4357 State Highway 176 E
Chestnutridge, MO 65630

Our family withdrew our children from Spokane R-VII after repeated and serious safety and supervision failures across multiple levels of the district. I want to share our experience so parents can make informed decisions.The most concerning issue was the lack of proper supervision, which allowed our child to be harmed by other students on more than one occasion. Some of these incidents were of a sensitive and extremely serious nature that no child should ever experience in a school setting. These situations should not be possible with appropriate oversight. We were also given incomplete or inaccurate information at the time, and critical details only surfaced later.Because of the seriousness of what occurred, multiple outside agencies became involved, and we were informed that legal processes, including subpoenas, were initiated. As a social worker, I found it alarming that so many professionals had to step in due to concerns about safety and reporting.Failures did not stop at the classroom level. We encountered inconsistent communication from teachers, principals, and administration. During a meeting with the superintendent, there was an acknowledgment that mistakes were made in how the situation was handled. While we appreciated the honesty, this confirmed our concerns about inadequate supervision and response.We also faced difficulties with the school board. We were not allowed to speak at a meeting yet saw board members respond to our situation on social media in ways that minimized the seriousness of what happened. Some even blocked and unblocked us online, which felt unprofessional and avoided genuine conversation. We were told by community members that our concerns were described as “child’s play,” despite the involvement of outside agencies.These issues reflected a pattern of systemic problems—from supervision to reporting to leadership oversight. Ultimately, we no longer felt our children were safe or supported. Since homeschooling, they have been calmer and are thriving.I hope the district makes real changes, because families deserve a school system where safety and accountability come first. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend Spokane R-VII at this time.