Calexico Mission School - Calexico, California

Paul Blart

Calexico Mission School engaged in child labor as a form of punishment for students. Rose Re mentioned it in her review of the school and there are photographs of this in that year’s yearbook. Having children do what is essentially construction work without financial compensation in 120-degree weather is simply not morally right. So far, two faculty members have made positive reviews. To this I say, that is not morally right either. People should not be leaving reviews of their own businesses or current places of employment for conflict of interest reasons. Furthermore, Vivienne made a point that the weather only reaches 120 degrees in the summer, but anyone who has lived in this region of the United States or Mexico will easily tell you that the weather easily reaches 110 degrees for most of the year and even when it doesn’t it rarely goes below 90. Not to mention that the only reason the school seized punishing students with forced manual labor was for fear of possible legal consequences. Actions like these are simply not Christian and the faculty of the school should have shown better judgment.

I graduated from CMS many years ago and my sibling transferred to other schools since then, but my youngest sibling mentioned that on his last two years at the school there was a bad problem with things getting stolen in the locker rooms. Despite this, the school did nothing to solve the issue. There were cameras in the locker rooms, yet no students were ever reprimanded for stealing. On the other hand, the school issues detention left and right for simple mistakes or unpreventable situations. Many students get detention for forgetting their No Spanish lanyard at home. Worst of all, the school even gives detention to students who come in late. While this may seem reasonable at first, one has to consider the fact that most students that come to the school live across the border in Mexicali and have to stand in line to cross the border every morning. Anyone who has ever crossed the Mexicali-Calexico border on a weekday morning can tell you that often times the lines are backed up for entire blocks with people trying to cross the border to go to work, go to school, or go shopping. This means that even with student priority, many students might have to stand in line for upwards of an hour and that is not counting the 5-10 minute walk from the border crossing to the school. The only solution the school ever offered was to tell students to line up at the border earlier. This is very callus as students are children and rely on their parents to drive them to the border so they can’t stand in line and it is not reasonable to ask of the parents to drop their children off two hours before school starts so children can get to school on time without being penalized.

Bernardo Samano

I have been connected to CMS for over 40 years, and the improvements the school has experienced are amazing. As a nonprofit private institution it offers scholarships to many students. Compared to other local private schools, CMS is something else, financially speaking. Parents are not forced to sell anything, or/and pay additional fees for a variety of causes and events. Just looking at the national tests score results, CMS students perform above other public, parochial, and public schools as they move from year to year. My two children attended CMS, and they have nothing but great memories. The school has challenges for sure. As a part of the local border communities it suffers due to the financial ups and downs. Nevertheless, after 80 years of serving students and their families, CMS continues "educating the mind, the hand, and the heart," with dedicated faculty, solid academic content, enthusiasm and lots of love.

L Vivien Oxley

I have been at Calexico Mission School for 6 years as an administrator. I read the review by Rose Red and felt that some things said there were inaccurate. 1: The tuition at the school is less than other private schools in the area. 2: No one has ever paid to have their grades changed. We would never allow that. 3: The temperature in Calexico does reach 120 degrees in the summer, not while school is in session. For every student that hated the school there are many more that love it. I don't care what school you go to you will never have 100% of the people love it 100% of the time. I'm sorry that he had a bad experience there, but glad that he liked a few of the teachers. Hopefully, those few teachers had a positive influence on his life that will help him through the tough times in reminding him that even though people will let you down, God never will.

Rommel Ortiz

Muy buena escuela, mi niño feliz en ella. Su personal de lo mejor.

Mia Dalyith

Norma Figueroa

Dorothy Martìnez Martìnez

Kbza Guzma