5 Everson Way, Ballston, NY 12019

I have 2 children in K and 3, and have been a Chango Parent for 3 years. Simply put, Chango is a happy place. Students are cheerful, polite and secure, parents are (for the most part) very satisfied and involved, the PTA is active and enriches the school experience. Teachers, administrators and staff are professional and range from very competent to excellent. We have had teachers in 4 grades ranging from brand new to mid-career to decades of experience and have not had a bad experience yet. The school is academically rigorous and prepares kids very well for the state tests. Chango has a well-deserved reputation of being one of the best of the 8 Shen K-5 schools. As far as public schools go, I cannot imagine a better one. It is worth noting also that Chango (and Otke) are "off campus" in Shen district, meaning they are not part of the giant district complex (4 K-5schools, 3 Middle, 2 High) at exit 9. They have a late start too - 9am. I never have to wake my kids up for the 8:30 bus. The Y runs an early am dropoff program at Chango if parents need an earlier start (7:30am on). One negative: they need to hire their own art teacher, not 4 "fill in" ones from other schools.