I have two kids in this school. My oldest, who is just about to enter 6th grade, has been going to…read morethis school since Kindergarten. I think some things have definitely improved over the years, such as pick-up and drop-off (which used to be a total nightmare), and it seems that they've slowly started making improvements to the bathrooms and some exterior parts of the school, like the sidewalks. However, I feel this school could benefit from investing more money into fixing up the playgrounds, classrooms, and overall infrastructure of the school. The playgrounds are pretty old and run-down. The classrooms are very dated. Some of the classrooms have plumbing issues and a huge problem with ants. The teachers and staff members are wonderful, but at times I am not sure if what my kids are learning is up to par with other schools.
The before/after program (PRIDE) is not great... my kids were enrolled in it this past school year and they originally stated they would watch the kids on all of the breaks (fall, spring, etc.) except winter break, but then right before fall break they completely bailed on the parents. Some of the teachers in the before/after programs are too lenient and the snacks they pass out are not healthy. One day my kids had several small boxes of TRIX cereal. This should not be an acceptable snack to feed children, especially in the afternoons when they will likely be eating dinner within a couple of hours.
My biggest problem with the school is the grading system. Instead of the usual A, B, C, D, F, this school uses a 1-4 grade scale, which does not tell me much... and this has been one of my biggest issues with this school (and the district itself, since it's throughout the entire school district) since my oldest started going here. Another big problem I have is that they do not release a school supply list until about a week before school starts, during Meet The Teacher Night, but last year we didn't get it until the NIGHT before school. I think this is very inconvenient because by the time we get the school supply list, a lot of the stuff is already out of stock at the stores. Last year I had a hard time finding the right type of folders for my daughters, which was frustrating. So those are definitely some things the school could afford to improve upon... also, a no tolerance policy for bullying and delinquent behavior. It seems like the kids are not punished as severely as they should be when causing harm to other students. My oldest daughter told me that a boy in her grade started a fight with another boy on a field trip a few months ago, and even called the other boy the "N" word, and he was still able to attend the school. He even called one of the teachers the "B" word. This type of behavior should not be acceptable.
Areas where the school is meeting/exceeding my expectations would be the teachers and staff. I have been mostly happy with my kids' teachers, the ladies in the office, and Mrs. Helland. I like that they still have parties in celebration of certain holidays, because I remember having class parties as a child and found it super memorable. The 5th graders had a ballroom dance competition this past school year, which was super fun. I would like to see more events like this. Pick-up/drop-off is also a breeze now, for the most part. It is so much faster than it used to be. I really appreciate that the staff takes the time to ensure a smooth process.
Overall, I would say this is an okay school, and one of the better public schools in the area from what I've seen.
