Barlow Mountain Elementary School

The school and the teachers seem to be great at first. However, as the year progresses things begin to deteriorate. Classrooms are filthy, children are forced to sit on dirty floor, teachers complain to parents instead of teaching the students properly. Fake ‘kindness’, very fake.

Incredible school! We have sent three children through their school and it was the single best investment we made in Ridgefield. Our children were reading by the time they were four and when you factor in the student to teacher ratio, the exposure to culture/arts, and the quality of their leadership and administration, this school clearly pulls away from the pack of a town that is already noted for their schools.

Our sons started in 2012 at preschool in RA and they were extremely happy and they both thrived academically and socially. However, when they reached K level, we placed them in public school. Unfortunately, at the time, back in 2015-2016, the curriculum in our public elementary school was very limited (it lacked science, computers & foreign languages) and although the teachers were fantastic (they were professional and dedicated), it was not enough, so we moved our sons back to RA. By then, our daughter had been enrolled in preschool and she was happy and developing beautifully. One of our sons graduated from RA last year (June 2024), we think RA gave him the tools and opportunities to be a thinker, to analyze situations from various perspectives and he is a well-rounded student. Our other son did not want to stay at RA because the social environment was too small for him, and once we came to terms with the fact that RA is not for everyone, and we understood there was nothing wrong with him, it wasn't the school for him, then, we were able to successfully transition him into the public middle school. I am truly sorry to hear about a couple other families who seemed to have experienced bullying, that was NOT our experience at all, quite the opposite. We have been at RA for almost 14 years, and we experienced a wonderful and welcoming environment, open to suggestions, with staff and administrators willing and able to meet with us, at any time.Currently, our daughter is in 6th grade, she is thriving academically, she is happy with her social environment, I believe she is being challenged, especially in her math class which is very advanced for 6th graders, considering she is learning pre-algebra at RA, while my one of my sons at the High School is learning algebra in the 9th grade. My point is every kid is different, even within the same family, kids have different needs and interests. So, what may have worked for one child, does not guarantee that will work for the other one. RA may not have worked for a few families, but the reality is that we do not have the whole story why their dynamic was not successful, we all know that there are so many variables that affect our children in school. In my humble opinion, if you are considering RA as a potential school, ask a lot of questions from the school, go in with open eyes, do real research, ask your own child what s/he wants, prioritize what matters to your family and make your choice.