Balboa School, Escondido | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

While preparing to teach American Literature at Huashan High School in Korla, China this Fall, I have a had the unique opportunity to do my prep work at Balboa City School, a college preparatory K-12 school on the western border of Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
Each day I have observed students engaged in small classes, working with their peers and teachers who do not just disseminate information or “teach to the test”, but are emphasizing the importance of questions such as “….how, why and what if…”. This type of teaching encourages students to expand their minds and critically and think about how to arrive at logical solutions. In my opinion, this style of teaching is becoming more and more rare these days, with many schools focusing on test results only. Balboa City School encourages its students to use their Critical Thinking skills to solve real world problems such as which engine to use in a rocket and bookwork too. This higher form of critical thinking is very important for the future of our children as they navigate through their school career to college and into their chosen careers.

While working in many schools for the last 12 years, I have seen the decline in using interesting education activities, such as Balboa Park, Old Town, local museums, etc. At BCS the students are exposed regularly to Balboa Park, Old Town, museums, the world famous San Diego Zoo among other educational resources that enhances their education experience while at BCS. Examples of this “think outside the box” teaching is seen everyday, the BCS classroom doesn’t stop at the four walls of the classroom, the typical BCS classroom extends beyond the four walls. Going into the community and using all that San Diego has to offer, whether its studying in a museum about an era in history, or observing animals at the world famous San Diego Zoo, in a way much like Socrates taught his students. The students study for the SAT, build rockets for national contests, study robotics, develop original video games, among other many interesting and compelling subjects.

BCS is a uniquely different school, it focuses on the student, not only as an individual, but also as a team member in the classroom, the classroom experience extends beyond the brick and mortar of the school building. The staff constantly is encouraging the students to explore “outside the box” in their way of thinking, which better prepares them for the world.

I am very pleased with Balboa City School. My daughter went to an exclusive private school in Australia and it was a good school. Balboa City School has given her much more confidence; she is learning a lot more in math and English. She is also doing many creative things. She has learned how to trade currency on a Forex Simulator and for her senior project she is going to manage a portfolio of currency trading. The school has encouraged her to study hard for her SAT. This summer for two weeks she will also be studying how to make, by actually making, artificial bones with robots that the students build and program themselves. I am confident she is going to be accepted to a good college.