Southside Junior High School

Our experience at this school was extremely disappointing and ultimately led us to withdraw our son midway through second grade.For nearly two years, he was repeatedly bullied for wearing hearing aids/being "different". Despite our concerns, the issue was not effectively addressed. The situation became especially concerning when our son, who is on the autism spectrum and has selective mutism, was disciplined after reacting to ongoing bullying. He was taken to the office and pressured to explain what happened, despite his known communication challenges. When he was unable to respond, he was threatened with punishment and assigned after-school detention.When I spoke with administration and explained that this approach was not appropriate given his needs or the circumstances, I was told he would be suspended if he did not attend detention. At that point, we made the decision to withdraw him immediately and homeschool.After leaving, we purchased a yearbook because he had attended more than half the school year and had taken school photos. When we picked it up, we were told he was not included. We later found that he had been removed from class and group photos, which was deeply upsetting for him.Since then, I have connected with other families who have had similar experiences, and it has reinforced our decision to leave. Our son is now in a much healthier environment.I strongly encourage other parents, especially those with children who have additional needs, to ask detailed questions about how concerns like bullying and communication differences are handled.

I can't say enough good about this school. I haven't met a single person employed here that didn't care about the students well being and future success. These people care. This is what makes a school thrive and we need more schools like this one.

Excellent school. My daughter has been here since kindergarten, now she is in 5th grade.