Irving Park

Unprofessional teachers and staff. Would not recommend.

My granddaughter goes to Lindley Elementary and it’s a very good school. The interaction between parents and teacher means a lot because that’s important to me. They keep me informed whether it be on Class Dojo or in person. I’ve met a lot of friendly teachers and staff that works in the school. My granddaughter loves to go to school every day so that tells me a lot about the school. She’s learning a lot at this school and would highly recommend this school.

This school has significant student and teacher turnover. They cannot maintain the same teachers because of the poor administration. They also expect a thousand responsibilities they put on their teachers shoulders for such a low amount of pay. Students are asked to leave St. Pius School for a variety of reasons by administration. When my child attended there I saw three students asked to leave mid year. Teachers were asked to leave for insane reasons I heard. However, the female school counselor at St. Pius School became pregnant with the male Middle School Science teacher. They both had a shotgun wedding, while she was pregnant to try and cover everything up. I am surprised the Charlotte Catholic Diocese was not involved in disciplinary measures for the counselor and the Science teacher. I have seen them dismiss teachers for matters even less. The turnover between teachers and students here is very high. Beware! You have been warned.

Based on our family’s experience, I believe this school will continue to decline under the current leadership of Principal Rusche and Father Coleman. The focus seems to be more on control and compliance than on learning, communication, and what is best for the children.Many of the experienced teachers we valued have left, and communication with families has been consistently poor. Parent concerns are often dismissed rather than thoughtfully addressed. I also strongly disagree with disciplinary practices such as taking away recess, especially when children need movement and a healthy outlet during the school day.We witnessed troubling behavior—including bullying among students and adults—that we did not feel was handled appropriately. The parent organization does not appear to represent the broader school community because its members are appointed rather than elected by the families. When we brought our concerns to the diocese, we were equally disappointed by the lack of meaningful response.Children should attend a school where they feel safe, supported, understood, and excited to learn. Sadly, that was not our family’s experience here. My sincere advice to other parents is to carefully consider whether this environment is right for their children and to seek a school where educators genuinely nurture children and help them develop a lifelong love of learning.