i am writing a second review because yelp decided to hide my previous one..
I started my search a school/daycare back in March 2013 for my then 18 month old son who had never been in any kind of child care center before or under anyone's care except for mine or my family. i was extremely nervous to find the perfect place and went to over 20 schools/daycares all over the Austin and Round Rock area and couldn't find a place that was good enough in my eyes.. it seemed like everywhere i went i could always find something wrong like bad smells, how unfriendly teachers were, the cleanliness of the place, size of the classroom, etc. i'm extremely picky when it comes to my sons well being, so of course i was not willing to settle for anything but the best. By the end of March i was very frustrated because i couldn't find a school and unfortunately Stepping Stone School wasn't even on my list of places to visit because of the bad and mixed reviews i found online, but i decided to schedule an appointment with them and give it a shot anyways because i couldn't find anything else, and i'm soooo glad i did. i wish i would have gone there in the first place and it would have saved me a lot of time. this school (a.w grimes location) is amazing. the staff is very friendly and caring, the place is extremely clean, classrooms are very big, they serve healthy meals, the playground is modern, big and beautiful. since the first time i walked in the school i fell completely in love. the principal greeted me with a big smile, her cute little uniform, and was extremely friendly and professional. my sons teacher at the time was ms Elizabeth, she is absolutely amazing beyond a words, i feel so grateful and blessed to have had found not only the right school for my son, but also such a sweet, caring and lovable teacher.. leaving him in her care everyday made me feel at ease. My son now has graduated to another classroom and has another teacher, Ms Emily, and i'm also very very happy with her, she has amazing energy, is super friendly and so hands on, she is just great. we moved a few months ago and now live about 30 minutes away from the school and i decided i would make the extra drive every morning and afternoon just for my soon to stay around both his teachers ms Elizabeth and Emily.
i read people commenting on the high turnover the school has and unfortunately it seems that maybe teachers are not being paid well enough for them to cherish their job and take pride in it, so there's always teachers coming and going. there was a time when my son was transitioning to his new classroom and i was so nervous for him to leave his teacher ms Elizabeth and go with a new random teacher.. it was about a 1-2 month period where my son was being switched from classroom to classroom or he had a different teacher every other day because teachers would not stick around. i was debating taking him out of school because i didn't like him being in such unstable environment, but thankfully they found ms Emily and she is now my sons teacher. honesty if it wasn't for ms Elizabeth and ms Emily i probably would have taken my son out just because the instability. that's really the only bad thing i can say about the school and i understand it's probably the same way at other schools, but i think they need to have extra teachers at the school in case a teacher calls in sick or quits, instead of overcrowding other classrooms because they are short on teachers. teachers are having a hard time handling their own toddlers and the last thing they need is extra kids who are in a completely different age range. children shouldn't be dragged around from classroom to classroom because there's no teachers around. i called the main office asking what the pay for teachers was and i was in shock. absolute shock.. no wonder teachers don't last.. i probably wouldn't last either. dealing with 8-9 kids per classroom especially toddlers, and getting paid such low wage is a little disappointing. my sons tuition is extremely high, it could be a mortgage payment so i think it's sad teachers are so underpaid and unappreciated. it's a slap in the face in my opinion because teachers are the one keeping the school running. my sons teachers are the ones keeping us around. i'm thankful ms Elizabeth and ms Emily have a true love for children and have stayed at this location for so long. i'm nervous about my son graduating to a different classroom because i will always have both his previous teachers to compare to the new teacher. i can only hope he gets someone as amazing as them. you need to check out this school for yourself i doubt you will be disappointed. there will be people who complain about every little thing and never will be happy. most people will take the time to write a bad review and not a good one so keep that in mind. the school is great overall. giving 4 stars just because of high turnover. read more