COLUMBIA Plan in Collinswood by D.R. Horton
Aberdeen, NC 28315

I have a senior and a graduate from Pinecrest. They both had positive experiences. The graduate is now working on a master’s degree.

We have 2 children at SPES who initially attended a local private school for multiple years of preschool and kindergarten. We are pleased with the experienced teachers at SPES, as well as the great ratio of students to teachers and the availability of Pre-K on campus. Our child was able to be screened for the gifted program and for speech therapy easily and quickly. The new building is exceptional, especially the media center. The school leadership and teachers communicate well with parents. Our children have gotten out of the neighborhood bubble and now have friends with different abilities, skin color, family makeup, and financial situations. This was not the case in the private school they attended. Our children do not get assigned homework (yet?).

I’m very concerned about how this school is handling behavior and student safety. My daughter no longer feels safe or comfortable in class because disruptive and bullying behavior is often ignored. It’s clear that teachers are hesitant to address certain students’ actions, and that hesitation seems to stem from fear of being labeled as racist — since most of the teachers are white and many of the students causing issues are Black.This has created an environment where inappropriate behavior is tolerated, and students who want to learn are the ones who suffer. No teacher should feel afraid to enforce rules fairly, and no student should feel unsafe or distracted because the classroom is out of control.I hope the faculty address these issues soon.