University Estates

Parent & Volunteer Experience at Tara SchoolI began my journey at Tara School as a volunteer and later became a parent with children enrolled. Unfortunately, my overall experience has been deeply disappointing due to ongoing issues with professionalism, communication, leadership, and, most critically, student safety.One of the most troubling aspects has been the school’s lack of transparency around serious safety incidents. Over the past few years, there have been multiple threats—including gun and bomb threats—that were not communicated to parents. Additionally, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were several outbreaks on campus that were not disclosed to families. These decisions, made at the administrative level, created unnecessary risks and left many parents feeling blindsided and excluded from essential information about their children's well-being.The front office staff has also been consistently unresponsive and disorganized. Phone calls often go unanswered, and routine administrative tasks like registration have taken up to two months due to poor coordination and a general lack of accountability. Interactions with office staff often feel rushed or unhelpful, and there seems to be little effort made to assist parents in a respectful and informed manner.Leadership within the school has been equally disappointing. The principal, in my experience, lacks effective leadership skills and is often dismissive of parent concerns, with little to no follow-up on important issues. While the assistant principal does appear to care about the students, her professionalism at times feels inconsistent.Family engagement—a priority in most school communities—is nearly nonexistent. Events are rare, poorly organized, or not communicated effectively. Teachers also tend to fall short in keeping parents informed when students begin to struggle academically. Often, parents only find out once the situation has already become serious.Overall, my experience at Tara has been marked by a lack of professionalism, poor communication, ineffective leadership, and concerning lapses in safety and transparency. I sincerely hope that the school takes urgent steps to improve in these areas for the benefit of all students and families.

I have children that have been going to LCE since 2000. They all graduated from LCE, Babb & Forest Park H.S. 10 children, 7 have graduated without a problem from all these schools. And i have to say. We hVe seen teachers become Council members, Principals, Board members etc. I have met the best teachers and principals for so many years. Never will i forget Lake City Elementary staff. Oh, if they see abuse, they will definitely handle it. They don't play when it comes to abuse at home nor in school and It saddens me that we have to move and leave this school and start over again.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary is an amazing school for teaching, learning, and family engagement. This school and staff are so AMAZING in this community.