J.L. Smith Academy

This school was a joke! yes it looks nice from the outside, but whew, what goes on inside is almost the stuff made for movies! My child attended 2 school years 4th and 5th, last year being 2022-2023 school year. It was a nightmare. Bullying went on daily with nothing done by staff. I was NEVER once called on the phone, emailed or asked for a parent teacher conference in the two years there. The teachers were not good, left half way through the year. Kids got to run wild, with no consequence. The principal was a joke, heard she finally got fired this year. Front staff were rude, food was disgusting. We moved our child to Hays CISD and they have gone from crying about having to go to school to crying if they have to stay home sick. STAY AWAY!

We have enjoyed being a part of the Kocurek community! Given the state of public education and the school's "underperforming" status, I've been impressed with the quality of my daughter's teachers and their advocacy for their students. There are a lot of opportunities for parents to be involved and provide feedback, and it's got a surprisingly active PTA for a title 1 school. Recommend for any South Austin family who values community and diversity.

I have a son who is special needs and has been going to this school since he was almost four years old. I also have a daughter who is a couple years younger than him that has been going to this school since she was four also. Every single teacher, aide, principal, and employee at this school has been amazing with my kids. If there was a way that my kids could stay here all the way through graduation, I would be thrilled. I am grateful for all of their dedication to teaching and nurturing each and every student, but I am in awe of how they have done so for my kids. I know it is by pure luck that we were zoned to go to Casey, but I am so thankful for this amazing school and every person that has worked with my children.

Amazing principal with involved parents. Wonderful community of schools to raise your kids.

The teachers are dedicated and kind. The school seems stretched thin with teachers needing to fund supplies, books, and other resources.Our daughter has flourished at Cowan and developed social skills alongside her educational growth. My biggest desire for improvement is with the arts. There isn’t an intentional music program. My daughter had one play in second grade but it was written and organized by a second grade teacher as a labor of love. There are so many children in each class it does seem like the focus goes to areas of concern. We haven’t had a parent/teacher conference in a couple of years because she’s doing great. I wish I better understood her untapped potential and how she could continue to grow even if it meant outpacing classmates. (We don’t have experience with the special education programs, so our rating is neutral.)