This school ministers to the needs of each individual child with everything they have. Each morning, our children are greeted respectfully and with a beautiful smile from school faculty and staff. Everyone working in this school finds the time to answer your needs and schedule time to address any concerns you may have. Our children leave feeling fulfilled, curious, and excited for the next day. Additionally, this age of uncertainty can leave parents feeling anxious about dropping their child off at school. After a meeting with the principal to discuss safety standards and updates, I feel confident leaving my children in their care. Lourdes Academy is truly a Catholic school of excellence. read more

It pains my heart to leave this review. I was born and raised locally and grew up in this church and went to school there. It was my special and sacred place most of my life. Now I no longer feel welcome there. My family has attended and financially supported this church for over 50 years, but apparently that doesn't mean anything to them. If you or anyone in your family is "imperfect" you are no longer welcome here. In this case, it's my 8 year old son who was tossed out of second grade just a few weeks into the school year because of his ADHD. We had just spent hundreds on uniforms and school supplies at the time. This was also during a time I was working 7 day weeks for 7 months straight and my mental health was failing me. I shared this with their school counselor at the time, and instead of being met with any sort of empathy, I feel like this information was used against me. Then we spent over a month with our child out of school, as Lourdes would blacklist us from attending any other local private faith-based schools. It has been an incredibly traumatic and stressful experience for my whole family. Imagine just weeks before your 8th birthday being told by your school-- where all of your friends are, that you not good enough to be there and you can't come back. My son cried for weeks telling us how much he loved his school and teachers and friends and it took a very heavy toll on his self-esteem. Since then, we no longer attend mass at Lourdes, and I have been left with a crisis of identity no longer wishing to be identified as Catholic--- because if kicking out a child and his family is the Catholic way, then it's no longer a way I have any interest in. This church and school are incredibly cliquish and if you aren't "in" you are definitely "out". This school and church used to mean SO MUCH to me. It helped to build and mold me. It was my safe space as a child. Father Phil sat by the bedside of my first husband as he was on hospice at a very young age and even helped convert him to Catholic and married us. But then went from that to acting like I was a stranger the past few years, which I always thought was very odd. The school principal says one thing to your face and then another thing about you or your family behind closed doors. I had dreamed of sending both of my children to Catholic school at Lourdes from K until 8th, and now we can't get into ANY other local Catholic or private school as they have blacklisted us. Literally after growing up in this church, going to school there, volunteering, fundraising and wishing nothing but the best for this church. If you have a young family, children, etc. and are looking for a new school and church home, this is NOT it. Save yourself the heartache and pain of their philosophy of "All are invited", because "all are invited" until you are not. If you have time, treasure and talent to give, don't waste it here, where clearly it is not wanted. Losing Lourdes has truly been like a huge death, followed by unimaginable grief that has me second guessing Catholicism and Christianity in general. read more

I have HUGE problem with this school, on MANY levels now, and for MANY, JUSTIFIABLE reasons. First, some background: Myself, and BOTH my sisters - attended Catholic School for a combined total of almost 30 years. Additionally, BOTH MY children, attended Catholic School - From Pre-K 3, all the way through 11th GRADE. Furthermore, my mother - an avid activist within the Catholic community and recognized as such by our Catholic Diocese BISHOP - has been involved with the Catholic Church more than 45 years, and DONATES - 50 hours a week to running a Catholic Based Community Outreach Program. Additionally, she has also worked TIRELESSLY providing SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS for students who are not financially qualified-yet seek a more spiritual and supportive academic setting. To date, she has provided close to 10 students with full scholarships, which amounts to more than 150K in Catholic Education for students in need. So I recently moved from that area, to Daytona. My son is 10, and I very much wanted him in a Catholic School, as a single mom and working nurse - I felt he would be in THE BEST possible place. He moved with me after residing with his dad, as per our decision together years ago. (As a boy, and I felt that he would need a father figure more present in his life than myself, as a single mom-a personal decision I made to split time 60/40). Due to some unfortunate issues iunfolding in his life with dad (emotional issues)due to his father constantly gone for work-and being with a babysitter up to 60 hrs a week, he was thirsting for attention, and taking his frustration out in school on occasion- 'on occasion' I mean, 3 TIMES in 6 years. Not a huge disciplinary issue, obviously; and all 3 were within 18 months' time-(clearly linked to his SITUATION in needing loving attention that he was not receiving). we moved here, and I promptly took to the Catholic Community for support in enrolling him in a Catholic School here. I took him to Lourdes Academy and explained as above, (but of course in far more DETAIL). I explained that he was a GOOD child, a loving child, and explained why I wanted him to go to this Catholic School, so that we continued - as a nation -to 'lift children up" not allow them to simply 'fall to the wayside' as another emotionally-deprived statistic-in a single parent household. I was very humble and honest in the 'history' I presented them with, as they requested. The person I dealt with from BEGINNING TO END was rude, disrespectful, and failed to offer ONE BIT of encouragement, ANY kind words, or ANY comforting sentiments. NOTHING positive at all-and IN FACT, the only feedback I DID get, was 'well, not to get your hopes up, but sometimes they dont take discipline troubled children' . - - -um...what? who said a WORD about my son being a 'discipline issue'? 3 events in 6 years of school certainly is NOT enough to categorically "JUDGE" a child as a 'discipline issue'. What's that the Catholics commonly say? : "Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged' .(..RIGHT. SURE THING). Furthermore, I explained to her I was a little panicky, as he was in current school absence while this process was being 'reviewed'. So, I emailed her TWICE, as I was growing anxious and her response: 'I TOLD YOU ...xyz!" -as if I was a MAJOR hassle to her. FInally, after the 4th day, I recieved an email stating she 'tried to call, yet didnt EVER recieve a call back - (I DID call her back, promptly - exactly 57 minutes after she called---I was showering...)and felt it was ok to just disclose via EMAIL that 'your son 'xyz' wont be allowed in our school, as Dr. O'dell felt he would be a discipline problem, and our school didnt 'take children like that'. Are you kidding me? Excuse me, but the last time I checked, werent the CORE VALUES of MOST Catholic Schools is to provide a supportive, loving environment? fostering strength, dignity, respect, and teaching children how to live their lives as good, productive human beings? In fact, their MISSION STATEMENT IS AS FOLLOWS: "Lourdes Academy changes lives by providing a high quality Catholic education infused with gospel truths within a safe, supportive, and challenging learning environment." ..."CHANGING LIVES..." Really? From like....what? ....Already PERFECT to MORE PERFECT? With zero challenges? zero life strife? PLEASE. When someone finds that perfect little utopia of children, could someone please make sure I get the memo?! Im not a blind-to-my-kids-true-personality kind of mom. My son is a great kid. And this school really lost out. As a parent, I'd think REAL hard before enrolling here. They do NOT live by what they teach, and thats a FACT. A disgusiting way to treat a child in emotional need. read more