Rutledge

My son participated in the ESE program at Talbot Elementary for Pre-K and Kindergarten. Overall, we were VERY pleased with the experience. Even though my son was a young student, all of the staff and teachers knew him very well, and they were incredibly supportive of his needs. Dr. Beland is an OUTSTANDING principal - and I say this not only as a parent, but in my estimation as an educator as well. He is open-minded and promotes an inclusive environment where all feel welcome and valued. During our time at Talbot, Dr. Beland went above and beyond to personally ensure that my son was always safe and well-supported in his environment. As a result, Talbot was truly a place of comfort and safety for my son, and he blossomed socially and academically there. He developed such a deep passion for school and learning that he would literally RUN to school every morning...which is one of the best feeling any parent can have! This was especially important since my son had limited verbal communication to tell me what his experience was, but his actions spoke very loud and clear. Gainesville has limited ESE resources, but I was truly blessed to have an amazing team at Talbot. I cannot recommend this school enough, especially the ESE program.

This is the best elementary school. All staff and teachers are competent. Kids are loved! Kids are accepted and the school is very focused in academics. We love hidden oak. Two kids and 3 years in the schools and we have no doubt this is the best elementary school in Gainesville.

Our children thrived cognitively, socially, physically and emotionally at this amazing school. The teachers and administrators go to great lengths to care for each student and the overall learning that takes place in and out of the classroom. The extended care and summer camp are top-notch. Curiosity, learning, play, creativity, and kindness are all traits fostered at Brentwood. Highly recommend!

Disappointing and truly felt that this school failed our preschooler. After 2 years in preschool still forcing our child to go to another school for 1st grade unless he wanted to repeat an additional year of preschool for “initiating activities” more on his own. Several elitist comments from leadership and no sentiment of meeting the parents or child where they’re at to actually improve. I tell everyone I know and work with in GNV to stay away from Millhopper. Not a true Montessori. Whether it’s financially driven or just laziness, they are holding kids back far more than necessary. I have found that our story was not more common with several other families that left the school as well.