This review is long overdue, but I wanted to share our experience with Gateway Academy for other…read moreparents who may be searching for the right school for a child with high-functioning autism, or what Gateway refers to as twice-exceptional students. My son started at Gateway in 7th grade after attending public school since kindergarten. We were actually very fortunate to have had a pretty good experience in public school, especially with the other kids. He had attended the same school since kindergarten and had grown up with many of his classmates, most of whom were still with him in 6th grade. But as he got older, I could see the writing on the wall. Class sizes were getting larger, the kids were growing up, and there had been a few run-ins with bullies. I also didn't love the idea of moving him to a middle school for only two years and then making another major transition to high school. Kids on the spectrum often thrive on routine and familiarity, and my son is certainly no exception. When we found Gateway, it truly felt like a Godsend. The small class sizes were exactly what he needed, and one of the biggest advantages for us was that Gateway goes all the way through 12th grade. He could attend middle school and high school in the same familiar, supportive environment. Many of the teachers have special education backgrounds, but what makes Gateway so special goes far beyond academics. There is a genuinely loving, welcoming culture there. At Gateway, these kids aren't singled out for being different. They're surrounded by other students who understand them. They can be themselves. They have friends. They belong. The teachers are wonderful, as is the office staff. Ms. Robin, Gateway's founder and principal, truly cares about her students, and that caring is reflected throughout the school. Gateway gives students an environment where they can learn at their own pace while also developing friendships, confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging. As a parent, I cannot imagine my son having had the same high school experience in a large traditional high school surrounded primarily by neurotypical students. Those teenage years can be difficult enough, and Gateway gave him a safe place where he was accepted for exactly who he is. My son graduated from Gateway in 2025 and now attends community college. I asked him recently if he misses Gateway. He said yes. So I asked him what, specifically, he misses about it. His answer was simply, "Everything." That answer was both a little sad and incredibly heartwarming for me. More than anything I could write in this review, it confirmed what I had known all along: my son had a wonderful middle and high school experience. He made memories, built friendships, felt accepted, and genuinely enjoyed going to school. As a parent of a child on the spectrum, I don't think you can ask for much more than that. Gateway was also a tremendous resource for our entire family. Through the school, we learned about services and resources available to our son that we otherwise may never have known about. They even connected us with an excellent professional who helped us navigate guardianship and establish a special needs trust as he approached adulthood. Gateway didn't just educate our son--they helped us navigate the journey of raising and preparing a twice-exceptional child for adulthood. For any parent looking for a school for a child on the spectrum, I would recommend Gateway Academy without hesitation. Ms. Robin, Mr. Bloom, Mr. Curt, Mr. Anthony, Mr. Richard, and so many others have made Gateway the special place that it is. We will always be grateful that our son had the opportunity to grow up there. Thank you, Gateway, for giving our son a place where he wasn't simply accommodated, but truly belonged.

