Palomino

The principal is disengaged. They are not good at following an I.E.P.

Terrible school district. We moved to this area from Texas and have never had any issue with our kids getting pick up for school at prior school districts. We have 3 grown adults and 3 kids in elementary. So far in 2026 my kids have been late for school 4 times because of Peoria ISD transportation. Bus transportation is our only option with getting our kids to school. If you require bus pickup from for your kids I would stay away.

Don’t send your child here! They don’t monitor the kids and there is tons of bullying! I reported a teacher for bullying my child and nothing was done! A simple meeting was had but of course the principal believed the teacher. I caught her lying multiple times! I had to escalate and the teacher kept bullying my child on top of her already being bullied by her peers! This is an awful school with awful teachers. My kid was also falling behind in math and the teacher didn’t tell me or help my child at all!

We absolutely love this school! From the moment you walk on campus, you can tell how much the staff genuinely cares about the students. Everyone is incredibly friendly, welcoming, professional, and kind, and they truly go above and beyond to make the kids feel supported and loved.The principal is amazing and so involved with the students. Whether she’s dressing up for Spirit Week, helping kids out of their cars in the morning, or simply being present around campus, you can tell she truly loves what she does and cares about the kids. That same attitude carries throughout the entire staff.When we first moved here, my son really struggled with the transition and starting at a new school. The patience, kindness, and support they showed him made such a difference. He has made a complete 180! He now loves going to school, is thriving, and has grown so much. As a parent, there is nothing better than seeing your child happy and excited about school.Our family has moved around quite a bit due to our previous military life, so we have experienced several different schools over the years. This is, without a doubt, our favorite elementary school we have ever been a part of.There are also so many fun activities for the kids and wonderful community events that really make the school feel like a family. We feel incredibly fortunate that our son gets to attend such a special school. I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about the teachers, staff, administration, and the community they have created.

Highland Lakes had potential, but unfortunately, our experience ultimately led us to remove our son after attending from kindergarten through third grade.Our biggest concern was how the administration handled repeated bullying and physical aggression toward our son. The problems began with verbal behavior in first grade and escalated physically in second grade. The school was aware of an incident in which another student slapped our son three times in the face. Our son did not retaliate and had been specifically taught to report incidents rather than fight back.By third grade, the behavior continued and included the same student kicking our son in the private area multiple times. Despite the documented history and our repeated requests for meaningful separation, the boys continued to be placed in the same classroom because they were enrolled in a program with only one class.What concerned us most was eventually seeing our son's school records and discovering how some of our concerns had been characterized internally. At times, it felt as though our advocacy was being treated as the problem rather than the repeated behavior we were asking the school to address. We never believed our child was perfect—we simply expected him to be able to attend school without repeatedly being hit, kicked, or intimidated.There were aspects of Highland Lakes that we appreciated, particularly the teachers and our son's first-grade experience. Unfortunately, our confidence in the administration's ability to protect him was ultimately lost, and transferring him was the right decision for our family.Based on our experience, I cannot recommend Highland Lakes to families dealing with bullying or recurring student safety concerns. If your child is considering a specialized program with only one classroom, I would strongly encourage you to ask in advance how the school handles separation when serious conflicts or safety issues arise.