allowing the kids to get up and move around, or music, or hands on learning.

Posted: October 31, 2019

No issues so far, kids are encouraged to be kind and are corrected when needed.

Posted: June 23, 2019

Our son is thriving at Foster! This small school has a family vibe, where the Principal & teachers know all the students and work as a team to provide a fun and effective learning environment. We have seen in the last two years that there are more neighborhood families enrolling at Foster which has made a wonderful difference in the student population. We love how inclusive and diverse the children are! Dr. DeSantis leadership is making a positive change at Foster!

Posted: June 4, 2019

Every time I have had a question or needed some advice from the Principal, she has been right there. My children say they see her all of the time in classrooms and out at recess and lunch. She brought the Caught Ya Being good program into Foster this year and the students love it! She also takes time to talk to everyone involved with there is a conflict on the playground or when a student wants to talk with her. She even has snacks in her office when a student either forgets theirs or doesn't have one.

Posted: June 4, 2019

Each of my children have different learning styles and needs. From the office staff to the principal, to the teachers......they all help students be successful. They all take the time to get to know each student.

Posted: June 4, 2019

The teachers at Foster are compassionate and have high expectations of student achievement and performance! This is the first year I have seen a BIG improvement with a laser like focus on student achievement in 4 years!

Posted: June 4, 2019

The amount of discipline issues has gone down tremendously. I feel it is because the principal is very visible and involved.

Posted: June 4, 2019

VERY HAPPY AT FOSTER. My children have play dates with their friends in the neighborhood and they are all Foster "Wildcats"! We are excited to have a couple more years to go at Foster!!!

Posted: June 4, 2019

Homework is just the right amount in both my children's grades. Reading independently is a nightly expectation from the Principal down to all of the teachers!

Posted: April 11, 2019

Foster Elementary is a gem of a school in the Allied Gardens Community. My 3 lovely children are thriving at Foster Elementary, Lewis MS, and PHHS. As parents, we are ultimately responsible in holding our children accountable for their learning. We expect our children to follow through with their homework and projects. No whining nor excuses. It's always a learning process. The STEM Lab has just launched a month ago this year. We appreciate the bold vision and positive direction that our new principal is doing in leading our school forward. We appreciate the teachers and staff for their dedication and commitment in moving Foster Elementary towards the 21st Century in the area of technology. We support our strong PTA Staff who is our powerful voice in the community. We are happy and proud to support Foster Elementary School not only with our words, but our wallets.

Posted: March 19, 2019

The principal literally flies by the seat of her pants, she is not relatable and blames her inability to perform her customary duties on having too many disciplinary problems. My child thrived prior to attending Foster and is now failing in basically every aspect possible. Do not send your child here. The STEAM project is a joke - theres no money to fund it.

Posted: March 19, 2019

Horrible, do not send your child here.

Posted: March 19, 2019

Posted: February 6, 2019

The teachers are great and dedicated. The new principal high handedness makes things worse.

Posted: February 6, 2019

The principal is not a people's person. She is arrogant and disrespectful. Leadership of inclusion is not in her dictionary. She does not give audience to parents in matters relating to their children.

Posted: February 6, 2019

Posted: November 9, 2018

This year I have heard many, many bullying stories from parents and students. It has always been a zero tolerance school but the principal has played it off as, not all children get along. I guess they made room to tolerate it. Another child was body slammed by another child and she did not spend the time to speak with the parent who's child was hurt, instead rushed her out because she had "things to do".

Posted: November 9, 2018

It has always been a great school BUT since we have a new principal this year, it is not good at all. She is too ridged to be a principal. Any principal I have ever know have been very welcoming, caring and AVAILABLE to the parent and students. She is NOT. Find another school, there are four other schools in our area that are great!

Posted: October 10, 2018

Wonderful, friendly, small school that includes a medically fragile classroom.

Posted: October 10, 2018

My children are doing great on state tests and beyond.

Posted: October 10, 2018

This school is an accurate representation of all people in the U.S.

