Avondale Elementary School

Never again will a child of mine step foot in the doors of this school. Bullying is rampant in this school, and the principle makes promises for your child's safety that are not kept. The whole school is very lacking of safety and caring for children.

Mr. Scott followed a very hands off principal who was absent or disengaged most of the time. When he came to Highland last year, the school was a mess. Bullying and harassment was pervasive and parents overtook the school to their pleasure. He came, set order in the school, implemented strict discipline expectations for staff and students. He even held parents accountable for our conduct. I did not like him at all until I saw the difference in my childs reading performance. I must admit, I was leary of having a stern African-American male leading a school in a community that has little to no positive Black males. He often brags about being the first Black male in the school's 120 year history. He decided to leave to pursue a doctorate. The school has not been the same since he left. I will miss him. I hope Columbus City Schools knows what they lost. The very parents that did not like him because of his color are now saying they miss him.

I love this school. My child is autistic and has came a long way. The principal and the teachers have helped me tremendously.

The worst experience of my life. These people shouldn't even be allowed to operate a school.

The advantages of private school are smaller class sizes and a better chance at individual learning . I have not found that to be the case here. Children that are struggling do not get extra attention. They do not offer tutoring. I was told to take my child to the public library for extra help or hire a tutor myself. They require 40 hours of volunteering at the school from parents. 75 dollars to participate in a school play. They never have enough staff to organize sports. Children that need an IEP need to jump through several hoops to get one. They do not handle bullying well at all. I know of a child who was literally bullied out of this school. They are not welcoming to new families and especially families that are on scholarship. I'm not sure why we are paying so much to attend seeing as it seems that we are only paying for the name itself. I know of several families that stopped going here due to new leadership. I will not be sending my child here next year nor any of my other children.