Marston Middle School in San Diego | Military Town Advisor

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	8/10	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: June 2, 2026

Both of my sons have had a great experience at Marston. You can tell the teachers and the staff, including the principal, care about the students. They have a ton of opportunities to make learning engaging and fun through their class projects and electives. I also appreciate all of the after school programs. They do a good job preparing the students for high school.

Posted: June 2, 2026

Posted: June 23, 2025

My son has attended and it's been a positive experience. Middle school is not perfect, nor easy on kids. I heard of some kids that caused trouble or a fight here and there but nothing that ever came close to my son. I also made sure my son came home after school as most problems are from kids unaccounted for hanging out at local retail establishments. I stayed connected with all of his teachers and was impressed by most of them. You'll get that anywhere. The communication from the school was always good and the extracurricular sports programs are a plus.

Posted: June 23, 2025

Posted: June 17, 2025

We are going into our fourth year as a family of Marston Middle School and our 9th year in the Bay Park community of schools. We continue to be impressed, actually amazed, and how this community is thriving. We have involved parents, committed teachers, and groups of students who lift each other up and celebrate each other. From kindergarten to 8th grade, my son has grown and thrived at Bay Park Elementary and Marston. Marston added athletics in my son's 6th grade year, and he enjoyed all three years, not only staying on the honor roll but also participating in school sports. He grew to like all of his teachers, which is a lot for a middle school boy.

The Principal goes to out-of-school activities and roots for the teams. He is approachable and genuinely cares about the students and families.

We love the new gym, the new soccer field, and all of the enhancements to the school property.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Posted: June 5, 2025

I've had two kids go through Marstan and our experience has been incredible with making honor roll, Deans List and being involved with after school sports. The principal is hands on and you can tell he really cares about the students. I'm really glad we chose Marston and looking forward to another 2 years there with my youngest.

Posted: June 5, 2025

Posted: June 1, 2025

Our daughter has completed 2 years at Marston and our younger daughter will start in the fall. So far our experience has been overwhelmingly positive, with mostly good teachers, good experiences with track and soccer sports teams, and positive interactions with other students. I have heard of some bullying and some bad behavior but it so far has not affected our student. The principle is highly motivated and has been improving the school every year.

Posted: June 1, 2025

I have had 3 kids go through this school. My first two only attended half the time due to COVID and Im grateful for that. There is drugs, fighting, theft and more at Marston. The teachers seem to have a love/hate relationship with teaching and are less than thrilled to see students daily. If your student has an IEP you are in even more trouble. They could care less about accommodating students and their disabilities. If you are on the fence about going to another middle school I hope this review helps you decide. Not a fan..

Posted: June 1, 2025

Absolutely amazing school and staff! My 6th grader was absolutely terrified to enter middle school by the first week she loved it thanks to the staff and great students. They offer so many amazing classes.

Posted: June 1, 2025

Posted: March 11, 2024

We were not sure about sending our child to Marston for 6th grade based on school ratings from GreatSchools, Niche, etc. We are so happy our daughter wanted to go to Marston because it is a wonderful school and has been a fantastic experience for our child. There are many electives to choose from, the theater program is topnotch, and the academics (especially if your child is in the advanced courses) are rigorous and definitely push the students academically. The new principal seems very motivated and driven and I think the school will continue to get better and better.

Posted: March 11, 2024

Posted: October 18, 2023

Principal Golias is great. Friendly, and he walks around campus with his head on a swivel and is fully engaged. But that doesn't seem to trickle down to the teachers. Many teach like they have to be there, not that they want to. Some get openly frustrated with their classes, but yet there are no repercussions for being a disruptive student. So it just gets worse. It's actually quite shocking what kids get away with in class, based on the stories my son has shared.

The grading system even seems to be built just for these disruptive kids. "Just move them along" to HS. A traditionally failing grade is still a C.

As a parent, you'll need to work with your kid(s) on how to navigate the disruptions in order for them to be successful. But what's worse, and why I'm sharing this review now, is that this year there seems to be a rising theft problem. My son has had his backpack "broken into" for lack of a better term, multiple times. Other kids have stolen his work and his water bottle during 3 different classes. We don't let him take his phone to school for fear it will get stolen. This wasn't a problem the previous 2 years.

Posted: October 18, 2023

Posted: September 30, 2022

any kind of gossip goes on instagram, the school doesn't do anything if you get bullied

Posted: June 12, 2022

Great teachers at this school especially if your lucky enough to get Miss Holland.

