San Diego Scpa School

Posted: December 13, 2025

my son keep getting hated by his pe teacher he kreps getting c’s just because he “didn’t” do a lap in time which is very stupid this school sucks

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: December 13, 2025

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: November 20, 2023

The environment of the school is actually so suffocating, all the students talk trash behind everyone’s back; especially online. The school doesn’t do anything half of the time (ignored sexual assault allegations, bullying, teachers who don’t do their job, teachers who say slurs in class) because they’re too worried about their reputation.

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: November 20, 2023

Posted: September 12, 2023

Don’t be fooled by anyone who says the students here are accepting. Gossip and rumors are very prevalent, even if they’re not obvious on the surface. Social media has fostered a certain culture here that values image and preconceived versions of you more than your actual, tangible self, with all the nuance and flaws you embody. Anything you post on Instagram has more weight than words spoken in the real world. Screenshots there will spread like they’re contagious. Pictures will resurface on stories and private dms long after you delete them. It’s awful. We are basking in a cesspool of our own insecurities. I only hope that one day we, as a collective, will become fed up of unrelenting judgment we subject ourselves and others to. I sure am.

Posted: October 23, 2022

If you care about your child’s education you may want to stay away from this school. The learning material is not challenging enough for the grade levels and there is so much bullying going around. Find a better school for your student.

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: October 23, 2022

Posted: August 10, 2022

The SCPA that I know is wonderful. My child has attended for two high school years now. The current principal is excellent and caring. My child never had a teacher she didn’t like. Her academic counselor is on top of things and always replies within 24 hours, typically much sooner. Through the school’s dual curriculum, my child is getting a solid arts education and academic education. The only thing that seems to be missing at SCPA is engineering, so my child pursues that interest outside of school. The school environment has been positive in our experience. If you’re unsure about anything, go for a visit. You’ll know once you step foot on campus. Good luck.

Posted: August 10, 2022

Posted: August 10, 2022

Posted: August 10, 2022

Posted: August 10, 2022

Posted: August 10, 2022

Posted: August 10, 2022

Posted: February 28, 2022

There appears to be quite a bit of unchecked bullying going on there. Vice Principal finds it too complicated or difficult to speak up to these artistic self entitled teenagers. The kids are using Instagram to isolate other kids and there is no punishment for the bullying. This is illegal in most states and should be dealt with accordingly. This behavior will ruin a child’s self worth. One never knows if your kid gets pegged.

Posted: February 28, 2022

Posted: February 28, 2022

Posted: February 28, 2022

Posted: February 28, 2022

Posted: May 11, 2021

This is a follow up to a previous review. Our daughter graduated in June 2020; certainly a challenging year due to COVID. However this incident is inexcusable regardless.
She was a student there all four years, took her senior photos and paid for her yearbook. We were DEVISTATED to find out that she had been completely omitted from her senior yearbook. No photos, no senior memories, not even a listing in the index...as if she never even attended. There was at least one other student (that we know of) who was also completely omitted. Obviously there was a lack of oversight from staff, but the inept yearbook management from the students/classmates whom she knew was especially hurtful.

Posted: May 11, 2021

Posted: May 11, 2021

Posted: January 2, 2020

This was my child's first year getting homework and she had no issues with it at SCPA.

Posted: January 2, 2020

We had some serious problems with teachers at the school. One quit three months into the school year and another went out on a month worker's comp claim and left an ineffective sub.

Posted: January 2, 2020

In general the students at the school seem to have a positive attitude.

Posted: January 2, 2020

The leadership of the school is dealing with serious funding shortfalls but the school is suffering from it so I can't say that they are effective.

Posted: January 2, 2020

Posted: January 2, 2020

Posted: January 2, 2020

The student teacher ratio at SDSCPA is not 24:1. In my daughter's classes the ratio was as high as 36:1, the state maximum. They are having a horribly hard time finding and retaining effective teachers due to the very low pay and huge student teacher ratios. This relates to the middle school, not the high school - I can't speak to that.

