I attended this school over a decade ago. While not everything was negative, several experiences left a lasting psychological impact--especially around how certain students were treated. Every part of this review reflects my own personal experiences and perspective as a former student. I share these observations in good faith and hope they offer helpful insight for others. Some teachers were kind and supportive, and I'm grateful for them. But others showed clear favoritism, often treating neurodivergent students, students of color, and those from less affluent families with less patience, care, or respect. I saw students singled out, shamed, or ignored when they needed help. That includes a teacher in the art department, Ms. M**ks (last names) who, despite appearing nice to some, often appeared to treat students who displayed neurodivergence in a harsh and dismissive way. One classmate with ADHD, for example, was frequently criticized for traits beyond their control. I will add that it appears that there is currently a new teacher in her place, and I cannot find this particular teacher on the school website, which is honestly a relief. I watched as she corrected, belittled, or singled out a few (even a few is too many) students who were neurodivergent or just different in how they expressed themselves. One student in particular, who had clear ADHD traits and a real passion for art, was constantly criticized for things like messiness, distraction, or "doing it wrong." It felt like she used that student's neurodivergent traits as targets, rather than offering understanding or support. The dynamic was painful to witness and left a lasting impression on me. There was also a time I was accidentally injured during a class activity involving a particular art material. I wasn't helped or offered first aid--just told it was my fault by that same teacher. That scar stayed on my body for years. There were also incidents involving body shaming in gym class and situations on school trips that felt physically unsafe. Students with invisible needs or without formal diagnoses were often overlooked. While the school talked about values like inclusion and activism, they weren't always reflected in how staff treated students. I hope things have improved since I attended, because all children deserve a safe and supportive learning environment. read more

If you're looking for a school that develops the whole child and builds a strong foundation for lifelong learning, Alcuin is a rare gem.

Our kids have been at Alcuin for the last 10 years. We have been so blessed by the school and the community, having an incredible impact on our children's lives. Can't ever imagine our kids anywhere else. read more

Our kids have been students at Alcuin for nearly 10 years. It is a jewel of a school. If you hope for your child to be a well-rounded well-educated, thoughtful citizen an independent thinker, Alcuin is the school for you. I could go on and on and on about how wonderful it is, but I hope you will experience that for yourself. Schedule your visit now! read more

All four of my children have attended Alcuin beginning in the toddler program. The Montessori for the elementary years combined with the International Baccalaureate program middle and high school years is exceptional. Students are exposed to travel at an early age and is an integral part of the curriculum throughout. No other school in Dallas has this unique experience. read more

Our family found a true home and education partner in Alcuin. The guides in the Montessori program are incredible and the teachers in the IB program are beyond fantastic. We love the diverse environment and the kindness children show each other, as true compassionate global citizens. The outdoor education and travel programs are invaluable. We are dedicated members of this amazing community. Bar none, the best education in Dallas. read more

Alcuin is a gem. The Montessori and International Baccalaureate programs are top notch. This school is a community and the children are taught how to think, research, remain open and curious as they learn to navigate real life skills, problem solving, developing their unique skills and interests, all while forging friendships, collaboration and work ethic, with integrity. read more

If you want to pay for your child to be perceived as intelligent, enjoy a luxurious campus, be taught that the killing of Jesus was a historical event that the Jews were responsible and have rich friends, well this is the school for your family. Make sure to donate a lot of money, as you will be sure to be able to have more conferences and be able to choose your chid's teachers. Those not donating tons of money, well be sure that you will not be able to "special privileges". Also, be sure to enroll your children in math after school, as math is very weak. And, if you want your kids to do well on the SAT - no problem. They literally teach this during class... no application of knowledge required! Also, make sure that your kid speaks up to correct teachers about historic events, as well as the sciences. They have some factual information that is - well, wrong. Anyways, make sure to drive a fancy car and give and give a lot of money. The public schools on Plano, Richardson, Fairview/Lucas will give your kids a great education. And, if you are looking for an IB, there are many schools with IB programs in this area (both public and private). Another GREAT school is The Guthrie School. All these kids go to St. Marks and Greenhill after. Alcuin students are rarely strong enough academically to transfer to these schools. Guthrie is amazing, yet no financial donations, no superiority with families, no fancy campus. read more

My child came home crying because she told me the teachers and students were bullying her, also never let her use the restroom because they're were "already people in there" when everyone in her class was still in there seats. I do not recommend this awful school, and environment. Please don't go here. Please look at this review. read more

The Alcuin community is extremely inclusive and truly fosters compassionate, global citizens from the Montessori to the IB curriculum. The school, particularly in the toddler program, truly care about each child's growth through reflection on the world around them and synthesizing information from guided lessons. The campus is conveniently located and feels very secure. read more

TERRIBLE!!! i went there till 4th grade and i was bullied by other kids. it was absolutely horrible and its not even a monastery school! i was technically targeted by teachers and other students. read more