Posted: June 12, 2022

I love this school. My daughter who goes to Marston loves her school. Its definitely not perfect, but no school is. We have had a great experience at Marston. My daughter has received a good education and there are many opportunities to learn new skills through their many advisory options. Principal Gollias is excellent! He does a great job at showing he cares for his students and for school. I would highly recommend Marston middle school!

Posted: June 12, 2022

Posted: March 3, 2022

This is our first year. Weve been really happy with Marston! The families are all really nice. They offer accelerated math and advanced English, which have both been great. This is the first year my daughter didnt need to supplement at home in those subjects. Theyre doing awesome things in her Engineering elective that remind me of my college intro to engineering course! The advisory classes are a nice way to start the day and offer a huge variety of topics to explore. The staff all seems great too. They have a wonderful principal. Overall, I would recommend Marston.

Posted: March 3, 2022

Posted: April 27, 2021

Our experience at Marston has been very good. My oldest child went to PB Middle and my youngest (2 years difference) decided on Marston. So I have the benefit of experiencing 2 middle schools and I will say that communication and teacher involvement has been considerably better at Marston. My youngest child has some social/emotional challenges and everyone from admin to teachers has been incredibly supportive. The teachers she's had over these 3 years have all cared about her and her success. They have been extremely responsive to me and dealt with a lot of emails without ever making me feel like I was a burden.

Posted: April 27, 2021

Posted: May 24, 2020

There are some great teachers at Marston, no doubt, but they are few. Most teachers assign busy homework for students or have inconsistent grading policies. My student had one teacher - teaching a high school level class-who had him take a test in one grading period but put the score in the next grading period.

Posted: May 24, 2020

Overall this school is ineffective and horrible. The main problem at Marston- to sum it up- is very poor communication from the teachers and admin. The school seems like it has a cruise control button set with no intention to let off. Effective schools dont run well on cruise control.

Posted: May 24, 2020

Marston assigns too much busy work for students.

Posted: November 8, 2019

f there was a no star option, i would've chosen it. the teachers are unsupportive of your mental health and education. the office staff judge you and are very rude for no reason. the students are prone to peer pressure and bullying. delete this if you want, but this is the truth. DONT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE!

Posted: November 8, 2019

their "zero tolerance" policy is never enforced.

Posted: July 3, 2019

Marston is a great school. We have to keep in mine teachers can only do so much, and alot of the behaviors and problems stem from issues at home. Teachers can't do it all, and I think the MAJORITY of teachers and administrators at Marston are doing a wonderful job given the reality of public education in California. Sure there might be a bad apple here or there, but no school is perfect. Marston has been a great school for my daughter and her friends so far!

Posted: July 3, 2019

I'm neutral on this because our experience varied by class. My daughter was in sixth grade last year and she had a ridiculous amount of math homework. Much of her science homework was just busywork, while other homework (projects, brochures, etc.) was great. The writing homework in English class made her a MUCH better writer so I felt like that was WELL worth it. The reading homework was acceptable - I think it's so important that kids read books they are personally interested in! The projects in Social Studies were fun and my daughter learned alot!

Posted: July 3, 2019

My daughter's math teacher was not effective last year, but her English/Social studies teacher as well as her science teacher were great. Additionally, she LOVED her engineering elective!

Posted: July 3, 2019

The principal is phenomenal. He is involved, never sitting in his office, always with kids, in the classroom, meeting with parents, etc. He loves the school and treats his staff with respect.

Posted: July 3, 2019

Marston has some VERY strong special education teachers on their staff, as well as a wonderful Speech teacher and Occupational Therapist.

Posted: July 3, 2019

I have mixed feelings on this, as my daughter has two friends who were sexually harassed and one was assaulted (a boy was slapping/grabbing her behind)... The solution was to move the victims, rather than the offenders. But then there are instances my daughter was personally involved in that were handled delicately and in my opinion very well. I think it depends on who handles the issue.

Posted: April 13, 2019

Awful. Im trying to leave the disctrict just so we can get out of this HORRIBLE school. Awful teachers, awful leadership.

Posted: April 13, 2019

Math in particular is an issue across all schools in the district right now. They give math homework even though parents often cant help because we werent taught the Common Core way and searching online for help you get conflicting results.

Posted: April 13, 2019

THE WORST. Ive reached out for help several times and have been given little to no help. Their tutoring is nothing more than a study hall. They dont actually help the students, if the teachers even bother to show up at all.

Posted: April 13, 2019

Mr Gollias has the best interest of his teachers and not the students.

Posted: April 13, 2019

My son isnt a typical learner. I continually try working with the teachers but they just dont want to deal with him. Theyre quick to just ignore him. They lack any patience. They refuse to work with parents.

