Barrell Landing

I would not recommend Okatie Elementary School based on my experience.The biggest issue is the leadership under principal Tracey Lanese. In my opinion, she creates a very negative and unwelcoming environment for both parents and students. I have personally witnessed her yelling directly in children’s faces to the point where they were visibly upset and crying, which was extremely concerning to see in an elementary school setting.Interactions with parents can also feel dismissive and demeaning rather than supportive. The overall attitude from leadership often comes across as entitled and hostile rather than warm or collaborative.It’s unfortunate because the school itself has potential, but leadership sets the tone for the entire environment. In my opinion, with NEWK leadership the school could improve dramatically. Until then, parents should be aware that their experience here may not be positive.

I am a former teacher at this school for preK. Based on my experience, I would never recommend a young child to go here. The teachers I worked with did NOT pay attention to the children, often spending hours on their phones or planning vacations. They gossiped about the parents, about other teachers... our classroom didnt have air in it for months and children were waking up from naps with heat rashes. One of the teachers I worked with would complain right when she got to the school, telling the young children they needed to go home and that they were annoying. She also tried scaring a 2 year old by pretending to throw bugs on her until she cried if she was misbehaving. I would see kids beating eachother up in other playgrounds and the teachers on their phones or gossiping with eachother. Just not a nice place to work. They use religion as a ploy to make it seem so great but I was embarrassed to say I worked there.

Hello!I am writing this review to share my experience at this school because I believe it’s important for people to know the truth.I attended this school from 2019 to 2022 during my 6th and 7th grades. Those two years were among the worst of my life. Don’t let the ratings mislead you!Brian Ryman is an ineffective principal. Throughout my time there, I experienced bullying, and he refused to take any action. Whenever my mom or I raised concerns, his response was always, "Bring it up with my wife." It's worth mentioning that his wife was an elementary teacher at Okatie—or at least she was; I’m not sure if that’s still the case. Regardless, that’s beside the point.I often came home in tears due to the severity of the bullying. To provide some context, the bullies were the children of the Assistant Principal. Because of this connection, they seemed to escape accountability and continued to target me.By the end of 7th grade, I had no friends left. A fellow student, whom I thought was my best friend, spread horrible rumors about me, and all my friends chose to believe her, leaving me isolated.I left this school the moment the 2021 to 2022 school year ended and transferred to Bluffton Middle over the summer. Bluffton Middle has proven to be significantly better in every way! I am happy to say that I was much happier there. The bullying stopped, and aside from a few minor incidents, I have been fine!I was diagnosed with depression in 8th grade due to the toll that River Ridge took on my mental health.If I were you, I would not enroll your children here—or even consider moving out of the area. The schools here are not what they used to be. One of these days, the school board and district need to get a reality check and consider replacing some of these principals, as they are far from effective in their roles.