| Date | Who | Comments |
| 7/30/2012 | parent | Our children have attended Rancho for several years, and we're very happy with the school. The student population is diverse, parents are actively involved, and the teachers and administrators are highly qualified and responsive. Rancho provides programs that other schools sadly lack, including Spanish for all grades and a violin-based music program beginning in 1st grade. The accelerated curriculum provides a welcome challenge for students, and the success and politeness exhibited by older Rancho students form an undeniable indicator that a Rancho education truly works. |
| 6/22/2012 | parent | Rancho is an excellent school that provides an accelerated curriculm to students, as well as having an emphasis on developing their charactor that will assist in them in the future. Many private and public schools fail to teach students to problem solve and how to be critical thinkers. Rancho's teaching methods incorporate problem solving and critically thinking into their teaching methodology. The school also provides Science, Music, Art, Foreign Language and Physical Education programs.The school provides a family environment. Highly recommend the school to a parent that wants to make an investment in their child's future. |
| 3/22/2012 | parent | We are so happy with our decision to send our daughter to this school. The teachers are highly educated, our pre k teacher has a double masters. The one on one attention is really key at this school. Yes, tuition is high even for a private school but this is a reflection on both the academics, school activities, etc. This is the top school for the east valley. |
| 2/9/2012 | parent | Great school! I would recommend this schol to anyone. I have two children attending and they love going and learning every day. |
| 2/9/2012 | parent | Highly educated teachers with masters degrees in education. A warm loving family environment where we feel safe dropping off our children where they can excel to the best of thier abilities. There is a long waiting list to get in but I can see why parents would want the best education for thier children if they can afford it. They are teaching a grade above the public and even some private schools. Highly recommend this school as it is the top private school in the east valley. |
| 12/2/2011 | parent | I want to take my previous 5 star posting back. I'm not sure what is happening to Rancho, but this year the school seems to be lowering the academic standards (there are Charter Schools teaching the exact same material and more), the 'Rancho Five' is not being upheld or at least being applied consistantly, they had a huge turnover in staff and are not allowing for individual child growth. For the price parents are paying to attend this school, it is disappointing they offer no better education than that of a FREE charter school. We will be joining the rest of the parents that have looked elsewhere to find a top notch education that actually teaches values and helps children to learn there ARE actual consequences to bad/inappropriate behavior. |
| 11/12/2011 | parent | Great for Pre-K - disappointing for the other grades. This school is great for average to slightly above average kids, but if your children already know the material for that grade level expect them to be bored as they do not allow children to grow past what the lessons for that year is. We were really disappointed in how the teachers dealt with the children. A teacher would let 1 child now honey don't do that again when that child called a student a name, hit another child or destroyed another childs personal property, but another child would call the other child a name back and be sent directly to the prinicipals office.... not the kind of ethicak values we wanted instilled inour children. It seems like there is a movement among the parents of pulling their kids out at the middle of the school year and looking else where. This is something we are looking at as well for our children, as we've heard of another parent pulling their child out of the school as well. |
| 10/2/2011 | parent | Look elsewhere - This school administration continues to ignore unacceptable behavior and academics to benefit additional tuition and attendance. Even children of staff personnel (non-paying) do not exhibit the behavior and academics that meet the Rancho 5 Principles or mission statement of the school. For many years, we have witnessed, preferential treatment where administrative talks to students with subpar academic performance or unacceptable behavior. These talks are disciplined and don t become punitive. Many good, high performing academic children have left Rancho Gilbert due to disappointment of the school administration. The school CPT4 results are extremely low compared to other children in the same grade (public). This is a reflection the kids may be learning some material a grade ahead, but they are not retaining the material and is not meeting the standardized tests which is required for later years (SAT). |
| 8/30/2010 | parent | My son has just started the PK3 program at Rancho Solano and we couldn't be happier. The staff has been nothing but amazing, so far every teacher and staff member we come into contact with all know my son by first name. Every morning I drop him off he is soooo excited to go to school and when I pick him up he is very happy and that says a lot for a 3 year old! Yes, the price is expensive but it is a private school, you're paying for the small classroom sizes and personal attention your child gets due to that. The school is very big on teaching children to be polite and have respect for each other and thats very important in our household. We are very glad we picked this school over the others. |
