Palmer Elementary School

Palmer has provided an exceptional experience for my daughter. All of her teachers have been fantastic and provided a stimulating, fun, inclusive learning environment. She's made great friends from all backgrounds and walks of life. We love the small school experience and the fact that every child receives individualized attention. The YMCA after-school program is great and easy to get into—no wait list or shuttling kids off-site! We also like that the bell time is later than many schools! We're lucky to have such a wonderful school right in our own neighborhood.

I'll admit--when my daughter was nearing entry to Kindergarten in the Fall of 2021, Palmer Elementary--our neighborhood school, a half-block from our house-- was not my first choice.What I've come to learn since then, however, was how wrong I was. First impressions can be deceiving, and my snap judgement about Palmer was an example of this case in point.After visiting multiple (much larger) nearby elementary schools and hearing from other families who attend those, I've realized how unique and special Palmer is. What we lack in size, our school makes up for in community, heart, and a shared sense of purpose.Is Palmer perfect? Not by a long shot. Is the school, parent community, and talented teaching team committed to ensuring that every child who walks through our doors gets the opportunity they deserve? Without a doubt.Especially as our country remains so divisive, having a place like Palmer--where our kids can feel a sense of belonging and be psychologically safe--is so critical to our collective healing. This is where smaller schools like Palmer shine--creating more opportunities for young people to be known, both by one another and by the adults in the building. In short, these are the ingredients you need if you want to cultivate high-achieving, high-performing schools. Palmer has all of these aspects and has only begun to hit our stride.

We really enjoyed Palmer pre-pandemic, and have made a great many friends here. However, we faced a multitude of issues trying to go back this year - lack of access to resources, dismissive staff, difficulties in communication, no extracurricular activities (music, checking books out, etc.). The before and after school care cannot accommodate all of the families that need it. There is no air conditioning in the school, which is a big deal on 100 degree days - and our student was refused access to his backpack and water bottle during this time. Parents are not allowed in the school and I suspect there is no cleaning staff - my child reported overflowing trash cans as the reason he came home with his lunch box full of trash. He was also made to clean his classroom on the first day back to school. Teachers have a high turnover rate. They seem quite unhappy and reluctant to help; it is no longer the warm place we once loved. The classroom ratio is definitely higher than 15 to 1. My son was in a combined 3rd and 4th grade class of nearly 40. The principal was not interested in addressing any of our concerns with tangible solutions. We placed our son elsewhere and were shocked at the immediate and positive difference we experienced. He went from hating school (fear of being yelled at and called out in front of the class) to a happy, excited student ready to learn.

My child was bullied on multiple occasions across two different school years and the new principal did nothing despite many efforts on our part. It seems like there is no support for staff from the top down. Parents aren’t allowed in the building at all, which I think is weird. Our family has been at Palmer for the past 5 years and since the new staffing appointments things have gone downhill. We will not be returning to Palmer after this school year.

Palmer is great. Just a wonderful neighborhood and community feel.