I started at Gateway when I was in seventh grade. I just graduated from there in May. I came to…read moreGateway because I was struggling with staying on top of assignments due to the heavy workload at my old school--leading me to start failing my classes. When I first came to Gateway, I was scared and alone. Little did I know that I would make friends that were as precious to me as my life there. It's a small school, so everyone knows everyone. Some might think this is bad, but in reality it's great because we get to form a tight-knit community within our grade level (and sometimes other grades too). There are therapy animals there, which absolutely helps students who are stressed out or who are going through something in their lives. You can always find Apollo and Athena (the therapy dogs) out during passing period, saying hello to the students. Talking about therapy animals, Gateway also does an equine therapy program for both middle school and high school. I was in this equine therapy program for eighth grade and part of high school. This program helped me so much through my struggle with mental health. Being with the horses quieted my brain. The teachers are absolutely amazing. I have never had a single bad teacher there at Gateway. They were all so kind and patient. You could tell that they knew what they were talking about. The English program they have there is absolutely fantastic. Both middle school and high school. The books that we read are actually interesting. Examples of this include The Boy in Striped Pajamas, Flowers for Algernon, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Animal Farm. The lunch program that they have is great as well. They bring in food from different places, and it's covered by your tuition, so you don't have to pay for the food. Some lunches that they brought in were from Panera, Venezia's, Potbelly, and Jimmy John's. Just remember to bring a couple snacks with you because sometimes the lunches can be a little bit on the smaller side. Every Friday, they have clubs. We can pick what club we want to be in, and there are a variety of them. Such as gaming, art, and board game club. It helps give us a break from our classes and gives us some time to hang out with our friends before the weekend hits. They also have programs that help build great resumes--along with helping to make your college and scholarship applications stronger. I was in the National Honor's Society and the Student Council for two years. Those were some of the best decisions I've made in my life. I got to meet new people through volunteering and even host a school drive for a non-profit that I volunteered at. The headmistress, Mrs. Robin, is very sweet and genuinely cares about all of her students. She was the one who set me up with my (then) future externship opportunity. Mr. Curt is amazing. He is the person in charge of the National Honor's Society, and he also helped with setting out flyers among the school about my school drive. Mr. Anthony is fabulous. He is also part of the admin. He helped me a lot with my dual enrollment last year. The admin are wonderful and won't shy away from any questions and/or concerns. Gateway Academy changed my life in the best way possible. I started getting good grades again. I made friends that I thought I never would have made. I would 100% recommend you go to this school if you have high-functioning autism. Once a warrior, always a warrior.

This year, Lookout Mountain opened their brand-new, state-of-the-art elementary school, ending the…read more40-year history of the previous building, which was long overdue for a face lift. This school is very unique and classy. The playground areas are much bigger and expansive than before and more areas for the children to play and get their daily exercise and fresh air. The parking lot is all re-designed with much more parking space and area for teachers and visitors coming to the school. Overall, this facility is very sophisticated and classy and just what the community deserves.

Its hard to believe a parent would rate their school with one star because they had to wait 10…read moreminutes and had one poor experience at the school. Given that most people never know what all the issues are that someone else is dealing with, that is about as presumptuous as someone could possibly be. Whoever Sharon is should be embarrassed to have submitted that review. Here is what my 5 star rating is based on and why so many parents try to get waivers to get their kids into Lookout Mountain. If I have done one thing right in my life, it was choosing to move to Moon Valley in 1992 so my kids had the opportunity to attend Lookout Mountain!! Both of my children went to this school for K through 6th grade. Their experience was phenomenal. My wife was a former teacher who stayed home with our kids. Her experience with the teachers, the admin staff, the cross walk guards, the janitors, the volunteers and everyone associated with this school was great. Their classes, the dedication of the teachers and support staff for after school events and community functions were all great. My kids have tremendous memories and experiences all through their years at LM. I was very fortunate to get to be involved with the school in many ways and with my kids' fellow students through coaching them and seeing them daily around the community. These great kids are a reflection of their fantastic involved parents, their tremendous teachers and the people who work and volunteer at Lookout Mountain. This school is the cornerstone of the Moon Valley community and not because they have a very nice new building. It's the people that leave that building every day that make it what it is. Many of those people are volunteers who support this school like very few others. The community pride here permeates everything. I still live in the neighborhood and both of my kids have graduated from college. This school set the stage for them to get into very prestigious high schools and the universities of their choice with substantial scholarships. They both graduated at the top of their classes and are pursuing their dreams professionally. This school was the base for everything they have accomplished. I am hopeful my grand kids have an opportunity to go to Lookout Mountain. Many of our neighbors' kids go to Lookout Mountain and by all accounts its as good as it ever was. We are truly lucky to have this school in Moon Valley and I guess if I have to wait 10 minutes so one of the volunteers can get the information they might need, I will do it with a huge smile on my face.