Posted: November 6, 2019

Posted: November 6, 2019

Posted: November 6, 2019

Posted: November 6, 2019

Posted: November 6, 2019

Posted: November 6, 2019

Posted: November 6, 2019

SCPA has a long way to go. My daughter is a 6th grader this year and I am disappointed in the disorganization. They constantly schedule and cancel events. We didn't experience this at my daughters elementary school. Also, they were supposed to get lanyards at the beginning of the year for safety and they haven't received them. I like the diversity at the school, but we are considering leaving to go back to a traditional school.

Posted: April 21, 2019

Posted: April 21, 2019

Posted: April 21, 2019

Posted: April 21, 2019

Posted: April 21, 2019

Posted: April 21, 2019

Posted: April 21, 2019

Excellent public school if your child is artistically inclined!

Posted: March 7, 2016

Posted: March 7, 2016

Hi!
My son and daughter attend SCPA and is a great school. Mr. Trujillo is very good at motivating our kids to be excellent in their talents. I believe that this school offers a very good Art programs to our talented kids. Never the less I do have major concerns as a mom is the dress code, it saddens me when I pick up my kids afterschool and I see all this girls almost naked. The dress code is not being enforce. The other major concern is how my son feels about the bad sexual behavior during lunch time the are kid’s twerking! The worst thing is that the Vice principals see them and do not stop them. What ever happened to discipline and respect? I understand laws have change and people have freedom of expression, but our kids our children shouldn’t be allowed to touch or expose themselves. I hope Mr. Trujillo reinforces these matters in our school SCPA. I am also submitting a writing report to the San Diego County board of education with videos and pictures of this bad behaviors. Our children come to school to learn not to disrespect their bodies.


Very concerned parent

Posted: March 7, 2016

The Math teachers are giving very hard Test to our children. Some of our kids are very frustrated because the chapter subjects are not matching the Test.

Posted: March 7, 2016

Posted: September 10, 2015

I've been concerned about the math & science scores at SCPA, not the best compared to other middle and high schools in the National City and Paradise Hills area. Also, this school offers no sports whatsoever. The majority of the school population consists of female students, look at demographics. It's predominantly female. They need more male students. When you call it's very difficult to get someone on the phone, you have the automated switchboard that bounces you around from line to line. I wouldn't call often but when I did I would always get so frustrated and getting voicemails. It's hard to get a live person in the office. Also, who's idea was it to start classes at 7:15am?! Good grief, so early! We used to have to wake up at 5:30am to walk out the door at 6:30am and be on the road to be on campus by 7am. Considering that Zamorano Elementary is a feeder school of SCPA and starts at 7:35am, you'd think the district would consider starting classes at SCPA at 8am or so for the parents who still have other kids enrolled at Zamorano and the many students who commute from other areas of the county have ample time to be there on time, not having to wake up at the crack of dawn. After 6 yrs it wears on you (grades 6-12). The district really needs to change the start time at SCPA, that would be my biggest complaint. If they did that, I really believe the scores would be higher in the match & science dept.

Posted: January 23, 2015

My daughter went to SCPA from 6th-12th grade and participated in the art program. What I LOOOOVVEEE about this school is the fact that there is a focus - not your typical middle/high school. You can choose art, music, dance, drama, and more. This is the place if your child takes their craft seriously and really wants to pursue that area in the future. I think that having a focus can have a very positive effect on your child's attitude about school, but it isn't necessarily for everyone. The school is also good at tolerance and acceptance of differences. The new principal is a former teacher at the same school and is an outstanding person and supportive of students and staff. Where there could be improvement? We had a run of bad luck with math classes. This may be because my daughter was not originally placed in the appropriate class in 6th grade and then ended up following a track of lower classes (she initially was advanced in math). There were a few other staffing issues, but, overall, the availability of intense focus in the arts is worth some of the negative. Ms. Partridge and Ms. Miles are the best! (art department).

