616 High Hampton Dr
Martinez, GA 30907

I am the parent of a rising senior who has been at Lakeside all years, including through COVID. School is what your teenager makes of it. My kid has had a great learning experience at Lakeside, more opportunity than where we used to live in another state. At Lakeside there is an opportunity for students who like to learn to choose AP or IB curricula. We have a motivated and engaged teen who is interested in learning so both AP and IB options have been excellent. The IB teachers do care about your kid and challenge them to think critically. The band program and other clubs my kid participates in are enjoyable and motivated my child to learn or do different things outside of school and make new friends. In reading the other negative comments....High school is what your kid makes of it. There are the obvious things that happen in most high schools, public and private: smoking/vaping, fights, cliques, bullying, mean girls, cheating, etc. That's life. Parents have a responsibility to help their kids make good choices. Schools have a responsibility to provide opportunities. If kids don't make the right choices given the opportunities it doesn't make it a bad school. The administration here does care and communicates effectively, and have tried different policies to curb smoking etc. My kid's counselor has been really supportive when needed. It is a large school so for some kids they may get lost in the crowd. My kid hasn't had great teachers 100% of the time all 4 years but I would say 80% of the time we have been pleased with the quality of the teaching, especially in IB. I asked my kid-- they would choose Lakeside again given the opportunities -- which makes me happy to recommend it to others.

Moved new to the area last year and my daughter started at Steven's Creek. Coming from out of state from a nice newly built school with modern classrooms, I was disappointed by the building my child would spend her days. The first few months of school work came back with failing marks and then passing marks and then failing marks again. She dragged going to school in the morning. I about lost my mind trying to pinpoint if it was the school culture, the teacher, or just the out of state move, and then I received a note she tested into the gifted enrichment progm called Horizons. She agreed to give it a try, and now adores this school and asks to get dropped off early. The teachers were professionals in evaluating what was going on and changed the instruction so she is now motivated to learn and is learning a lot. Steven's Creek also has a lot of parents (and grandparents) who volunteer their time when asked and donate materials for classroom activities and projects.

The administration at this school is consistently overreaching in the way they exercise disciplinary authority. Punishments are not applied fairly or consistently, and parents who raise valid concerns often feel silenced rather than heard. Instead of working with families to resolve issues, administrators appear only willing to listen when it serves the school’s own interests.After speaking with a school officer at another campus and reviewing the “legal” language surrounding the Code of Conduct, I learned that perception and context are critical when determining whether a student’s statement or behavior is truly a threat. Unfortunately, this school has shown little willingness to weigh context or consider intent—especially when the outcome could have been resolved with reasoned discussion rather than harsh, disproportionate consequences.House Bill 268 has only made this problem worse. The law seems to encourage broad, punitive interpretations of behavior, which has led to an increase in disciplinary actions that bypass the careful due process students are entitled to. This is especially troubling for students with IEPs or special education needs, who are legally protected but often disciplined without those rights being properly considered.The message being sent to students is troubling: learners who are curious, descriptive, or who challenge the brokenness of the current system are praised when convenient, but quickly silenced when their voices expose flaws in the environment. That is not the mark of a healthy learning community.It’s also worth noting the lack of sensitivity to differences between male and female learners. Boys, who often thrive on competition and challenge, are being discouraged in ways that stifle their natural learning style. True equity means recognizing these differences, not disciplining them away.This school must do better. Respecting due process, considering developmental and educational needs, and engaging parents as partners—not adversaries—are the first steps toward creating a fair and effective learning environment for all children.