Irving Park Elementary School

Honestly one of the worst schools! Principal Peeples needs to go, I've heard from many MANY teachers about her love for playing favorites and how she bullies her own employees. Why doesn't she get moved? Oh guess what? She used to work in HR and so her buddies there don't do a thing about her turn over rate. Think about it. This school has some of the highest turn over rate and the biggest complaint I've heard is leadership. Wake up and smell the roses y'all! My kid has gotten hit and punched and shoved all year long and they are getting more chance to come back and continue to traumatize my kid! Why do we allow the few to ruin it for the bunch? Do better!!!!!!

Staff seems to be so overworked or unhappy at this school. However, this should not be clear to the parents and students. My son’s first grade teacher (at Lindley) failed my child when it came to his academic success and support. Since I have transferred his school, his new teacher has been updating on much improvement. Sadly, it took me transferring for this to occur. Good luck with this school.

We had an absolutely horrible experience with this school. Our sweet, smart, 5 year old was kicked out of this school because the teacher did not know how to handle a child with ADHD. The way our son was treated - as well as my husband and I - is not something I wish on any family. We were very upfront about the ADHD diagnosis and we were assured it would be no problem. As it turns out, the teacher and support staff are not willing to work through any “issues”. I would HIGHLY suggest looking for another school if your child has any sort of diagnosis such as ADHD, if they have difficulty sitting still, if they occasionally cry, if they get excited and talk out of turn, or if they like to run around at recess. It was suggested that our son was not at the intellectual level of the rest of the class because he wanted to play tag at recess when all the other kids were making up a different game. He was a 5 year old boy at the time. Tag is a completely age appropriate game to play at recess. To put it in perspective, he is now absolutely thriving at a different school, and his current teachers have nothing but positive things to say about his behavior and the level of his academics. He was not the problem. This school was. Please consider your choice carefully to place your children at St. Pius.

Our school benefits from a truly special parent community and an incredibly dedicated PTA. The support network among families is strong, and the teachers are committed and caring. However, the administration has become a significant source of concern.The principal is frequently unavailable and often unresponsive to parent communication, with concerns sometimes going unanswered for weeks. There is a noticeable lack of consistent presence on campus, and decisions are often communicated one way and then executed differently, leading to confusion and mistrust.Oversight from the parish leadership is minimal, as the priest who oversees the school is rarely engaged in daily operations. This absence of active, accountable leadership has created an environment where teachers, though capable and passionate, appear hesitant to speak up or challenge the status quo.As a result, we’ve seen a troubling pattern of strong educators leaving, with their roles often filled by parents lacking formal teaching qualifications. This is not only unfair to students but also undermines the standards we expect from a school committed to excellence.We hope this feedback is taken seriously, as the heart of the school—its teachers, students, and families—deserve leadership that matches their dedication.