| 8/18/2010 | parent | This is our daughter's 2nd yr @RSPS Gilbert. She had such an AMAZING year as a Mini-Mustang. She came home happy every day with stories to tell. By the end of the school year, we could really see a BIG change in the way she communicated & expressed herself. 10 days after school was out, she was asking to go back. School has been in session for 2 weeks now and she still has the same attitude, loves getting up in the morning and looks forward to going to school. We have been very fortunate to be blessed with such wonderful teachers & she LOVES them. We have never had any problems with the administration so far & truly enjoy getting weekly emails from the Principle, VP & teachers keeping us informed. I have noticed negative comments from parents who have PROBLEM children. Looking forward to many more years there! |
| 8/1/2010 | parent | Only a few of the teachers are certified to teach. Several have no academic training let alone a degree in education. This is particularly true in the Pre-K grades. If you choose to send your children to Rancho research each teacher they even falcify Bio's. For what we had to pay in tuition Rancho should at least provide basic necessities. They regularly ask for donations of everything. |
| 1/7/2010 | parent | We have had two children in Rancho Gilbert for three years. The academics and campus are great. The teachers have been excellent and we really liked the former prinicipal. This is a great school for children who are perfect. Unfortunately, no one in administration or faculty has the knowledge, experience or desire to deal with any special needs. We are strongly considering not returning next year. |
| 11/1/2009 | student | Awesome school!!! I graduated last year from 8th grade at the Gilbert Campus and decided to go to Xavier College Preparatory and I feel like Rancho has definitely prepared for my high school, college, university, and life! |
| 7/31/2009 | parent | I had my children here for 5 years and have seen this campus slowly get worse. They have many unqualified teachers and administraion. I belive they used to have great academics but slowly have been 'dumming' it down. I was going back and forth on returning next year but after I found out of all the changes again with the administration and loosing some great teachers and staff. I have chossen to take my kids to another wonderful school. I would highly reccomend that if you have the time to look at this school more carefuly and you will see that many things are very wrong. |
| 5/31/2009 | parent | This was my daughter s first year and I cannot say enough good things about her experience at this school. Her pre-k4 teacher was amazing and my daughter learned so much! Her teacher is a warm and caring person who not only taught her reading and math but a love for science, art, etc. and she did many interesting and fun projects throughout the year. She is also skilled at teaching handwriting and really helped my daughter with this. She truly cares about her students and my daughter loved going to school every day. The only negative I think is that the school is expensive but my husband and I believe is was worth the money for a fantastic pre-school experience. My daughter is well prepared for kindergarten and also important to us is that she wants to learn more and loves school! |
| 5/16/2009 | parent | My dissapointment is second only to my shock at the cost of this establishment! |
| 3/23/2009 | parent | My two children have attended Rancho Solano for two years now. My husband and I have been nothing but thrilled with their progress and success. We have had excellent teachers. My son's teacher is now one of the administrators and she is wonderful! We chose Rancho Solano because we had heard great things about the school and we knew right away this is where we wanted our children to graduate from. Our third child turns three next year and we are looking forward to her beginning her journey at Rancho Solano as well! |
| 2/21/2009 | parent | I believe that Rancho Solano has solid academics. If you wish for your child to be learning at a grade level above, this school meets that criteria. However, if you are looking for a school that meets more than just an academic criteria, look more carefully at all aspects of this school. In particular, the administrative staff and faculty are subpar in my opinion. Thus if you are looking for an elitest school that endorses the belief that only some children can and should be advanced than this is the school for you. Otherwise I strongly recommend looking elsewhere for a better rounded school. |
| 6/27/2008 | parent | My two children will be attending this school for their 2nd year. They love the school and it is very sound academically. We loved their 1st and 4th grade teachers, Mrs. Childers and Mrs. Crichton. They are excellent teachers. My children will be attending in the Fall. They also offer afterschool programs that the students can benefit from. |
| 6/24/2008 | parent | Our kids attended this school for years. We have finally decided to leave after much debate. We felt the school lacked a lot in many areas. |
| 6/23/2008 | parent | After trying 3 public schools (in Gilbert and Chandler) in 3 years, we decided to try Rancho Solano. My two children are doing very well academically and feel happy there. My son's reading ability has increased tremendously after one year at the school and he is now an avid reader. The school needs a school nurse, but overall, my kids and I are happy with this school. |
| 5/21/2008 | parent | My daughter has attended Rancho Gilbert for 3 years and we are very pleased and happy with her academic progress and personal growth. The new middle school building is wonderful and we are greatful Rancho will be having their own high school. The teachers and staff only want the best for the students and it shows. Overall, Rancho Solano strives for academic excellence and it is obvious with my daughter's test scores and his love for learning. |
