Jefferson Westside

After 9 years of being a parent of a student at O’Hara, I can say that the comment below perfectly captures what this school is all about: “At this school it's not about YOU or what you know, it's all about your connections, your money, and WHO you know.” Elitism is the guiding compass, not values or education. Academics are not great, they have some GREAT teachers but average curriculum. Many kids rely on after-school tutoring to be up to speed in math, the school offers little (unpaid) support. Mental health is a taboo here and there is a sad lack of culture or cultural competency; kids are not coming out prepared for the world. Catholic faith I also a second thought (it’s more of a Republican-Christian situation here). The school has no counselors or behavioral professionals, so staff is not equipped to deal with negative behaviors; lots of bullying and lots of issues that are never properly addressed. Kids from certain families could do no wrong and would verbally bully others, it’s is an ongoing issue every year. Behaviors often get worse as O’Hara accepts all the kids that had been/or about to be expelled for behavioral problem at other schools. Decisions (big and small) are made based on what families that contributes the most or has the most money to donate to the school tell the school director and school priest they want to happen/be done. Communication with families is very strong, however they can’t seem to figure how to use spellcheck, lots of spelling mistakes and grammar errors in all of their communication. It’s a bit of a reflection of the school spirit; check boxes don’t worry about substance or quality of content, just the looks of it.The clases are clean and organized, the usual school rodent issues and common mouse reports but no big complaints. If you are looking for Catholic education, St Paul might be a better place. Beautiful brand new pricey cafeteria, however, the hot lunch program is not great, and is very expensive. Most students pack lunches, limited microwaves available. No breakfast offered to students either. If I could go back in time I would not enrolled, it is a hard choice to remove our oldest but we are moving our youngest when waitlist spot at new school opens up. Lots of families leave every year after experiencing what this school is all about. It’s not easy to remove children from their known environment, so many families (like mine) just suck it up and supplement at home what is missed by the school.