132 W Lafayette St
Ottawa, IL 61350

my daughter came from another school and required xtra help in reading and math. they tested her and said she didn't . i had her tested and she does. i have to pay someone to tutor her now and they try with the bullying but it doesn't work. the parents of these brats just don't get it. they ruin school for many.

Jefferson is an absolutely wonderful elementary school! The principal shows strong leadership with his teachers and students and is highly visible and involved in the school! The teachers are committed to their students development in all areas! The PTA is strong and active! There is a good mix of kids ranging from every background! All in all - Jefferson offers a safe, productive learning environment!

Shepherd Middle is an excellent school catering to the needs of all it's students! I'm impressed with the leadership of the principal and the involvement of the teachers and staff. It is a safe, consistent school and offers kids lots of experiences to get involved! Parents are encouraged to get involved and are always made to feel welcome!

Stay very far away from this school if you have a child on the spectrum. Their lack of knowledge, training and capabilities for teaching a student on the spectrum is totally mind blowing. The worst part is that they know this and don't care. Their excuse is we don't have the facilities to provide the students with what they need and they send them off to alternative placement. They also rely heavily on the school resource officer to intervene as a method of response to student behavior (and don't inform the parents.) They have no idea how to even perform a functional behavior analysis in order to address any behaviors and develop a successful behavior intervention plan. The administration only cares about covering their own bottoms against any liability or infractions of IDEA. We are very involved in providing the necessary supports to allow our kiddo the best chance of even surviving in this crazy world and this school, staff and administration just proves that ignorance is a lot easier to justify than incompetence. In writing this review I am actually doing the school a favor by trying to detour you from sending your kiddo here but please don't put them through it just to have them do an alternative placement in the end. Trust me we tried and the regression was unbearable. In general the commitment to students at this school is unfathomable. Take a look at their accounting web page and see what the teachers and administration are paid and you will understand what they really care about.