As parents, we have been very pleased with the Stow - Munroe Falls School system to date. Teachers…read moreseem to have a true commitment to their students. They have been quick to respond when contacted. There are ample clubs, programs and special electives to choose from. The administration seems to make every effort to keep parents informed and they work hard to try and ensure the safety of their students. There also appears to be an extensive amount of community support which is a huge benefit for the kids attending this school system. It's not perfect but it's good and we are proud to be Bulldogs.

Ah, Stow-Munroe Falls High School. Well, for starters, the ceilings have been broken the entire…read moreschool year, yeah, for some reason they still haven't fixed it. Most of the teachers seem to care about whether or not the students learn but the amount of work that is thrown at students is absurd. Oh, also the school is literally sinking

I attended this school from 1999 through 2007 when I was forced to drop out. While I acknowledge…read morethat many teachers and administrators have changed, I can only speak to my own personal experiences, I would be remiss if I did not share my story. Years K-6th were broadly excellent. A warm, caring environment with excellent educators. Mrs. Blatnik, White, Chin, and Mr. Goober were extremely positive influences in those formative years, and I have nothing but gratitude for them. All issues arose during grade 7 during my brief tenure in the (then very young) middle school program during its second year in operation. I spent my entire childhood with undiagnosed autism; I don't blame the school for this, detection and treatment was far less robust then than it was now. I do blame to school for the resultant bullying that I endured that year, and what I perceived as the cause. The middle school, especially in its pilot years, was intent on making a big show of its success placements. There was a lot of parading around the kids who were being accepted into 'elite' high schools like Western Reserve Academy, Walsh Jesuit, or a handful of others. They were clearly trying to position the middle school as a funnel of sorts to these programs. Of course, with these elite programs came elite tuition costs, and I'll just say that my family was not prepared to shell out for one of these programs. Moreover, I had no personal interest in boarding schools, religious schools, or really any of these programs. I distinctly remember Ms. Ludick's reaction at the parent teacher night when this info was brought to light. She was aghast and, dare I say, offended at the idea. Almost overnight, the atmosphere shifted. My grades took a sharp hit almost immediately. I became the target for relentless bullying from students who were already on the so called 'elite' track. It was daily, it was constant, and I was chastised when I withdrew like a turtle into its shell. And while I admit my autistic tendencies made me internalize a lot more than I should have, the rampant bullying was apparent to all, that year, including the staff. There were other students who noticed. Nothing was done. Suffice to say, there was an incident that spring where I was pushed to breaking point, and I was removed for my own safety. It is also worth noting that once I was gone, one of my good friends became the new target, for largely similar reasons. The staff knew. The staff even aided and abetted the bullies, many of whom were among the wealthier families in the program that the admins would cozy up to. The message was clear: I was not worth the investment, boasted no ambitions for them to advertise in the future, and as such was cut loose. "Open Season." I have had many years of growth and therapy to digest what happened then. I wouldn't be writing this at all if I hadn't seen some social media videos featuring alumni testimonies, and see several of the bullies being plastered up as Star Student advertisements. With the small number of reviews here, I don't expect this to gain much traction. And, as I said, many years have passed since 2007, and I cannot speak to how things have changed. All I can do is share what happened to me, and if it happens to help even one person down the road, that's enough for me.

I attended HMS from Children's House through 8th grade, yet credit much of my later successes on…read morethe early lessons I learned there. The school teaches you how to think for yourself, how to cooperate with others, and how to be a global citizen. I was able to independently explore my passion for math and develop a ton of practical life skills at the same time. It helped me be successful at WRA and later Brown University before becoming a high school math and computer science teacher myself. I still use a lot of Montessori philosophy in my job today. Please send your child here and contribute to building a bright future of thoughtful and consider human beings!