Parkside Jr High School

While there has been some turmoil within the administration, Dr. Coffman has honed a positive culture that is focused on character building. For the most part this is holding steady after her departure, mostly due to a highly capable group of teachers who truly care about the kids. I'm hoping that Dr. Surian and the new administration will continue the momentum. Out of all the schools in the area, I've noticed that the ISU lab school system does the best job of preparing the kids for university and for life in general. As far as the lack of transparency and diversity in enrollment, by definition there would be no transparency in a lottery system which is touted as method. This lottery system also makes diversifying difficult since it is relies on only those who apply and for legal reasons they do the enquire about race in the application. I absolutely hope for more diversity in the student body in the future and encourage all to apply. There is no tuition since it is officially a public school.

As of 1/2022, My son has been in attendance at CCA for 5 years. The compassion and dedication of the teachers has far exceeded my expectations. When COVID struck in Mar 2020, CCA moved flawlessly into a remote learning plan that allowed my (then) 4th grader to not miss a beat of learning. During the 2020-21 school year, the children were able to attend in-person for the entire year - this has allowed my son to maintain his education, friendships, sports involvements, musical endeavors, and more, providing a much needed sense of normalcy throughout this pandemic. The class sizes give the teachers opportunities to build relationships with the students, understand their individual needs, and help each student excel. The Christian-Centered education that my child is receiving is preparing him to move forward in his life as a well-centered and compassionate person.

This school loves to call itself “safe” and “student-friendly,” but based on what I went through, that is nothing but a lie. They talk about respect, protection, and caring for students, yet they completely failed to protect me when it mattered most.Over just ten days, I was punched five different times by the same student — for no reason at all. I wasn’t in a fight. I didn’t provoke anything. I was simply minding my own business, and he attacked me repeatedly. Each time, I reported it, expecting help, but the school did nothing meaningful. No real punishment. No concern for my safety. They just let it keep happening.It didn’t stop there. A teacher even put their hands on me in a way that should never happen to any student. Instead of questioning the teacher or checking on me, the school acted as if I was making a problem simply by speaking up.On top of the physical assaults, I was verbally abused almost every day. I was called names, mocked, and disrespected, sometimes right in front of staff. They watched it happen, and still, no action was taken. It was like my safety and feelings didn’t matter at all.What makes it worse is how the school continues to present a perfect image to parents and the public. They pretend everything is safe and controlled, when in reality, they ignore serious situations and leave students like me to deal with it alone. There’s no accountability, no protection, and no real support.This school is not a safe environment. It is not student-friendly. It is a place where real problems are covered up, and where students who are hurt are left unheard and unprotected. I went through things no student should ever experience. People deserve to know the truth behind their empty promises.

I have read the other reviews and I'm sorry for what happened to those people. But I strongly disagree with what they have said. Cornerstone is a Christian school, but in no way do they force you to be Christian or to act like one. Also the teachers are not ignorant in realizing when something wrong with a student. They try to help the student in whatever way they can, and they don't force the student to be Christian to solve the problem.