Luminary Middle

Moved to the area in September 2024. My son started the school 3 weeks after school started and honestly, they made the transition super easy. He was assigned to an amazing Kinder teacher (Ms. Tiedeman). She really cares for the students and does so many activities with them she is a wonderful teacher. I love how the school has a Halloween trunk or treat (we had so much fun decorating our car and passing out candy). Also, night of the arts which allows all students to show case their artwork from art class and you can purchase it (super cute). I would like to see more after school events for the students maybe like a family funday, movie night or something like that. But I mean over all the school is great and the staff is amazing. Oh, and the pickup and drop off is so organized! I can truly say I am beyond happy so far with the school.

Warning to parents of children with special needs and behavioral challenges: Avoid this school. The administration and staff appear unequipped to handle, or even properly direct, students with IEP requirements; their lack of experience is staggering.Our IEP meetings were brutal—instead of offering support or solutions, they focused on criticizing my child and repeating known struggles, without offering concrete strategies for help. Furthermore, misinformation was provided regarding placement options, falsely claiming the only other options were alternative schools for extreme behavior.It was necessary to involve the School Board just to secure a transfer to a facility with actual ESE classes, which this school lacked this year. The school's lack of empathy and competence is shameful. While they did not provide helpful support for my child, this experience did make me a stronger advocate who refuses to back down.

Great school and amazing teachers, we are very happy with school and community.

My student only attended for two years due to a move. During this time they were often given 2-3 hours of homework with many tears and a lot of mental stress. There seemed to be very little that any of the students accomplished during the day and then given the work to complete during the evening. Other parents in the same classes reported the same. However, different classes in the same grade level, reported their children not receiving any homework and falling very behind the standards. There seemed to be no middle ground or standards for teaching the same content. The few opportunities I had to discuss their learning, I was talked down to and told that my student wasn't capable enough. For reference, they have always read several grades ahead and when challenged, they would rise to the occasion and earned straight A's throughout their time here but this was despite the teaching not because of it.

This is an amazing school! Professional and passionate staff! We are very happy. All teachers have been amazing. Thank you to all the staff for your hard work and dedication. This success is clearly the result of strong teamwork and outstanding leadership.Congratulations, and thank you again.

My experience at Tohopekaliga High School was extremely disappointing. The school often felt disorganized, with poor communication and little consistency when it came to addressing student concerns. Many classes were unengaging, and it didn’t seem like there was much effort to create a supportive or motivating learning environment. It was frustrating feeling overlooked rather than helped, and overall the atmosphere made it hard to stay encouraged about school. I expected far better from a place that’s supposed to support students’ growth and success. It caused me emotional distress and anxiety.

The first two years of our child’s experience at this school took place under excellent conditions thanks to teachers we found kind, available, and genuinely invested in their students’ well-being and success. We have positive memories of that period.Unfortunately, the following year became much more difficult for our daughter. From the beginning of the school year, she gave us signs that certain things were making her unhappy, but she did not want to talk about them further or have us intervene. She was afraid that doing so would make her daily experience at school even more difficult. We respected her choice, sincerely hoping the situation would improve over time.As the months passed, we saw her distress gradually increase. Toward the end of the school year, the tears became more frequent and she finally found the strength to explain more clearly how she had been feeling. That was when we began communicating with the school — probably too late for the situation to improve.Despite very strong academic results and consistent effort throughout the year, she gradually developed the feeling that her work, commitment, and progress were not being recognized fairly. One point stood out to us: although she worked seriously all year, a behavior evaluation stating that she “does not take responsibility for her actions” had consequences for certain school recognitions we believed she may have qualified for.If her behavior had truly been considered concerning to that extent, we would have appreciated a more direct conversation or meeting to better understand the situation and support her. Instead, we mainly received occasional messages without a real opportunity for discussion.When we tried to better understand this decision with school administration, we left feeling that our concerns had not truly been heard. We also felt that the emotional impact this could have on an 8-year-old child had not been fully considered.Beyond a certificate, what affected us most was the message a child may take away: doing their best, making consistent efforts, and still leaving with the feeling that those efforts were not fully recognized.We ultimately decided to change schools to protect her well-being and allow her to grow in an environment better suited to her needs.We share this review in a constructive spirit, because a school experience is not defined only by academic results, but also by whether each child feels supported, encouraged, valued, and heard.