812 Garfield St
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Sad excuse for a school. I was a student here, and I was struggling. I needed additional support and instead I was met with constant judgement and criticism by the administrators and the teachers. Eventually, going to this school made me extremely depressed and anxious. It got so bad that I eventually stopped going. Instead of reaching out to try and help they unenrolled me from school without notice to my parent. Instead I was written off as a problem/menace they were happy to be rid of. The staff that worked there should really be ashamed of themselves. As an Educator it is our duty to treat every child with respect and support their needs to help them be successful. This "problem child" has received a Bachelor's in education and is working on their Masters. One good thing came out of it I suppose, my drive to create an inclusive, respectful community of learning. Take a minute to evaluate yourself, are you really helping these children. "Problem" behaviors often indicate that something is significantly wrong in a child's life, not that they are a bad person.

We have been enrolled at Laurel Elementary for four years now and very much looking forward to many more with our other children. We have come to love many teachers/staff there. They have shown time and time again that they go above and beyond on a daily basis. They are committed to the success and well-being of each child. Any concerns we have had have been met with an immediate response. Although the school is adjacent to a neighboring public park, we have never felt unsafe on school grounds before, during or after school. My child is happy and thriving as a Laurel Lynx.

We’ve had children at Lesher for the past five years. I can honestly say that each year has gotten worse. And after the 2022 school year we decided to pull our child from this school. The amount of bullying my child received last year was totally unacceptable. Administration didn’t care. 504 plans aren’t followed. I constantly had to remind teachers of my child’s accommodations. Our new school has been like a night and day difference, and even though this is our neighborhood school, my younger children will not attend Lesher. I hope the new administration steps up and does something about the bullying and harassment of students and starts holding teachers accountable to following 504 plans and IEPs.