Posted: April 13, 2019

Posted: February 20, 2018

Absolutely love Marston Middle! This is my daughters second year and we couldnt be happier, the classes are challenging, the principal is extremely involved and counseling is amazing!

Posted: February 20, 2018

Posted: November 18, 2015

I absolutely love Marston Middle School. This is our first year to attend here. I was not sure that is was the school for us, but it is! My child is learning so much and the teachers are excellent. Dr, Cook does and awesome job at the helm. I look forward to the rest of this year and the next two years at Marston Middle School.

Posted: December 14, 2014

I really am glad our son is at Marston. The advisory period allows for exploration for all students. The teachers are very dedicated in their courses and make the effort to be available for students at lunch or before/after school (scheduled times). There is a workshop, computer lab, and a great music program for Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra. There are clubs for Robotics, Art, CA Jr Scholarship, Spanish, AVID, and others. Students are encouraged to start their own clubs as well. They offer advanced Math courses and well defined Earth, Life, and Physical Science courses. The Student Government works hard to engage with their fellow students to make school fun and to raise school spirit.

Posted: June 22, 2014

I have had two children attending Marston, and so far we have been pleased. Dr. Cook is highly accessible and the teachers have been very responsive to my children. My children are doing great academically and are enjoying Middle School. What more could a parent ask for?

Posted: April 17, 2014

I had the privilege of working in the office of Marston Middle School for a little over one year. I was so impressed with the learning opportunities and student supports offered there. Teachers go above and beyond by providing before and after school tutoring. Marston is a campus that emphasizes college as a given, working with students toward that goal. I think the thing I was most impressed with was that Marston also offers a unique Advisory Program to provide intervention and exploration to students within the school day. These advisory programs change every three weeks and provide a rich and unique learning experience for the students. It gives struggling students a chance to get extra support, students who did not turn in class or homework assignments get a chance to catch up and students have an opportunity to experience a variety of fun and creative learning opportunities from cooking to hockey to pet care to Readers Theater, just to name a few. There is something exciting waiting for each child. And isn t that what school is all about, not only educating our students but instilling the excitement to learn.

Posted: January 15, 2014

I have been very impressed with the level of rigor and academic opportunities my children have had access to at this school. The 3 week rotation of exploration classes allow the students to try new activities they might not think to try in another setting. We are excited to be part of this community that is so dedicated to its schools!

Posted: January 12, 2014

I have a sixth grader at Marston and I've been very pleased with the school so far. My student is in GATE/Seminar and advanced classes and has been challenged academically. She has also had the opportunity to try new skills with her elective and with the advisory experiences that change every 3 weeks. I feel there is excellent communication opportunities with her teachers and decent communication between the school administration and parents

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1	Riverfront Condominium Rentals	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	3.7 mi
2	Spectrum Center Blvd, Kearny Mesa	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	3.9 mi
3	Mission Hills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	4.5 mi
4	Ocean Beach	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	5.3 mi
5	Canyon View	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	5.3 mi
6	The Heritage	Apartment Complex	San Diego	CA	6.5 mi
7	City Heights	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	7.4 mi
8	Del Cerro	Neighborhood/Subdivision	San Diego	CA	7.8 mi
9	Apartment	Apartment Complex	Coronado	CA	8 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	University City	San Diego	CA	3.5 mi
2	Old Town	San Diego	CA	3.7 mi
3	Old Town San Diego	San Diego	CA	3.9 mi
4	Serra Mesa	San Diego	CA	3.9 mi
5	Mission Hills	San Diego	CA	4.2 mi
6	Loma Portal	San Diego	CA	4.6 mi
7	La Jolla	La Jolla	CA	5 mi
8	Kensington	San Diego	CA	6.2 mi
9	North Park	San Diego	CA	6.2 mi
10	Broadway Pier	San Diego	CA	6.6 mi
11	Gaslamp Quarter	San Diego	CA	7 mi
12	Seaport Village	San Diego	CA	7.1 mi
13	Point Loma	San Diego	CA	7.6 mi
14	Del Cerro	San Diego	CA	8 mi
15	Coronado	Coronado	CA	8.5 mi
16	Mira Mesa	San Diego	CA	8.8 mi

Base	Distance
MCRD San Diego	4.8 mi.
Miramar MCAS	6 mi.
San Diego Naval Medical Center	6.4 mi.
North Island NAS	7.6 mi.
Naval Base Point Loma	8.9 mi.
Coronado Naval Amphibious Base	9.5 mi.
San Diego Naval Base	9.8 mi.
Camp Pendleton	39.5 mi.

Marston Middle School

San Diego, CA 92117

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Marston Middle School

San Diego, CA 92117

School Ratings

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