Here's an update. My mother died of Covid in February and no one here cared at all. Brother.read more

From the owner: Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School provides a quality education centered in Gospel values…read more Philosophy Cardinal Mooney High School, a coeducational diocesan high school, is staffed by religious sisters and laypersons who share a Christian vision. This Christian vision, which has its source in the Gospels and finds expression in the North American Bishops' pastoral letter, "To Teach As Jesus Did," serves as the basis for our school philosophy. We are committed to the development of the whole person, emphasizing the personal dignity and value of the student and of the teacher, the realization of the importance of integrating religious truths and values into one's life, and the primacy of religious instruction. With this as our motivation, we hope to carry out the mission entrusted by Jesus to his church: to bring all of creation to its fulfillment according to God's design by proclaiming the message of truth, building a community of justice and peace, and reaching out in service to the entire human community. Students receive instruction not solely to attain knowledge, but to acquire values and to discover truth. Integral to the school's program is formal instruction in religious truths and values; Religion is not just one subject among the rest; it is perceived and functions as the underlying reality which gives coherence and meaning to the students' experiences in education and throughout life...

Going all the back to the early 90"s every family member of mine who attended middle school…read moreattended Brookside for at least a year or two. Myself, 1.5 years, 3 of my children, my brother, my sister and all of our friends. The bullying is HORRIBLE. My son refuses to leave his bedroom now due to social anxiety it was so bad. He is 17. My daughters attended all 3 years and one has situational anxiety, is very anti-social and constantly fears being judged and made fun of by other humans. The other has suffered severe depression and a suicide attempt from being bullied. My brother and I left Brookside and did homeschooling for 7th grade because 6th was such an awful nightmare. We returned to pick school the year Sarasota Middle opened its doors and absolutely loved it. At Brookside it isnt the teachers or staff. They are fine, it's the other students who are primarily middle to lower income and disadvantaged and some of them are outright mean as are their parents. I have a son starting middle school this year and my kids begged me not to send him to Brookside as they fear he will struggle more than they did. 30 years of first hand and up close experiences and I say if you have another option, use it first.

Great school with great kids. The teachers teach and model respect and responsibility. The ESE…read moredepartment is on top of things and makes sure that IEP/504 accommodations are made available. Love having my son at SMA!

I am so happy with our decision to enroll in community day, and cannot speak highly enough of the…read moreschool and our experiences here. My three children are currently in 2nd grade, kindergarten, and preschool seniors. This is our first year, and we came to CDS with some educational delays and gaps from another private school. In a cooperative decision with administration, we elected to have my oldest two repeat grades to give my children the foundation they were missing. The administration and teachers have truly gone the distance to make sure my children were thriving here. Whenever questions arise I know they'll be addressed swiftly- in person or via email or phone- the entire school community is so accessible, from individual teachers to the upper admins. Communication is excellent, and I always know what is going on in my children's classrooms. The small class sizes and the dedication mean my children are focused on and not lost in the shuffle. The teachers are dedicated and truly happy to be there, with very low turnover and many years of experience at CDS. My oldest has needed advanced tutoring which is done in a very small group (2-3 students with a very skilled reading specialist) for 1 hour per day up to 5 days per week, and it has been transformative. Where I saw fear, dejection, and frustration with reading I now see progress, confidence, and fortitude. With my nervous, introverted delayed reader this encouragement is especially beneficial, because he has been able to see his strengths as well, instead of his challenges being the focus. The shifts have been incredible, and not once has he felt less than. The learning goals at CDS are focused on being expansive and on education for critical world thinkers, and the "specials" are wonderfully done by dedicated, talented people. The agriculture program, music, foreign languages, and judaica are rich and loved. The children are active participants in their educational environments and creating the culture of their classroom, inside and out. Every week my children are experiencing something new, building them up, and are always encouraged and loved. Friendships and social time are incorporated into each day and the specific interests and passions of each child are nurtured, all while the children learn and retain so much! It's been a wonderful fit for my family, and I truly have nothing negative to say at all. My kids are so happy here.

Some very inappropriate things were said to our son here by another student. It was brought up…read morequite a few times and nothing was done. We are still dealing with it years later. This was just one of the things.

This school is just AWFUL. The staff is extremely ignorant, neglectful, and favoritism is a big…read moreproblem in this school, Mr.Gwatney says the children will get nowhere in life, he says they'll live like cavemen, and says they deserve to sit in a windowless room staring at a screen all day and he says they don't deserve to be outside, and he says they'll get cancer from eating chips.

We've moved a lot, so my kid's been to a few differnt schools: Imagine Palmer Ranch, Bay Haven, and…read moreLakewood Ranch Prep Academy. Honestly, this school is just as good. The teachers are great and always quick to respond. You can always get someone on the phone or email and get things sorted out fast. They also have a program Hawks for advansed kids. What really stands out here is how they handle communication with parents. It's way better then anywhere else. Every time I had a question, it got answered in minutes, not hour. Also, big props to the woman who answer the phone at the front desk - she's awesome! Seriously, I never seen a school do this part so good. And about grades - if a kid don't wanna learn, they won't do well anywhere. If they're motivated, they'll find a way to learn, even in the middle of no where with no books or teachers. The school's job isn't to motivate them - that's up to the parents.

Wonderful educational experience with outstanding staff who care for each student as if they were…read moretheir own. Creative, experiential learning focus designed for students to thrive as individuals in a welcoming and supportive environment.

At first glance I loved the school. I loved the big classrooms and combined grades and the fact…read morethat they offered education through high school. But after having my children in the school for a year I was greatly disappointed. The teachers are very sweet especially in lower elementary but I feel like my children learned almost nothing. They complained that the classroom was noisy and it was hard to concentrate. There was zero emphasis on classical literature, somehow, reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" qualifies as sufficient for their classroom literature. The kids sat on the floor all day and my children complained that their backs were hurting. Many of the classic Montessori manipulatives were rarely used. There was no music class. Rarely did they do art. My children, even the upper elementary child, never brought home home-work. The Christmas program was honestly the most atrocious thing I have ever seen. The children stood outside in mosquito infested grounds for an hour in shepherds costumes and literally did nothing but stand there as props while the principal and pastor relived their fantasies of being stars and sang all the songs. There was open fire in the torches and straw everywhere. I was on the edge of my seat as children filed closely past the open flame. I just knew any moment the whole stage was going up in flames including baby Jesus, who was a real newborn. I honestly almost stood up and said something in the middle of the show it was so nerve racking. This school needs to put the children's safety before their own desire of having their own personal American Idol for themselves. In that moment, I realized, if this huge issue is an oversight, then what about all the smaller things. I feel like this is a terrible place if you want your kids to get a good education. If you are just wanting somewhere to stick your kids where they learn about the Bible, but education or safety is not a priority, then by all means, spend the $11,000 per student to send them there. I feel like i really got ripped off. I feel like my children are no more educated than they were a year ago, in fact, I feel like they actually regressed.