9720 Smith Way
Dunkirk, MD 20754

I'm sure its a higher ranking school for the area and for being in Maryland, however I was not impressed. Staff was friendly enough when we talked to them and teachers communicated well. Like another reviewer said, my child watched countless movies and online videos while in class that teachers put on (5th grade). I might give them the benefit of the doubt that it was because of the whole COVID-19, but why were they not doing real educational classwork or knocking out stuff so they didn't always come home with homework? Or watching movies that were at least educational? My student struggled with homework via the computer that I couldn't help with because it is so different than what I learned. I was frustrated when I tried some workbooks with my student that I purchased at a bookstore to try a different approach because my student just was not getting it, and the teacher told me not to. She also once told me my child needed consequences when my child started to show signs of sruggling with work in the classroom; mighty presumptuous, innacurate and absolutely out of line. They spend a lot of the year focusing on that stupid MAPS testing and I think my students class went on one field trip the entire year. My student's teacher always used no recess as a punishment, the cafeteria food is dreadful, and if your students bus is 30 or 45 minutes late picking up or dropping off your kid, don't bother calling the school; they apparently have no clue or communication with the busses. Lastly, when my child was bullied and we talked to the principal, he made sure to mention to me that the other student was on the student council. I guess that means either it's all okay and the bullying doesn't matter or that we must be wrong and mistaken because ya know, kid's on student council and all. Ditch the common core, figure out the busses, quit watching movies all the time and completely demolish and restructure the dang parking lot.

So bad teachers do not teach at all there was 3 broken pipes and they only put tape over them mice all over the school and they say it’s normal and everytime I put my backpack in school the ground was so dirty my BLACK backpack would get so dirty fast all they do is fight and the staff members are rude and some are prejudice

This review is specifically for students with IEP or 504. This school is not for them. My daughter came in with an IEP and the very first year, part way through, we were told she was going to be switched to a 504. We thought this meant she had made progress with her learning goals and would still have the support she needs in class. She is on the spectrum and has auditory processing delay, easily distracted, makes noises while she is thinking, and struggles with attention. The 504 was suppose to have supports including her having access to teacher notes for instruction (not test notes- just acess to the powerpoints the teacher rushes through in class because she cannot keep up with writing the information), extra time to complete assignments and tests, preferential seating, and allow her to request further clarification of assignments. Since switching to the 504, we have repeatedly argued with teachers about those very things. The 504 is suppose to be guaranteed by Federal law, and yet every teacher argued with us about following it. Some teachers we had months long back and forth and the school will back the teachers. So, if you have a student who is a great at sports, great at music, or any other activity that they can potentially win an award for the school- they will be welcomed with open arms. But normal students, or worse still (from the school's perspective) a student with a learning difference, this is not the school for them. You won't win them awards, you will drag down their standardized test results (which apparently is worth more for federal funding than funding for assisting students with learning differences), and you will make just too much work for their teachers. It's a "blue ribbon" school, not a blue pumpkin school.So why did we stay? Because we moved to the area specifically for the schools- they were suppose to be so amazing. And we have moved around a lot for my husband's job. We just wanted to give her 3 years at the same school. Our mistake. Along that note, military families be prepared for an exercise in futility trying to get credits from previous schools to count. There is not a lot of support for military dependents. At least she got a purple shirt, you know how important that is for all the kids go through. While verbally you will be told how hard the deployment must be, there is not support for if the student is struggling with the deployment emotionally. Be prepared for "all the students are going through so much."