Short Pump

It is a good school when I went here. Good diversity and not much trouble.

The teachers are mostly competent and good at their jobs. We've had 4 teachers so far and 3 were amazing, but 1 was just a body in the classroom. The principal is friendly enough, however doesn't seem invested. The ExEd experience needs a lot of help. The principal seems to keep accommodations at a bare minimum instead of actually giving the student all that he/she needs. The social worker seems far removed from the ExEd process and the counselor is no help at all when it comes to knowing the laws for IEPs/504s. There are a lot of unkind students who aren't dealt with prior to becoming bullies. The teachers don't notice because they are not in ear shot to hear various conversations on the playground. The cafeteria is extremely loud and is monitored by volunteer parents who have no experience in a large setting of 150 or so kids at one time. There is no way to curb bullying in the cafeteria since no one can hear students' conversations. The cafeteria manager is very helpful and kind. The school nurse is good at informing parents of incidents and cares for the children fairly well, but is not helpful nor is she kind to parents. The office staff is rude and aggressive until they get to know you, then they are very helpful. The art teacher and librarian are wonderful. The students seem to like the music teacher, but I needed something from her once and she was not helpful at all. The PE teacher seems to be OK, although I really haven't needed him/her much. The PTA is amazing and go above and beyond. With all of that said, I'd probably give this school a B. They have a few things on which to work. However, I'd still recommend this school to friends and family.

I’ve had two kids at Gayton and couldn’t bring myself to put my youngest there. The first time around, the administration and faculty were excellent - dedicated, competent and responsive. Those days are gone. Now students are floundering with inadequate support and resources. Physical assaults and perpetual bullying are permitted with no communication with or response to parents. Some teachers are not at all equipped to pick up on signs that kids are having trouble. Non-verbal exceptional education students with no emotional self-control are put in general education classes of 23+ students, with no appropriate teaching aides. Lessons are solely taught to make a sufficient number of students pass the tests (PALS, iready, SOLs, etc.) and the pursuit of educating kids to learn critical thinking skills has been abandoned. Project based curricula are gone. From the very start of kindergarten and beyond, the teaching is heavily dependent on children using tablets and laptops to establish an early neurological dependence on technology. The PTA is a social club for out of touch, status facade driven moms who are mostly busy with petty power trips and “fundraising” to benefit their local businesses with increased advertising and access to customers in the community. Teachers are burnt out and express feeling unsupported and unheard by the administration. Many of them have the potential to be wonderful if they were given the right circumstances.Administration is wholly unstable, with the principal leaving abruptly before the end of the first semester. My heart goes out to the faculty members who love their students. They and the students deserve better. If you have any choice, pick a different school, public or private or homeschool.

It has the worst principal, Erin Traylor. My son was bitten by someone; she even did not provide an apology. she is very selfish.

Great school with mostly exceptional teachers and core values. Teaches kids leadership and presentation skills from an early age!

Most teachers are wonderful—I want to start there. My issue was with the administration. I learned early that going straight to the teachers was the only way to get things done. But the system itself? Exhausting. The 7 a.m. bus time meant everyone—kids, teachers, and parents—were worn out before the day even began. To make that work, bedtime would have to be around 7 p.m., which was nearly impossible. Sports, family dinners, or even just letting kids be kids in the evenings—forget it.If your child has ADHD or autism, though, run far away. They’ll gaslight you, say, “It’s not a disability if they’re at grade level,” and try to talk you out of testing. Even when your child never smiles, avoids other kids, jumps like a bunny for hours, or hits themselves all day, they’ll say, “But they’re so smart!” This school acted like Level 1 autism didn’t exist as though they've never heard of Young Sheldon or Rain Man. They even warned a diagnosis would “stay on their record forever.” In truth, a diagnosis gives kids coping tools and better outcomes.The focus on screens didn’t help. Flashy math games and cartoons were treated as learning, but they just shortened attention spans. Recess? Often canceled if it was under 40 degrees or slightly drizzling. “Indoor recess” meant more computer games. For a supposedly “top-rated” school, it felt soulless at times.Socially, quiet or introverted kids were left behind. My own child spent months lying on her coat at recess before anyone mentioned it—and only after her grades crashed. Once we restarted her ADHD meds, she got straight As again. Communication shouldn’t be this lacking.The truth is, those glowing test scores mostly reflect how much parents do at home. Many hire tutors or micromanage homework to keep up. We didn’t. We wanted time outside, creativity, and sanity - and likely due to that, my kids score high without stress.By fifth grade, most kids there turn out fine—bright, polite, resilient. But for neurodiverse kids, it’s survival, not success. The school wasn’t cruel; it was just outdated. In the end, I learned to stop chasing prestige and start chasing understanding. A “good” school isn’t the one with the highest rating—it’s the one that listens, adapts, and sees your child for who they are. And in the end, maybe that’s the real lesson: that no ranking or reputation can replace a school that genuinely understands your child.