Arbor Bay School

Our daughter was not prospering in public school. As one of thirty students in a boisterous classroom, she wasn't learning and was beginning to hate school.Arbor Bay changed everything. The teachers are wonderful, the student/teacher ratio allows her to thrive, and the special programs are just what she needed.

Our child attended the lower elementary grade. Initially, we thought it was an appropriate school for our child, but we changed our minds by the end of the school term. Certain staff members, mainly higher personnel, did not appear genuine. We say this because promises were made for our child and not kept which showed us a lack of integrity. Also, upper personnel and some teachers were openly discussing other children's deficits and challenges to me when I would bring up a concern about our child. They would then share comparable challenges about another child with providing specific name - that is breach of privacy. It is acceptable if you say, "a student we have....." but you are not to give specific names and disclose the child's issues and challenge to another parent. That would be the decision and discretion of that particular child's parent. When information was openly provided to me, it made me think, "Are they openly discussing our child's issues and challenges with other parents during casual conversation?". This was a concern of ours. A lot of personal things were told to me about a child when I never even asked - honestly, it came off as "gossip". Lastly, they neglected to inform us of important information regarding our child's progress until only days before last day of school and due to this "concern", our child was not welcome back to Arbor Bay. That showed lack of regard, consideration, and respect for our child and to us, as the parents. This was an example of poor administration and management of our child's case. This delay of important information did not give us sufficient time to rectify the issue in a timely and effective manner. They did not properly prepare our child for the next level of academics. They failed our child and also betrayed the trust we had in them to provide our child with what was necessary and needed. They betrayed our child, us, and their profession as a "special education school". When people ask us about our experience at Arbor Bay, we tell the "truth", and the reaction is the same - appalled and dumbfounded that a "special education school" would be this irresponsible and unprofessional. Needless to say, our experience deterred others from considering this school for their child. I highly recommend ANOVA for children with mild/mod needs - "superior", therapeutic, cohesive, and professional.

Arbor Bay School is fantastic! The teachers are easy to work with, flexible and want the best for each student. They are willing to continue trying different approaches until one is reached for the success of the student. My daughter enjoys going to school which wasn't the case at her previous placement. Everyone at Arbor Bay School is welcoming, helpful and very professional.

Our daughter attended Arbor Bay from 4th through 8th grades. The school was a life-saver for all of us. They evaluated her strengths and weaknesses and worked with her individually to improve the areas where she struggled while encouraging her to excel in her strengths. She came into the school with a feeling of inadequacy and social rejection from public school, but even after one year at ABS she gained confidence and comfort. She told me every day how much she loved going to school, as it was her 'second home'. She learned to love science and math, even though it's her weakest subject, and learned to write whole paragraphs that made sense. She enjoyed many class field trips and especially the after-school program which offered helpful activities and not just baby-sitting. As importantly, she was able to make real friends for the first time in her life - people she spends time with outside of school. The teachers are very caring and very attentive - no child is overlooked or passed over. The facility is in a great location next to the park and youth center and the staff take full advantage of both. I can't recommend Arbor Bay enough for any parent with a struggling child.