J. O. Combs Middle School

We are in the process of changing schools due to the extreme lack of communication & follow through of staff. I had to meet with all the teachers, Dean of students & to my surprise the principal joined our meeting to discuss the lack of following his 504. My child went from honor roll to F's in 1 semester without ANY communication regarding this. The Dean of students offered to check in with my child every Friday to be sure my child was on track with assignments however that only happened a few times & I learned my child had a 8% in one subject. How is that even possible and with no mention of it to me. The excuse I received was "its on the portal " however the portal is never up to date as there doesn't seem to be any deadlines or guidelines the teachers follow for updating it. More then once I was told by staff they are not used to parents that care. Must be true because all I've experience is lack of care, effort, communication & guidance from the staff. When my.child was being bullied & was crying on the bus because they didn't want to go. I called & ask that he goes to the guidance counselor before class starts to clam.down & they said there wasn't one at the time. No school trips, no opportunities for parents to volunteer. No sports, band or anything offered. I'm truly disappointed with our experiences for the last 2 years. I gave them too many opportunities to continually fail us & I shouldn't have as there was constantly no changes made by the school or staff

I am so impressed with Harmon. We moved from Utah and was worried because it seemed like a small town school. However. We've been blown away by the level of dedication and love the teachers have for the students and their success. Education is valued but made fun and accessible so kids want to learn. They tailor the education to where the student is. Kids who are struggling get extra help, without pulling down the kids who are succeeding. Kids who go faster then the class in reading or math, go ahead and the teacher let's them go at a faster pace. Every kids journey is different and this school understands that. For example, phonics is taught through stories and rhymes so it's easier to remember. 5th grade has battle of the books to encourage comprehension. They have dedicated reading levels through the school based on learning level rather than grade. Each student gets dedicated and individual educational support. It is well rounded and kids thrive here! I am so impressed and highly recommend sending your kid here! Truly Harmon is education done right!

I’m sharing this review as a concerned parent. While there are many dedicated staff members at this school, I’ve been disappointed with how student safety concerns have been handled. In situations where stronger support and proactive communication were needed, the response felt limited and placed unnecessary stress on families instead of resolving the issue effectively.Parents trust schools to create environments where students feel safe, included, and protected. I encourage the school to strengthen its safety procedures, improve follow-through when concerns are reported, and ensure that affected students receive appropriate support rather than feeling isolated during the process.I hope this feedback helps encourage improvements so all students can feel secure and supported at school.