| 4/28/2008 | parent | We moved our child from a Montessori school to this school and are not happy at all. Academically they are only adequate and far below our expectations. Our child receives one to two hours of homework a night but the Math material is still behind what our child learned last year. At the Montessori school all work was performed during the school day. Unfortunately the Montessori philosophy is only for three to six year olds. Additionally, none of the after school activities one associates with a school are included in the extended day fee. Sports, chess, and art activities cost extra. We will not be sending our child to this school next year. |
| 3/9/2008 | parent | My children have been at the Gilbert Campus for three years and have no plans of moving them. The campus has certainly had some growing pains during this time, but it finally headed in a good direction. The principal really cares about the children and staff, and is always willing to take the time to talk to parents. He also seems very supportive of the teachers, which are absolutely amazing. It's unfortunate that some disgruntled parents feel the need to paint a distorted picture here. If it were truly that bad, the campus would have families leaving left and right. Yes, the tuition does increase from year to year - but you need to expect that. Rancho needs to give their teachers a raise each year in order to keep them, right? If you are committed to the best possible school for your kids, then RSPS is it! |
| 3/6/2008 | parent | My two children are going to finish their 2nd years at RSPS Gilbert this year. We will be back next year. I am proud of both kids and their progress. Do I think some things could be better? Yes I do. I do not think there is a better option though. I have almost all positive to say about Rancho. My biggest complaint about the school would be directed towards a few parents. Most of the parents are great and share a common interest in their children excelling accademically. We have established relationships with many like minded people. But there seem to be a lot of crying from a couple of parents as reflected in some of the comments here. They can be disruptive in many ways and I think they enjoy it. As I said before we will be returning next year and plan to continue through 8th grade. |
| 3/5/2008 | parent | We have two children that have attended this Rancho Campus for the past two years. We absolutely love Rancho and the teachers Our children are excelling in every way. We have tried both public and Montessori schools and Rancho is the best by far. Our only complaint is the lunch program, the vendor they use does not offer enough kid friendly food. |
| 3/3/2008 | parent | This is my daughter's third year at this campus. She has truly grown academically and personally with her outstanding 3rd grade teacher. Her dedication, passion and commitment to her students is wonderful. She is promptly responsive to your questions and concerns. This teacher keeps the parents informed by distributings frequent communication to the parents via email as well as weekly information on classroom activities. This 3rd grade teacher reinforces the school's mission for the students to be respectful, responsible, polite and successful. After school, my daughter is able to continue her personal growth to be a well rounded child in religion, music and sports. Well worth the money, for small class size and to keep your child at the same grade level with same age children, but a grade ahead academically. |
| 2/28/2008 | parent | My son attends this campus. I actually like the administration more at Gilbert than Greenway where I originally was going to go. I found them friendlier and more professionally qualified. However, you get a lot more for your money at their other campuses than you do at the Gilbert campus. I feel they are grossly overpriced for what you get and more than likely the tuition is consistently raised to pay for some of the over the top decor. I agree that it is also disturbing that teachers are not held more accountable however, we have loved the teachers my son has had. I also feel that although things are beautiful, it is not very clean. We will not be returning next year. |
| 1/31/2008 | parent | For the high tuition, it was not I expected for academy and administration. Some other schools use the same program, but they are free. |
| 1/25/2008 | parent | We are very unhappy with this scool because of unfriendly administrative staff and fact that they keep increasing tuition. We think that compare to what we are paying, the school curriculum is not meeting our expectations. They have external vendors for after-school activities who are are not very organized and prices are really high. School is providing lunches from outside vendor which is also another disappointment. |
| 1/24/2008 | parent | I an very disappointed with the quality of the staff and administration at this school. They do not communicate well with the parents nor do they listen to concerns. They make decisions based on what is best for the school rather than what is best for their students. It has been a huge disappointment considering the amount of money that we pay for tuition. |
| 11/15/2007 | parent | We have been very pleased with our son's academic progress and personal growth at Rancho Solano in Gilbert. He started in the 3 year old preschool program and is now in Kindergarten. Although the administration has had its ups and downs, it's so nice to be able to drop your child off for the day and feel comfortable that he is going to be well taken care of. Overall, Rancho Solano strives for academic excellence and it is obvious with my son's test scores and his love for learning. We don't feel that any other school in our area measures up with Rancho; not only in academics, but in all the after school activities, parent involvement, and sports programs. |