As a recent graduate from Alcuin, I can say without a doubt there is no place I would have rather grown-up. I started at Alcuin in 2005 as a primary student and graduated in 2018 as part of the first graduating class. There is an individualized approach to learning in both the Montessori and IB classrooms that grows students as people, learners, and teachers. The holistic style of education teaches students how the subjects they're learning apply to their daily lives, and indoor-outdoor learning allows young kids to connect with nature. I recently ran into my primary teacher at a Starbucks, and even 15 years later she still remembers me. For middle school and high school, the curriculum can be demanding. However, small class sizes and teachers who are passionate about their subjects make learning- dare I say- fun. Teachers always had one-on-one time available for students who needed extra help, and for students who simply wanted to know more. There was a reciprocated respect between students and teachers that made it easy to ask questions because the teachers really wanted us to succeed. In addition to the learning environment, Alcuin has an emphasis on philanthropy and always provided us with opportunities to give back. I now attend the University of Southern California as an honors student where I can say that Alcuin has given me a clear advantage over my peers. I learned critical thinking in all subjects, time management, and how to research and write well-rounded papers. Socially, the small learning environment has actually aided me in making friends and forming connections. I found in university that not only am I able to connect with all kinds of people, but I'm also able to form super meaningful connections with the right people because Alcuin taught me to be an individual and to be confident in my own voice and personality. I love everything about Alcuin; so much so that my peers and I frequently come back to Alcuin to visit or volunteer. read more

The experience we had with this school was disgraceful. This is not a Montessori school; this is a business that treats children like disposable commodities. Our 2-year-old and 4-year-old sons were enrolled for Fall 2019. Neither child had ever attended school before. On the first day of school, our 4-year-old was crying on the bench outside where students sit before entering the classroom. One of the administrators, Peggy Larson, stormed over to where I was sitting next to him, had the nerve to grab his arm and then demand I leave immediately. It was obvious she cared nothing about the children, but was there instead to keep up appearances. Needless to say, I did not leave and opted instead to advocate for my son. From that point on our family was a target. Our toddler's teacher, Patricia Dominguez suddenly decided that our two-year-old "moved around too much" and was "requiring more attention than other toddlers," a perfect opportunity for her boss, Peggy Larson, to make the decision to dismiss our son from the community (expel him). Coincidentally, toddler enrollment for Fall 2019 was suffering at this school (there were only 8 toddlers in the class out of a possible 12 which hurts the school's checkbook), so Peggy Larson and Patricia Dominguez decided that the most convenient expulsion date for our 2-year-old son would be mid-November, just in time for new toddlers to age into their program and cover costs (they need to be 18-months old to enter the toddler classroom). Our sons were granted admission at three other prestigious private schools in Dallas for 2019-2020 so this cost them a year of missed education and cost our family over $20k in tuition & damages. Our 4-year-old son was so affected by his little brother's expulsion that he began refusing to go back (to put it lightly). After all the work we had put in to getting him happily adjusted with leaving the home and going to school, he was then forced to endure this major setback on the whim of a cold-hearted administrator. He was completely confused as to why his little brother wasn't getting dropped off anymore (he used to walk him to his classroom every morning and pick him up after with me). This was a complete disruption in our children's lives and in our family's life in general. We moved into a new house in order to be closer to the school, from our beautiful city-center condo into a somewhat remote, residential neighborhood we would never have chosen otherwise. What's worse is the school (Peggy Larson and Patricia Dominguez) absolutely knew in September that we were planning to move for the sole purpose of our children attending Alcuin for the next few years. Not once were we warned or told that expulsion was on the table or that "dismissal" was even an option. Patricia Dominguez was suffering some health issues and was absent from her toddler classroom for two weeks during October. It was clear to us that she wanted to make her days at work as easy as possible in order to offset whatever health problems she was going through. Perhaps our active, happy, healthy little two-year-old boy was not her favorite student, but that's no excuse to "dismiss" him from a community. He's two years old for Heaven's sake. If the school truly cared about the wellbeing of the children they could've simply let our child finish out the school year and not ask him back the following year. That would have at least given our family the time & resources needed to make other arrangements and would not have caused as much emotional distress on both of our children, let alone the huge financial setback it caused for our family. This school does not care about children or families and honestly it feels more like a cult on the campus than a friendly scholastic environment. A few other parents have since come forward and told us that they have endured similar situations at Alcuin but declined to speak out for fear of social repercussions and also due to embarrassment. I want to use this platform to encourage other parents wronged by this school to speak out in order to prevent Alcuin from doing these types of things to families in the future. No family should ever have to endure such discrimination, fraud, breach of contract, and unjustified expulsion that we have endured. No family or child should ever have to go through what we went through. It's sad because this whole fiasco could have been prevented had Alcuin simply abided by the core values on which it prides itself in its handbook and adhered to Montessori standards required by the American Montessori Society. read more

