5802 Empire Church Rd
Groveland, FL 34736

The teachers and staff are horrible! They keep telling me my son has a problem, and when I asked for a video, they never can show it! Even left finger nail marks in his skin. Had my son checked out by a professional and evaluate. It did not line up with the school said they want to take my son out a general education and treat him with special needs. they didn't like about my son is my son was he stood his ground and didnt let students, teachers or administration bully him. There's a lot of racism in the school and bullying and the principal ignores. It finds excuses to avoid it the education my son learn to fifth grade at a different District. It's horrible.

From a senior students POV: freshman year was good (covid year) but years following have been a downwards spiral. For the first 3 years of my time at this facility the boys bathrooms had no soap. New ridiculous policies such as the 10 10 rule (may not use the bathroom during the first or last 10 minutes of class) tardy sweeps (random event which all late students are locked out and give detention even on first offence which is served on a Tuesday or Thursday) road block aids which are not only disruptive but insulting. Passive aggressive threats from staff verbally and over announcements. Monthly to weekly fights and skirmishes. Overall increasingly hostile environment, which feels completely different from my own freshman year. While the quality of student is already low / hard to work with, the minorities greatly impact, reduce the capacity for enjoyment of life of the many. Each years bell scheduled differing from the last, seemingly designed sap away from the student as much as possible. For instance, 2023 - 2024 school years 6 minutes between classes, morning bell now starts at 7:14 opposed to 7:15 from previous years. Flex time (a total joke) no longer given choice to the students (mandatory rotation now) vast waste of time AND students are disallowed to use the bathroom during this time. Student parking lot now littered with cones and road block aids for no reason, fences and gates over walkways designed only to restrict movement. A school of almost 2,000 with only 3 bathrooms available per gender. Overall, a sad wrinkly husk of what was once a respectable school. While the undesirable youths entering the school grounds are out of the control of the school, no effort is made to fix issues, only cover up or bandaid.

Hear me, the Lake County area is being built up and a lot of new subdivisions are bringing a new families. You may zone to this school but whatever you do, DO NOT send your child here. The lack of quality of teachers here is terrible. Your child's quality of education will suffer. The standards here are low. The school is located in a very low-poverty area. I believe the teachers are hired with the bare minimum qualifications. Trying to do an Education choice transfer is not easy because most of the good schools are full. Your only option would be a private school. I barely leave reviews but I felt I needed to warn other parents.