Marietta Middle School

My son started attending this school in 3rd grade and I couldn’t be more happy. All of his teachers are communicative and friendly. The ladies at the front desk have always been welcoming. I also like the fact that there are two doors you have to get buzzed into before you’re able to get into the school - I’m big on school safety. The staff in the carpool line also makes us feel appreciated by doing random things. At the beginning of the new year, they gave all carpool parents goody bags full of snacks.

We chose this school district based on glowing recommendations. We've had 3 kids at Burruss over several years, and our experience has been rewarding and filled with love. The teachers provide one-on-one attention, ensuring each child's needs are met. This amazing, diverse school cultivates a rich environment where every child has a voice and the opportunity to thrive, supported by a loving staff and an engaged community. Any challenge is met with skillful guidance, helping students grow into people who will make the world better. A.L. Burruss is a true model for what every school should be.

I cannot recommend West Side Elementary enough! We have had the best experience there since 2015 as my 4 children have attended and one is still there. It is a wonderful school with excellent teachers who are caring and well trained. The principal and leadership staff are dynamic and know each child by name and make them feel seen. The gifted program is so fun and there are multiple counselors who visit the classrooms monthly and can be seen by appointment. There are plenty of clubs and activities for children to take part in. As a parent there are also multiple ways to volunteer and get to know others at the school. On a public forum it is easy to complain but there is a reason why so many families want to move to be in this district. I feel very grateful for our time at West Side and can say that my children have had a fabulous preparation for middle and high school.

I am so thankful for this school. It's my child's first school and to date his best experience. Their patience and care are unlike any other. They aid my little prince, who has special needs, with all the tools he needed to strive and succeed. They made him gained valuable lessons on how to make friends and converse with others. Special love and thanks to all the special teachers and staff. You made my RJ greater.

The school has punished my child for reporting a physical threat made by another child. This heavy handed level of enforcement to groom children not to report harm is unacceptable. Its poor decisoning by the very inexperienced Principal. We are filing legal action.

Our experience at this school has been extremely disappointing, and the primary issue has been ineffective leadership—particularly at the middle school head and head of school level. Communication from administration has been a consistent problem. In our experience, emails to the middle school leadership often go unanswered, making it very difficult to address even basic concerns. On multiple occasions, the only way to get a response has been to go to the school in person without an appointment. Even then, concerns have felt dismissed rather than taken seriously.This lack of responsiveness and follow-through creates frustration for families and does not reflect the level of partnership you would expect from a school.More broadly, there appears to be a lack of accountability at the top. Instead of addressing ongoing concerns, leadership seems to reinforce the current approach, despite clear issues with communication and responsiveness.We have also observed signs of low staff morale and turnover, which further raises concerns about the overall school environment and leadership effectiveness.While there are teachers who care deeply about students, strong leadership is essential to support both faculty and families—and that is currently lacking. More and more of the strong teachers are moving on to better schools. The ones that are left are ones that seem to receive the most complaints from students and teachers. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this school to other families unless there are meaningful improvements in communication, accountability, and leadership.