First Baptist Christian School

We’ve had a wonderful experience at Hayes Elementary. The teachers are deeply committed to providing a strong educational foundation, and safety is clearly a top priority. I also appreciate how involved parents are encouraged to be—it truly feels like a community!

We absolutely love Bullard. The teachers are truly exceptional - caring, dedicated, and invested in each child. They create a nurturing classroom environment while still maintaining high academic standards. My children are excited to go to school every day. The principal is equally impressive and sets a positive tone for the entire school. He is extremely visible, approachable and clearly committed to academic excellence. We are so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful school community and highly recommend it to any family looking for an excellent elementary school.

As an Alumni, I implore you to send your kids anywhere else. Will they be college ready? Sure. That’s about the only benefit. The administration have all known each other for years, and will make excuses/ back each other up no matter what. They make examples out of children who make mistakes while taking no accountability themselves. I graduated a few years ago and after having several years of true adulthood under my belt, I have yet to meet a more hypocritical, graceless, judgmental, group of people (And I work in healthcare). A majority of teachers hired are personal friends or friends of friends, regardless of qualification. Teachers children/ children whose parents donate are favored and it’s very apparent, speaking from experience. If your child does not fit their mold, they will be treated as they as lesser than. I graduated with my faith hanging on by a thread. There are a very small handful of teachers there who I think stay to try to make a difference. I owe them everything.

On the surface, this school appears warm and nurturing. However, what happens behind closed doors has become too concerning to stay silent about.Since May alone, dozens of teachers (40+) have quit. Staff are leaving because of unfair treatment, lack of support, and concerns that management ignores serious issues, even when they are reported through the proper channels. Many employees brought evidence to HR, and nothing was done to protect staff or children.During my time there, I personally witnessed:• Unsafe practices involving children that were not taken seriously when reported• Teachers being pressured to come to work sick• Staff being forced to bring their sick children into the building• Parents not being notified when exposure to illness happened• Extreme understaffing with little to no administrative help• Children not receiving the care or attention they deserved because teachers were stretched beyond capacityAdditionally, I observed clear differences in how employees were treated, especially between Black staff and white staff. Some employees received special support, leniency, or benefits, while others doing the same job were denied basic fairness or respect. Many teachers tried to speak up and instead of improvement, they were ignored, dismissed, or treated differently afterward. This created a hostile and stressful environment that pushed great teachers away.Most of us stayed as long as we could because we loved the children. We tried to advocate, we tried to make change, we tried to protect the kids and keep a healthy workplace. But when leadership refuses to listen, teachers become exhausted and children are the ones who ultimately suffer.As someone who trusted this school with my own children and poured years of work into caring for others, it is painful to say this but based on everything I experienced, I do not recommend this center. Children deserve safe, ethical care, and teachers deserve respect, support, and fair treatment. No family should only see the “happy front” while the truth remains hidden.Many former staff will continue to speak up because transparency matters. Our only goal is for children to be genuinely cared for, not just marketed as a business.We tried to protect kids and hold the school accountable. We were ignored. Eventually, the only way to protect ourselves and warn parents was to leave and speak out.If a school won’t listen to teachers trying to protect children, families need to pay attention.

This school has been such a huge part of our lives for the past three years. My son just finished his Kindergarten year here and is starting first grade, and I honestly couldn’t be more proud of how far he’s come.The Montessori approach has been amazing for him. I’ve seen him grow so much, not just academically but as a person. He learned to read, started writing in cursive, and really got a solid understanding of math concepts, all at his own pace. But what I love even more is how confident, independent, and respectful he’s become. He’s developed such a love for learning, and I truly credit that to the environment this school has created.One of the things that made me feel so comfortable early on was how safe and nurturing the school feels. The teachers are kind, patient, and clearly love what they do. I always felt like my son was in good hands.Communication with the staff has also been great. Any time I had a question or concern, they were always quick to respond and happy to talk things through. It really feels like a partnership.I’m so grateful we found this school and that my son had the chance to experience these early years in such a thoughtful and caring environment. Highly recommend to any parent looking for something more than just a traditional classroom.