Y E Smith Elementary

Burton is a community focused on the well being of learners. The staff works hard to establish strong connections with students and families. They focus on building a strong foundation to help learners reach their full potential!

Merrick Moore Elementary School has prepared my child for Middle School. She attended this school for 6 years and only had one year that was not as successful as I had hoped. After talking to the principal my concerns were addressed. The following years were the best ever. In all the years my child spent at MME were very productive!! I will never forget the caring teachers at MME!!

We were only able to be at RN Harris for one year and then moved out of the area.I would say this is a very child centered school. My child responded very well to this environment.The staff were very responsive to parent communication at all levels. The school worked closely with local organizations to make sure kids went home with food during school breaks. This demonstrated to me that the school staff were aware of the needs of their students outside of school hours as well.We miss you guys!

Since getting new administration our school has taken an even greater turn for the better! Our principal is a leader who pushes our students and staff to succeed and do their best. Our teachers TRULY love our students and would do anything for them. Interventions are in place for students who are struggling, AIG is in place for students who are excelling, and there are plenty of extra curricular activities for students such as after school, tutoring, violin, soccer, cheerleading, and more! The school has ramped up its community and parent involvement through tons of school events like hispanic heritage night, black history night, kickball night, smores night, reading events, sneaker balls, plays, musical performances, etc. The progress at this school is really something you want to be a part of!

This school has potential, but unfortunately, I found the owner unwilling to make meaningful changes and felt that parent concerns were not taken seriously.My child was physically harmed by other children on multiple occasions. This included being punched in the stomach, having her hair pulled out, and being pushed from a play structure approximately six feet off the ground. On these occasions, I did not receive incident reports or communication from the school. Instead, I had to get the information directly from my child. When I brought these incidents to the school’s attention, I was told that the teacher supposedly had no recollection of what happened, despite my child having visible bruises.I also had significant concerns about the school’s approach to education. In my experience, academics were not a strong priority, and parents should be prepared to provide their own educational program at home if they want their child to stay on track academically. After my child attended this school for five years, I transitioned her to a traditional school. At that time, she tested approximately three grade levels behind academically and required an Individualized Learning Plan to help her catch up. Based on our experience, I would not recommend relying solely on this school to provide a strong academic foundation.I also had concerns about the social environment, particularly regarding some of the boys at the school. In my experience, some parents appeared to heavily shelter their sons from the outside world while simultaneously giving them free rein over the internet, television, violent horror movies, and other media. I felt that this created an environment where certain antisocial behaviors, inappropriate conduct, and poor social boundaries were allowed to develop or go unaddressed. My concern is not with boys specifically, but with the combination of limited real-world social exposure and unrestricted access to media that I observed.I truly believe this school has potential, but meaningful changes are needed. Stronger academic instruction, better communication with parents, improved supervision, appropriate behavioral expectations, and greater accountability would make a significant difference in creating a safe and supportive environment for all children.