Northside Elementary School

As a parent, I’ve been deeply disappointed with how my kid’s mental health and well-being were handled at this school. While there are some truly wonderful teachers and staff who care, the school as a whole failed my kid in a significant and heartbreaking way.My kid has been struggling with serious stressful issues — much of it brought on or worsened by their experience at school. These issues were not invisible; teachers acknowledged them, and the administration was aware. Yet time and time again, those struggles were brushed aside. There was no consistent follow-through, no real support system in place — just temporary gestures that led nowhere.What makes it even more painful is the clear contrast we see outside of school. When they are home, around friends, or doing activities they enjoy, they are the thoughtful, kind, and funny kid we know and love. But during the school year, the stress, miscommunication, and lack of meaningful support completely changed them. They became easily frustrated and emotionally exhausted. That kind of change doesn’t happen without a cause.At first, some teachers tried to keep us informed and involved about our kid’s challenges and behavior. But this communication stopped around the end of this school year, leaving us in the dark about how much trouble our kid was getting into throughout the day. We had no idea the extent of what was happening until it was too late.Unfortunately, communication from administration was even less consistent. We were often left out of the loop and were frequently informed of serious issues at the last minute — sometimes only after events had occurred — leaving us feeling unprepared and sidelined as parents. As parents, we can only do so much from home. We don’t see what really happens at school, and there are always two sides to every story. That’s why clear, honest communication and genuine support from the school are so crucial. Without that partnership, it’s impossible to help our kids fully.To the few staff members who did show compassion and care: thank you. Your efforts meant something to our kid and to us. This experience has been difficult for our family, and while we would still recommend this school because of the some of the great staff and potential it has, it’s clear they have a lot of internal work to do.