Horizon Elementary School

The Teachers have been very helpful but the principal is rather rude and disrespectful from my interactions with them. The school has a great community center for the kids which is a wonderful thing to have. They have lots of family night type of events. My kids love the school. I am a little concerned with the overall performance of the school but have found my children to be doing rather well. One thing that drives all of us parents crazy is the parking / drop off / pick up. Its a nightmare!

As the parent of a kindergartner, I trusted Summerwind STEM Academy to provide a safe and supervised learning environment. That trust was broken when my 5-year-old son experienced multiple incidents of physical and sexual misconduct from another student — incidents that were reported directly to school staff.Despite repeated disclosures, and my direct requests to separate the students and speak with the principal, no meaningful steps were taken. Days passed. More incidents occurred. My son continued to be harmed. Ultimately, we withdrew him for his safety.In a recorded conversation with my wife, the principal admitted that no protective actions had been implemented and implied that my son bore some responsibility for what occurred. That response is not only trauma-ignorant — it's legally indefensible and ethically inexcusable.I am now pursuing legal action to address what I believe to be institutional negligence and failure to follow mandatory safety procedures. I am sharing this not as a threat, but as a warning to other families: please ask tough questions about how this school handles reports of harm, and whether your child will be protected if something happens.This review reflects my personal experience and opinion based on direct communication with school administrators and firsthand events.

There are a few things I wish I’d known before enrolling my kids at St. Mark’s. While there are definitely bright spots, including some wonderful teachers and staff, the school is currently navigating some serious challenges.The current slogan, “Together We Rise,” actually highlights the uphill battle they’re facing with teacher and student retention. In my experience, these issues aren't being addressed effectively, and there is a noticeable gap between the school's polished messaging and the reality on the ground.If you’re considering St. Mark’s, I’d suggest digging deeper than the "nice-sounding" answers. If a specific issue is important to you, ask for hard metrics and specific examples. For instance:Retention Numbers: Ask exactly how many students/ families and teachers have left in the last five years and compare those figures to other schools. (Look at the raw numbers rather than the "official" reasons provided for the departures). Over time, the majority of my children's teachers have been brand new to the school and not retained.Hiring and Training: Ask how vacancies (and urgent vacancies) are filled and what kind of support/ training is given to new hires or temporary hires who may not have a formal background in education.Leadership Oversight: Look into the administrative structure. It’s helpful to know who is just an "advisor" (like the superintendent and the school board) versus who actually provides day-to-day oversight for the principal. Behavioral Management: Ask to see a redacted example of a real behavior plan. This will show you how they handle disruptions that affect the whole classroom's learning environment. Use AI to compare that plan with current best practices.School Success Markers: What metrics do they collect and share to demonstrate success? How transparent are they about finances? Is fundraising robust or declining? What are the parent/ family involvement metrics and are they steady or declining?Parental Feedback: Ask to see a recent parent/ family satisfaction survey including the questions that were asked and the results.I truly believe St. Mark’s has potential and I hope it becomes the thriving community it’s meant to be. However, I’ve seen too many great families leave after a long, difficult struggle. My goal isn't to discourage you, but to make sure you have the full picture before making a choice for your children. These are the questions I wish I would have asked before enrolling my children here.

I have had a great experience at BVAS and would not want my kids attending anywhere else.

I went to the Village for middle school and it was absolutely horrible. They are supposed to be a seven healthy habits school however they do not encompass these beliefs. They do not ever remind people about events and they don't care about the students. The school never deals with misbehaving students which creates a toxic learning environment. Overall don't send your kids here unless you don't want your kids to learn anything and to learn that their actions don't have consequences.