Orange Grove Elementary School

The new principal is very disorganized. She seems like someone who is mostly living her life in a state of confusion. I would not recommend this school because the new principal has issues and cannot regulate her wild mood swings. Do not send your child here.

As a parent at Starkey Elementary, I can confidently say this school has exceeded our expectations in every way. From the moment we enrolled, the staff made us feel welcomed, informed, and valued as part of the school community.One of the things I appreciate most is the strong communication from both the administration and classroom teachers. Despite Pinellas County's mandate that all schools switch from Class Dojo to the FOCUS app, we receive regular updates through newsletters, and the school’s Facebook page, so we always know what’s happening on campus and in the classroom. My child’s teachers have been incredibly dedicated, compassionate, and responsive. They differentiate instruction to meet students where they are academically and emotionally, and they make learning engaging through hands-on projects, technology integration, and creative lessons. The teachers take the time to really get to know their students, which builds trust and confidence.The campus itself is beautiful and well-maintained, with plenty of space for outdoor learning and play. The school does a great job balancing structure and fun—my child looks forward to events like Math and Science Night, the Book Fair, Fall Festival, and the positive behavior incentives with Starkey Store.What really stands out is the focus on the whole child. Starkey doesn't just care about test scores; they care about kindness, character, and helping students develop into well-rounded individuals. The school counselors, resource teachers, and ESE team go above and beyond to support students' individual needs.I also love that there’s an emphasis on parent involvement. Whether it’s volunteering, attending school events, or joining the PTO, Starkey makes it easy to be part of your child’s education.Starkey Elementary is a nurturing, innovative, and inclusive school where kids are truly loved and challenged. As a parent, I couldn’t ask for more.

My children have attended BSCS for 8 years and we have been very happy. One of my children has ADHD and they have provided wonder support to help her thrive and have never made her feel judged for her challenges. The teachers know every child and it truly feels like a loving environment. Lots of hands on learning, focus on faith and character as well as very strong academics.

So a few years ago I would have given a much better review rate of this school but revently there was a major change in the staff, the principal left along with several teachers/staff and were replaced with a lot of new people and a lot of things changed, unfortunately not for the good, also the original pastor retired and they got a new one who at first seems nice but when you get to know him you kind of see through it and see some not so nice true colors come out of him. The principal is currently also the 7/8th grade teacher, he seems alright but he's kind of the same was as the pastor, uptight and not very supportive to the kids.. accusing certain kids to have autism when they don't, has issues when students are drawing certain art, aka drawing specifically girls that have curves, both the principal and the pastor have had issues specifically with my daughter's artwork on many occasions, originally I thought it was because she would draw during class time but the pastor especially has issues with many of her drawings, she's a 13 year old girl who likes to draw cute cartoon girls and different characters in general including mushrooms because she thinks mushrooms are cool, but the pastor and principal do NOT like how she draws the cartoon girls because she gives them curves, they deem it too inappropriate to draw even while on her free time they have issues with her own personal drawings, art is her passion and a way she let's out stress, it's very therapeutic for her especially since there isn't really anyone who she feels secure enough to lean on for emotional support there. One time she was drawing on her free time during religious class with the pastor and she was drawing mushroom cartoon characters including the restaurant mellow mushroom's mascot and he accused her drawings of being open to "drug culture", it wasn't. We don't raise her like that at all, we even sat down and tried explaining and talking to him about it and his excuse was that he's been to other schools and states where other parents abused drugs so therefore it reminded him of it, which honestly I took offense to because that to me sounds like he thought we were doing drugs and exposing our daughter to it, after that we had a new baby and we were winding up late to his class in the morning all the time which we weren't trying to do, but he got so upset he failed her because our new baby needed to be taken care of first before school time, even though she finished all her work.

We've been part of the Keswick family for ten years, and this school has truly been a blessing. The teachers, staff, and faculty love the Lord and care deeply about our kids. I've seen them go above and beyond for families facing serious challenges—they always put in the extra effort. Whenever I've requested a meeting with a teacher or staff member, they've always made time and treated it as a priority. Academically, this school is excellent. It's not a second-rate Christian school; it's top-notch!The staff also deeply invests in our children's walk with the Lord, helping them grow into world-changers for Christ, no matter their calling. Keswick is more than just a school; it's a ministry, building strong connections with everyone in the families, not just the students but parents and siblings too. If you're searching for a Christian school that genuinely partners with the Christian home and Christian church while excelling in academics, Keswick is the place to be!