Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School

Awful. We moved here from a larger town but the move to this school has been worse than I could imagine. My kid is going to private school next year. Do not send your children here.

Anyone who thinks this school is a good place has clearly never had a truly good experience. Teachers are unprofessional and students are out of control. I regret moving to this school district. My kids have been exposed to more inappropriate behavior at this place than they have their entire life. It doesn't deserve a single star.

Highland is the definition of "train-wreck Waterloo." The two teachers who posted below seem to be scripted - "lack of parent involvement" must be a term someone teaches the employees to use. I have two children at this school and I absolutely dread every time I have to deal with the staff. One teacher we've experienced was actually a good teacher - even great. The rest have seemed quite under-educated, or at least under-developed. Multiple times our child has spent a good part of the day in the nurse's office and we never even received a phone call. I could go on and on but I think my point is already clear. Luckily I'll be going to graduate school next year and my children will be transferred away from Highland before the poor environment does any unrepairable damage.

I am a recent alumnus of Columbus Catholic High School (2016). They do a fantastic job of preparing their students for college while providing a communal environment that fosters success. I would highly recommend Waterloo Catholic to anyone (Catholic or not) who wants their kids to receive a good education, and be able to be involved in multiple extra-curricular activities. Many of my classmates have gone on to be incredibly successful and a lot of the credit can be placed on the education we received from St. Pats (CF) and Columbus. I am very thankful for the dedicated teachers and coaches who make going to a smaller school a truly unique and rewarding experience.

I am writing this review as a parent who feels completely let down by this school. My son, who has autism, was failed not just academically, but emotionally and developmentally. Despite his diagnosis and our repeated efforts to advocate for him, the school chose to disregard the professional evaluations and insisted that his behavioral challenges were not related to his autism.Instead of providing the understanding, accommodations, and support he was legally entitled to, the school’s staff seemed more interested in labeling him as a “behavior problem.” This lack of compassion and awareness caused unnecessary stress for our entire family and, most importantly, made my son feel isolated and misunderstood.We expected a supportive environment that valued neurodiversity, but what we experienced was the opposite. I hope the administration takes a serious look at how they handle students with special needs, and I strongly urge other parents of autistic children to ask tough questions before enrolling their child here.Our children deserve better — they deserve to be seen, heard, and supported.