Griffin Elementary School

my son had great teachers every year since he started in kindergarten. everyone is super helpful. he has an IEP and is thriving.

As a parent of a child with a disability, I am deeply concerned about how serious incidents were handled at Cooper City Elementary in Broward County Public Schools. Disability-related behaviors were escalated to law enforcement without my prior knowledge. I was not given timely documentation, prior written notice, or transparent communication, and I learned of police involvement from outside sources.No prompt IEP meeting was offered before external reports were made. Under IDEA and Florida law, parents are entitled to procedural safeguards, including notification and manifestation review when behavior may relate to a disability. In my experience, those safeguards were not properly followed.Families deserve transparency, lawful procedures, and meaningful collaboration

If you value transparency and respect, avoid St. Mark. We spent over a year trying to engage with this school to no avail. Last year, I visited in person and the Admissions Director wouldn't even receive me.Despite the cold start, we applied for 6th grade. We jumped through every hoop they required: our daughter took the evaluation exam and our family sat through the formal acceptance interview. We were fully vetted and ultimately accepted. During this process, I specifically asked about a school tour and was explicitly promised that a tour of the school in action would be available once my daughter was accepted. This proved to be a total bait and switch.Once we were vetted, interviewed, and accepted, the story changed. The administration refused to allow us to see the campus during a school day, citing "security protocols." Instead, they offered a visit in May, which is well after enrollment deadlines for other schools have passed, and only to view empty classrooms. This is a clear tactic to trap families into enrolling without ever being allowed to see the actual school culture or vibe.It is clear why they act this way. They had over 80 applications for only 15 openings in the 6th grade. Thanks to the influx of Florida scholarships, they know they will fill the spots regardless. They clearly feel they no longer need to be courteous or treat families with basic decency because they are no longer dependent on direct parental support.As a Catholic, I am embarrassed that a Catholic institution treats families this way. While other Catholic schools in the area still prioritize dignity and the family-school bond, St. Mark has become a cold, elitist environment that treats vetted, interviewed families like a number. We turned down the acceptance. Do not waste your time jumping through their hoops.

An excellent Islamic school in South Florida