Posted: October 10, 2018

Posted: July 6, 2018

I choice my son to Foster. From the moment I first called and then visited Foster. I fell in love with the amazing office staff, principal, teachers and families. Foster is a loving school community. The PTA is dedicated and driven to bring enrichment and wonderful family activities.

Posted: July 6, 2018

The teachers my son has had so far are amazing. They love what they do and it shows and he loves school.

Posted: July 6, 2018

Foster is very Character driven. Respect, kindness, responsibility. Last year, they had monthly awards ceremonies recognizing students for modeling these character traits with each other.

Posted: July 6, 2018

Our principal, teachers and stafff love Foster. They love what they do and they truly care about their students.

Posted: July 6, 2018

Foster has some students that learn differently. Whether they excel and are Gate qualified, typical learners, or they need extra help in mild-mod, mod-severe, or medically fragile. Foster has the very best teachers that truly know how to effectively help their students succeed. They love their kids.

Posted: July 6, 2018

Zero tolerance to bullying. If there is any evidence of bullying its dealt with immediately.

Posted: July 5, 2018

This school allows teachers to use their judgement when it comes to assigning homework. Some parents seem to enjoy seeing their primary school children spend hours doing homework after school. The teachers here do not assign unnecessary work. This allows me to spend time with my children doing what we enjoy.

Posted: July 5, 2018

This school has an a policy that all students deserve to make a years progress every year. If a student starts off behind his class he will get what he needs to succeed. If a student starts off advanced, he needs will also get what he needs.

Posted: July 5, 2018

Great school! All students are made to feel welcome and successful!

Posted: June 14, 2018

All students are supportive of each other and get along well! The student body is extremely diverse which makes the Foster community so accepting and friendly.

Posted: June 14, 2018

There are multiple messages about treating peers with respect and kindness. Conflict with students will always arise at any school, but this school handles it fairly and helps students learn to interact with each other.

Posted: June 14, 2018

Our daughter just finished kinder and we can't say enough wonderful things about Mrs. Nester and the entire kinder team! The classroom structure with the use of stations and positive discipline allows kids to focus on the fundamentals of learning to read and understand math. The teacher incorporated so many advanced topics also in history and science which expanded my daughter's mind to the world. Above all, the teachers are loving and supportive! The science and PE prep are also an exceptional bonus not available at other schools.

Posted: June 14, 2018

Foster is an amazing school! We truly appreciate all the wonderful components of this school, including the supportive, welcoming staff, the strong teaching and learning, and the science and PE prep which are a fantastic addition to our daughter's overall education. The student body is diverse and kind and the PTSA is very active and hosts several fun family events year round! We love Foster!!!!

Posted: June 13, 2018

New to Foster this year, incoming 3rd & 5th grader. Both kids have excelled in class, and have made wonderful neighborhood friends. Principal, administration & teachers are all very experienced & supportive of all the children. Big focus on community, kindness, & acceptance of everyone. School is wonderfully diverse in so many ways, reflecting the real world. Fabulous PTA who are supportive of the school & work together as a great team.

Posted: June 13, 2018

Posted: April 6, 2018

We love this school. It is community focused and has great teachers.

Posted: April 6, 2018

Posted: September 16, 2016

Safety was big concern. My son attended for only two weeks and I took him out and to a different school. The week my son left a child wondered out confirming my concerns.

Posted: January 30, 2015

I am very happy with the balanced education my first grader is getting. In addition to his regular studies, he gets extra science, art, and P.E. instruction. I was worried he wouldn't be able to make friends because he didn't have many preschool friends, but to my relief, he has made many good friends. I was also worried he would be bored in class but he is enjoying his studies and is continuously challenged.

Posted: November 2, 2014

Foster Elementary has been under-performing for years. Their focus seems to be more on the budget than the children. I've seen nothing compelling, new or innovative to keep the attention and curiosity of the students. Many of the teachers have been there for awhile and their practices are dated and they are set in their ways. In the student handbook candy is discouraged, but if you turn in your free/reduced lunch form on time you get a piece of candy...that's bullying and they can't even see it! My son was upset because I refused to fill out that info. I'm just glad it's his last year there. Good luck if your child is headed there, don't expect him/her to get any smarter.

