Van Buren Elementary School

We have a daughter and son who have attended Friends Christian School since Preschool. They are now in 4th and 2nd Grade. We absolutely love this school and cannot say enough great things about it. The love that the teachers and staff show our kids is amazing! The education they receive is excellent! It is not only excellent academically, but also Godly! We love the weekly chapels, class parties, and field trips where parents are encouraged to attend. The Christmas Program and Spring Musical are best of the best and so much fun! Our time in the FCS family has been worth every penny! Our kids have grown mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally every single year. We look forward to all our kids years with FCS through 8th Grade. FCS is truly a blessing!

I call it “selective” education. This school system is selective, because they focus on the students that are part of their churches. If you do not attend one of their churches, you are treated differently, less inclusive, and often times left out. Children are labeled early on, and despite growth and change, the label isn’t removed. My son witnessed another student being picked on/bullied and brought it to the attention of a staff member. He was told to mind his own business (how about rewarding him for standing up for another individual). The same student kept getting picked on, bring more stress to my child witnessing this and having been told to “mind his own business.”, he was left with either getting in trouble for stepping in or having to sit and watch. So troubling. The academics are below standards; they can barely teach at the average level. They say they have “advanced” classes, but the advanced classes aren’t that much different than the standard classes. We ended up removing our children from the school for social and academic growth reasons. They are thriving at their new school; probably the best decision we could have made for them. Please do your research. Don’t be fooled by the tour; of course they will be friendly, helpful, and Christ like; you are making a decision based off what you are shown and they know that. What you see is not what you get.

Our family feels incredibly grateful to be part of the HOPE community. Both Ethan and Edwin truly enjoy their time at school — every day they come home happy and excited to share what they’ve learned. What we appreciate most is that they’re not only growing academically, but also developing important life skills such as responsibility, kindness, and good habits. The teachers and staff genuinely care about the students, creating a positive and supportive environment where children can thrive both in learning and in life.