2937 800 E
Dewey, IL 61840

My two students went to this school for a little over 2 years. In the beginning, the experience was great. Almost magical. The principal was engaging and accommodating to our students' special educational needs. Every single teacher that my children engaged with was positive and supportive and my kids reported feeling safe and comfortable (despite a pervasive and aggressive culture of bullying in the school and community as a whole), even on days where they were struggling. Then one day, about 5 months into our 2-year journey, my oldest child comes home visibly upset and shaken. It turns out that my son was verbally abused by a teacher and told he was "a waste of space" for struggling to understand the subject. Obviously, this was a major concern for me. When I confronted the admin about this and requested a meeting and apology for my son (in an attempt to mend the relationship between teacher/student), I was stonewalled and treated like it wasn't a big deal and told a meeting would not happen. I had to threaten to go to the school board to get a meeting. At this meeting, the teacher proceeded to insult my wife for being concerned about how this made our son feel, refuse to apologize to my son (lots of excesses for why he verbally abused my child) and eventually gave the most lukewarm apology I have ever heard. I got the feeling the entire event was nothing beyond a peeing contest between the principal and a student's father. Afterwards, my children reported being treated differently (negatively) by the teacher in question (they would NOT move my son to another class) and the principal became highly confrontational with me and my wife at EVERY opportunity. He eventually used his position to intimidate another staff member into spying on me and my family and placing false reports, even going so far as to contact the principals of other schools in the area I was trying to get my children into and giving them false information. That principle is now the superintendent of the school district. Nearly every teacher we dealt with there was a delight, and I got the feeling they also were frustrated with the way things are handled by the "boys club" admin (both past and present) and the overt bullying being met with dispassion by the admin. TLDR: Mostly great teachers, strong IEP resources, administration that will stalk you if you dissent, hostile small-town environment. I do NOT recommend.