Lena Archuleta Elementary School

The educators at this school are fantastic. I’m pretty sure the front desk administrators mean well, but they don’t always follow through with safety protocol. So, if I HAD to complain about something inside the school it would be that. They seem to be a little TOO trusting when it comes to who is picking up children. Parking is minimal, the after school pick up is ALWAYS chaotic. Arrive early, secure close parking and you’re fine. Drop off is crazy, as well. Mainly because not all the parents follow the rules and think their child is the only one getting dropped off.
Mrs. Ortega (the new principal) is stern and fair. I think the communication with parents and faculty could be A LOT better.

Worst school ever. Hands down. 100% This area is deceivingly ghetto, violent and drug laden and the school staff accepts this as normal childhood development and repeatedly shrugged off multiple scary situations my child was victim to. Everything from getting beat up daily to thievery and even losing my child more than once! My child has been punished the same as his assailant without a phone call home to let me know what’s going on and when I inquire, not a single adult even knew why he was in detention! I have been told that my son might just be «asking for it»!!! (My son is an incredibly good kid and advanced in many areas. He never had trouble at another school.)
That worm of a man, Mr. Di Marco himself, has put my child on the wrong bus after school without informing me. After frantically calling and driving around I walk into the administration office to find Mr. Di Marco in the office actively ignoring my phone calls. This is when he informed me, nonchalantly, that he put my son on such and such bus yet was so unfamiliar with the route that we had to look it up so I could chase it down. It was after 5pm! Also more than once, my son’s bus was detained by the police and the entire neighborhoods children were MIA until 630pm. No way to contact the school or the bus department. There are dozens of other examples I could give. Our year here was a nightmare! This school always has the cops there because they allow terrible things to continue without enforcing any rules or laws so situations spiral out of control. The administration are all miserable and rude except for the councilor who is very professional. Don’t send your child to any school in the area if you can help it.