| 11/3/2007 | parent | We have made the decision to leave Rancho Solano in Gilbert after 3 years. Both of my kids started in the 3 year old preschool classrooms, and my son is now in Kindergarten, and my daughter in PK-4. Unfortunately we were happy up until this year. There have been so many things that have gone wrong in both of classrooms and I just can't take it any longer. I don't even know where to begin when it comes to listing my complaints...but I do not recommend this school. Please do your research before you decide on this school b/c it is not at all what it seems. Especially considering the cost of tuition...that has continuously gone up each year that we have attended! Check out CTA first b/c there have been numerous Rancho families that have moved to this school. They have the same exact academic curriculum...and it's free. |
| 10/25/2007 | parent | We have been with Rancho Gilbert for 2 years now and I am not impressed with the administration. They are not very organized. The drop off and pick up process improvements have been promised since the beginning of the school year (August) and it is the end of October and they are still not in place. They keep making promises but don't deliver. For the amount of money we pay it should be better than this. Very disappointing. |
| 9/10/2007 | parent | My husband and I are very pleased with my daughters academic progress. She attended Kindergarten last year and is in 1st grade this year. She has had 2 very loving teachers that have made her school experience nothing but positive! We hope to keep her at Rancho through 8th grade and to find a high school that is just as great! |
| 6/3/2007 | parent | I am extremely disappointed with everything about this private school. There is no standards-based curriculum (which means the teachers are free to do whatever they want). Please save your money if you are considering this school for your child and look around for a real academic institution. |
| 8/3/2006 | parent | I am extremely impressed with the academic program at Rancho; at first I was concerned that the program would be too stringent for my three year old, but my child has excelled on many levels and has a genuine love for learning. The teachers at the Gilbert Campus are experienced and have a passion for education and the children that they serve. There is also plenty of opportunity for parent involvement. However, I find certain members of the administrative staff at the Gilbert campus to be well below my expectations (disengaged, disorganized, aloof, not a constant presence on the campus, and does not execute with a sense of urgency). |
| 7/6/2006 | teacher | This campus is far below my expectations for a Rancho Solano School. The administration is subpar compared to other campuses. I give more credit to the students and not the staff for any of their successes. When you pay the money they require I don't want to have to manage my childs progress as well as the administration and the staff. |
| 7/5/2006 | parent | Rancho is an academic school and is generally one year ahead in their curriculum. Our pre-K (4's class) exited with |
| 5/10/2006 | parent | This school is having some growing pains, teacher quality is less than expected, classroom sizes are larger than expected. Some children really struggle if not coming from a higher academic school |
| 5/9/2006 | parent | My daughter is in the PK-4, this year she has mastered writing, reading, even spelling of 4-5 letter words! I am so very impressed. Only problem with school is tution. Our family makes a good income but I can't imagine how we are going to pay for 2 children at this school eventually. |
| 4/18/2006 | parent | Very academic driven, may be viewed as too strict and ridgid for children to be individualized. Very structured to the class and not to the individual. |
| 4/11/2006 | parent | This is a highly academic focused school which does provide after school activities as well as after school care. It is a good school for children who can sit and concentrate for long periods of time on schoolwork. It is not recommended for those children who have a hard time sitting still and focusing on the curriculum. |
| 3/16/2006 | parent | We have had a great experience with this school. We have on in K and one in the 3year old preschool. Our 3 year old writes, reads easy books, speaks beginning spanish, and absolutely loves school. Our K is a fluent reader, add/subtracts 3-digit numbers, knows Spanish, is learning verbs, adjectives, nouns, etc. They both beg to go to school. Not only are the acedemics great, but the school is like a large family. It's not for every family, it does take a lot of parent support and is for a well mannered child. |
| 1/23/2006 | parent | There program has taught our daughter so much. She is currently in the Pre K program. She continues to improve daily. |
| 1/5/2006 | parent | This school is wonderful. I find that the teachers strive to challenge the students. |
| 7/19/2005 | parent | Great school! We tried a Catholic Montesouri school and our son hated school. Now I can't get him to stop talking about it. Our daughter starts the PK program this year and is very excited. Great structure in classrooms. All of the kids seem to be learning a great deal and loving it. Lots of extracurricular activities. Very caring school with lots of parental input. What else can I say? We wouldn't go anywhere else. |
| 7/5/2005 | parent | This is an amazing school! They really know how to challenge the kids while still allowing them to have fun. Fabulous teachers, parents who care and small class sizes. They expectations for the children are very high in both behavior and academics. I feel extremely comfortable with the level of security on campus and my kids love to be there! I give Rancho Solano an A+ |