I love the staff at Whispering Wind Elementary. And they offer mandarin classes and have mandarin…read morespeaking only classes also. The pick up and drop off is seamless as long as everyone follows the rules . I've enjoying visiting this school to volunteer

Dont send your kids to school here!! Theres a lice problem that has been going on for years, along…read morewith major bullying issues that the school fails to handle. My daughter was pulled out of this school 4 months ago for bullying, harassment and drama. now there are group text with photos and text harassing her and meant to hurt her being sent around the school. And this school failed her once again and will do nothing about it. So much for all these anti bullying policies- they do nothing

We have been so impressed by the staff and admin at SF! The teachers do so much to help…read moredifferentiate and support all students. If you are looking for an environment that is rigorous, safe and structured, this is the school.

Terrible school to send your child if they are different. They discriminate against children and…read moretheir parents if they don't like you. My child has been pushed around and I've tried to work with teachers and admin to no avail

I'm very saddened that Desert Canyon isn't better. There are the little things like the school…read moregrounds area always messy with dirt from monsoons still on the walkways weeks after the monsoon, weeds everywhere, etc. It makes the school feel old and dirty, which I expected much better for a city like Scottsdale. Then there are the big things like the very rude lady that works the front office, they work off a reactive model for education instead of proactive waiting around for your child to start failing before they step in to helping bullying my kids from day 1 in the classroom, bus and on the playground, giving kindergarteners homework almost every night. The kids are mean and lye. My kindergartener has started lying and saying mean things on a daily basis. When I brought it up to him today, he said "my friends at school lie and say mean things so I do too to fit in". I am thoroughly disgusted by the culture at this school.

We moved to Scottsdale from the Midwest and I was worried about the public schools in AZ. Desert…read moreCanyon has been impressed me in so many ways. From the wonderful teachers and support staff to the curriculum and high expectations. The grounds are lovely and everyone was/is very welcoming. I am so thankful we chose Desert Canyon Elementary School.

This is an excellent school run by excellent people, Perry Mason isn't just a kick-butt television…read moreattorney but he's also one heck of a principal. They also used to have the best school musicals year after year because Mrs. Dukeshier weren't to be missed. Her choral offerings are something to see. They offer a comprehensive 7th and 8th grade education, have a robust athletics program, and activities for children who use their minds as well! If you have a child who is junior high school aged and you don't hate them this is a good place to send them to school.

I go here and love this school very much. This school has very nice teachers and lots of…read moreopportunities. Thank you mt. Sky you are wonderful!

I am a former student of Benchmark and I would recommend it to anyone. My teachers were amazing…read morethey cared a lot about me and made sure that I understood any assignment. Most of my teachers loved making learning in the classroom very fun and interesting. The "specials" teachers were amazing and helped me figure out the kind of stuff I love to do. I realize that the school has had a few changes in teachers and principals but I still consider it to be a GREAT school. I made many good memories and have very good friends that I grew up at the school. I always look forward to going back and visiting my teachers. So again I would recommend this school to anyone!

We love this school so much! Class sizes are small, opportunity to be on campus and in the…read moreclassroom is always available to parents, there are so many activities/festivals to get the kiddos excited about learning, the campus is beautiful, the science center is amazing. Truly, so many wonderful things about this place! The school is always locked, the opportunity to donate to various causes is always there, and it is very patriotic! My only negative, many people here park in the No Parking, fire lanes. No one at the school does anything about it. No duty aides outside moving cares, notes, or anything to stop the behavior. I asked once and was told "it's always been like that, people don't listen". As a fire wife, this frustrates me to end! I want to know my daughter is safe in her class and has FULL access to emergency personnel if needed. Other than that, we really love being apart of this school!

We've had a great experience with this school. Small class sizes and caring teachers and staff. The…read moreschool has a community feel and the principal is very involved. I'd highly recommend.

Nicer looking website than school unfortunately. Nice building too but the staff is unprofessional…read moreand not actually there for the kids.