Maniscalco Elementary School

My husband and I have 5 kids between us (2 each from our first marriages and 1 together). All of our kids have gone to this school. We have basically had nothing but wonderful experiences here. Our youngest is in 7th grade this year and every year I feel so blessed for the amazing teachers she has! They put their heart and soul into their students and teachings. Never had a problem with ANY teacher here, they are all so wonderful.

As an alumni, I can confidently say that CDS is not worth anyone's time nor money. The best thing about the school is the special department they have dedicated for college counseling, but one of the counselors my year of graduation (2022) messed up several kids' applications. CDS prides itself on its "rigorous" IB program, and while the IB program certainly taught me how to write long papers, I now realize it is completely futile in the college process. I go to a top 25 university where many of the students come from AP schools. AP is significantly less work and emotional stress, and kids who take AP still get into the same great colleges as kids who take IB. Administration and teachers do a pretty poor job helping kids manage the IB workload. My senior year I was working on all of my IAs, my EE, and my college applications all at the same time. This was more than any workload I ever get in college. In my opinion, a 17 year old should not be tasked with these demanding and important activities all at the same time, and when talking with my friends who went to other IB schools (Hillsborough) I came to find out that they were not managing all of this work at the same time, rather it was spaced out evenly over the course of the 2-year Diploma Program. My biggest issue with CDS is their insistence of their slogan "Caring is Common." It is actually laughable how untrue this is. CDS could not foster a more unsafe environment for their students. In the 7 years I spent there, I witnessed a kid take pictures up multiple girls' skirts and face no repercussion. The administration knew the issue with this student, but his father was friends with the then-Head of School, so the student was allowed to stay. Another egregious offense on the school's part is their handling of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying. Racial, homophobic, and misogynist slurs are quite common among the middle and high school students, but the bullying got so bad on one student's part that he was having anxiety attacks, could not stay in the classroom, and ultimately felt unsafe at the school he had been attending since he was 3 years old. The administration was well aware of this incident, but since the offenders were "star athletes" (our male sports teams rarely win games/tournaments/championships for CDS), the entire incident was pushed to the side. Later that week the school cancelled the Gay-Straight Alliance fundraiser. Nice.Please save your money and your kid's emotional and mental health. Skip CDS

I am grateful to have found this school. My daughter began a few months after turning two and of all the places I toured this was the only school with a peaceful learning environment and children who washed their hands. I really appreciate the teachers and what my daughter has learned and the class size. Very very happy.

Wondering teachers and front staff. They are getting a lot of attention. My son is able to read a book at VPK (5 years old) and write good. He is able to do simple math and numbers. My daughter is eager to do her homework and research online and excited about going to school everyday. She love her teacher and her tutor teacher. I'd recommend this school.

I cannot say enough good things about The Reading Corner. We have been sending our kiddo the past two years and are blown away by the love he is shown and education he is receiving. The staff is AMAZING and always so very positive. Everyone is always so welcoming and inviting. There are so many opportunities for parents to be involved and volunteer in the classroom. My little guy comes home happy every day and misses his teachers and friends when not in school. I wish we found The Reading Corner sooner because I would have sent my other 3 children.