Posted: June 19, 2014

My school is definetly not awesome.this little girl I hate her.her brother is like really nice but she is not.she told me I was a high pitched singer at the talent show .the teacher didn't care at all.the food is gross.

Posted: August 21, 2013

I like this school. It doesn't look special when you drive by on Zion Ave., but when you turn the corner you see a large grass lawn, trees, fresh paint, and the campus is clean and peaceful. The kindergarden playground is separate and sweet. Don't expect to see many LV bags or designer jeans. The community here is casual and low key. There are many excellent teachers that LOVE their job and make a difference in your child's enthusiasm for learning. There are a couple that just stick to the basics of teaching. The main problem with this school is lack of parental involvement. There lacks a sense of pride here. What Foster needs is parents to care, get involved and kick butt!! Revamp Fosters reputation!

Posted: August 18, 2013

My kid loves this school her teachers is very good, they have science lab weekly for the kindergarten, when my kid jump from bed at 6 am to go to school this means she is happy to attend this school and as a mother I see this is the key which will help her to be successful academically too.

Posted: November 12, 2011

My child went to this school and let me say that this school needs help in many areas .One good thing is the staff and Principal Downey who deserves credit for trying to clean up this school The students are very mean. This school has a good science program as well and music but no P.E.. So before you pick Foster just know that they are working on this school and Mr.Downey is amazing principal who knows everyone by heart.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Del Cerro	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	1.2 mi
2	Canyon View	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	2 mi
3	Spectrum Center Blvd, Kearny Mesa	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	3.8 mi
4	City Heights	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	4.1 mi
5	Riverfront Condominium Rentals	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	4.6 mi
6	Mission Hills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	5.6 mi
7	The Heritage	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	6.5 mi
8	Legacy Walk	Condominium/Townhouse	San Diego	CA	6.7 mi
9	Lakeview Village Apartments	Apartment Complex	Spring Valley	CA	7.7 mi
10	Santee Villas	Apartment Complex	Santee	CA	8 mi
11	Jackson Pointe Townhomes	Condominium/Townhouse	Spring Valley	CA	8.3 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Del Cerro	San Diego	CA	1.2 mi
2	Kensington	San Diego	CA	2.1 mi
3	Serra Mesa	San Diego	CA	2.9 mi
4	East County of San Diego	La Mesa	CA	3.9 mi
5	North Park	San Diego	CA	4.3 mi
6	Mission Hills	San Diego	CA	6.4 mi
7	Santee Trolley Square	Santee	CA	6.8 mi
8	Old Town San Diego	San Diego	CA	6.9 mi
9	Old Town	San Diego	CA	7 mi
10	Gaslamp Quarter	San Diego	CA	7.1 mi
11	El Cajon	El Cajon	CA	7.1 mi
12	Santee	Santee	CA	7.2 mi
13	Broadway Pier	San Diego	CA	7.3 mi
14	Seaport Village	San Diego	CA	7.6 mi

Base	Distance
San Diego Naval Medical Center	5.6 mi.
Miramar MCAS	6.3 mi.
MCRD San Diego	7.5 mi.
San Diego Naval Base	7.9 mi.
Coronado Naval Amphibious Base	9.3 mi.
North Island NAS	9.5 mi.
Naval Base Point Loma	11.7 mi.
Camp Pendleton	42.9 mi.

Foster Elementary School

San Diego, CA 92120

School Ratings

Refine Search

National Ad

Foster Elementary School

San Diego, CA 92120

School Ratings

Refine Search

National Ad

Email Address *

*We take your personal information very seriously and will never give it to a 3rd party. If you don't enjoy the email series, you can always unsubscribe at anytime.*

We take your personal information very seriously and will never give it to a 3rd party. If you don't enjoy the email series, you can always unsubscribe at anytime.