Posted: October 19, 2014

My son goes to the high school. He auditioned to get in. I am seriously considering taking him out. First off, it's way overcrowded. On parent teacher day I was horrified to see in my son's art class there were so many students that there were not enough seats for all of them. About a dozen kids literally had to stand in the back. Second, I've called on a few occasions and left message, once to my son'e counselor and another to front staff, and not ONCE have I received a call back from staff. My son has ADHD but tested into gate, but I see he is falling through the cracks more. Unless your child can fend for himself without a seat or attentive staff, then they too will fall through the cracks.

Posted: June 7, 2014

If I could rate this school I'll do it with zero, my daughter had the most horrible time there, she was victim of bullying there. If your are thinking to send your children there think twice, they have wonderful artistic teachers but have the worst criteria to act to protect the students. I am not the first parent to have to remove my child from SCPA as a result of inaction about bullying. SCPA throwing away a talented, har working student and protect people that does not deserve this privilege . I will never recommend SCPA. I could not do it in good conscience.

Posted: June 6, 2014

I can now say retrospectively that SCPA is a very good school. As a parent, having seen firsthand, my children experience other SD city schools and now appreciating what SCPA has to offer.

Posted: May 5, 2014

My school is Awsome i will never switch schools LOve the school so so much AWSOME!!!!!!

Posted: May 4, 2014

This school is terrible. My son went there. Most of the children are mean and cruel, in the middle school. The high school might be good, but the middle school is terrible. The teachers act like they do not have enough time for there students, they just make them do busy work all day, without even paying attention, students are on they're phones. They do not deal with issues well. They waited over 3 months to deal with a threat issue with my son. They need to hire new vice principals. Honestly TERRIBLE. They are not well trained. They did not even solve the problem with my son. Terrible school. I wish I could rate it ZERO STARS.

Posted: October 10, 2013

My is school is Scpa. Scpa is the best public art school in San Diego. It's my choice. Any person how like arts should go there.

Posted: October 8, 2013

My son is having the time of his life in this school, the aArt programs are soo interesting. I am also happy with how good they are with their school report card.

Posted: July 26, 2013

I went here for 6th and 7th grade and i did not like it . the teachers are rude and they don't care about the students. they are always sitting on there laptops complaing how we don't listen. they don't interact with the children what so every. they expect us to get what they teach . then when they give us the test the stuff on there is not what we learned. I would not recommend this school to anybody because they don't give the students the help they needed. And the teachers give referrals for walking to class

Posted: May 9, 2013

This school is so awesome. I'm glad that I am attending this school. There are the kindest people at this school.

Posted: April 9, 2012

My daughter has attended SCPA since 6th grade. While she enjoyed it, I think they could have done a bit more for the Jr. High kids with getting them ready for 8th grade auditions. I asked about this from the day she set foot on the campus. Now in 8th grade, and having not passed the audition to the High School part, I fee this school did little to help me prepare my child for the high school auditions. Not to mention in the middle of the first 6 weeks of school they "cold" transferred her 3 times in one week without warning due to "budget cuts." However after research API score and such for high school, I finally got my daughter to be comfortable with not attending SCPA High School next year. I am sending her to more traditional High school setting and I told her she will thank me later! In regards to the previous poster's concerned about the misbehaving students. Yes I agree, however it's not necessarily the school's fault but is moreso the parents of those student's fault!!

Posted: April 7, 2012

My son attended 6th grade and had significant problems with the children and the staff. There were only two 6th grade teachers that were well organized and able to handle the several kids they taught. I sat in several classes and was extremely disappointed. There was a large amount of behavioral problems with the children in Jr High. Every time I came to office there were always several kids in trouble from the Jr High. Vice principal in charge of Jr High discipline communicated well but I felt made some poor discipline decisions.We applied to this school specifically for the music program. Music program for 6th grade was not what I had expected from a performing arts school.. It was very disorganized partly because of several uninterested children in the music program. We spent a large amount of time speaking with the superintendent regarding school problems. I would not recommend sending your kids to this school if they are attending Jr. High. High school may be better but I am unsure since none of our children attended the high school.