Alcuin is a truly wonderful school. From the interview process to now having our two children there, everything about this school is thoroughly thought out, down to which guide/teacher your children are placed with. As they move on to lower elementary, eg, there's a committee to help determine where each child would best thrive in the following class. The school has regular series for the parents to learn about what they're teaching, which helps the parents support the process at home. Plus, the school has regular parent meetings if you so choose to join, and lectures by acclaimed authors of books that align with the schools mission. On top, you meet wonderful parents of families that have similar goals for raising children, it is a lovely community. We see each other at school events on campus and also get together outside of school, with or without the children. The caliber of programs and teachers/guides they continue to build upon is incredible. If Montessori and the IB program are what you're looking for, Alcuin is a truly rare gem. read more

A healthy and happy place to develop young minds! Prior to having our own children, my wife was a children's ballet instructor at a prominent studio. This is when we discovered something in common between some of her brightest and mature students during her classes. So many were attending Alcuin! Once we were expecting, we began our journey to find the right home for our little one and Alcuin was obviously on the list. We did our homework on many schools and toured many other recognized institutions. The day we walked through the doors of Alcuin we knew we had found the right spot. Now 2 years later, and expecting our 2nd, we know that we have made the right decision for our children's future. It's a beautiful thing to see your young one grow the way Alcuin kids do. Thank you Alcuin! read more

i've been so impressed with alcuin since our son started here at 18 months; it's been 2+ years. the 12-acre campus is beautiful and serene. the staff -- from headmaster to guides to assistants -- all embody the montessori philosophy, and are amazing with the students and parents. parent engagement and involvement is high. i feel good about working full-time and sending my son here, knowing that it's a natural extension of the environment i'd have at home. it's worth it. read more

Alcuin School - Elementary Schools Near Me - Dallas, Texas

A great Montessori school in Dallas. Great place to work AND send your children. Dedicated faculty, beautiful grounds, and a real sense of community for families. read more

This school has a horrid elementary program!!! This program is not montessori at all let alone AMI, the classes are chaotic and over crowded. Add to that the faculty are unapproachable and cold and it is a recipe for disaster for children. Drive by during car pool and see if the staff or children smile, should tell you something about the environment. read more

My daughter attended St Alcuin for 13 years, and recently enrolled in Greenhill for high school since St Alcuin goes only through 8th grade. She was accepted to all three high schools to which she applied - Greenhill, Hockaday and Ursuline - so it was great to have some choices. A little bit about the school. St Alcuin combines a traditional Montessori education with an International Baccalaureate program in Middle School. Montessori groups students into different levels - Toddler (tiny), Primary (Pre-K), Lower Elementary (1st - 3rd grades), Upper Elementary (4th - 6th grades). Since each classroom has students from 1st thru 3rd, 4th thru 6th etc it allows students to experience repeated cycles of learning from older kids and evolving to be mentors for the younger ones. The Middle School IB program combines elements from multiple subject areas into one learning experience. For example, each 8th grader had to develop a restaurant concept, which required them to: create a floor plan using Sketch Up (Art/Technology), design a menu(Art/Tech), build a P&L (Math) and marketing program (Humanities), and prepare lunch for 50 using several of the menu items within a budget of $150. She got off to a great start in Primary and developed a love for reading by the time she was five. Couldn't keep enough books in the house. In Lower El, students started doing "researches". This required children to pick a topic, research it in the library and present results to the rest of the class...great experience to develop confidence in speaking to others. Upper El students go camping for a week and prepare all the dinners in the classroom before going, along with the traditional math, English, science etc. Foreign language study, Spanish or Mandarin, begins in 4th grade. The music teacher, Ms Delgado, has a PhD in music and teaches great theory as well as hands on experience with instruments and voice. The IB program in Middle School is the crown jewel, but everything in 7th and 8th grade is carefully built on the curriculum from earlier years. Kids studied aspects of other cultures, and then Skyped with students from those countries who were doing the same about the US. Students won 1st (Connecting the World Online), 2nd (Workflow Software) and 3rd (Globalization and Outsourcing) place awards in the Flat Classroom project, a competition for Middle and High School students in six countries based on Tom Friedman's book The World Is Flat. Both grades went on a serious campout to Big Bend, where the students went on a 20 mile hike and canoed 33 miles down the Rio Grande (school doesn't go there anymore, due to the safety concerns, but they still go on a big campout). Ms Fahey is an awesome math teacher, and all three students attending Greenhill from my daughter's class tested out of Freshman math. There's a variety of MS athletic teams, as well as D-League sports for younger students. All in all a fantastic school. My daughter left incredibly well prepared for high school. That said, no school is perfect. If there's one area where the school could improve it's prep for ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), the test students have to take when applying to private high schools. Kids take a mock ISEE in early December, and my daughter scored 4 of 9 on math and 8 of 9 on verbal. So I sent her for a handful of math test prep sessions with a tutor, and her score improved to a 7 when she took the test in January. So an earlier mock ISEE would allow a student to assess sooner whether additional prep is warranted. Great school, fabulous faculty, and a supportive, engaged parent community (100% of families have contributed to the Annual Fund three years running). Highly recommended! read more