Lakeside Elementary School

My child is in Kindergarten at Universal Academy, and I am extremely disappointed in the communication between the school and parents. Information is unclear, instructions are not explained, and you constantly have to call or email just to get basic answers. It feels like they expect parents to automatically know everything without ever providing proper guidance.Another major concern is how inconvenient they make parent–teacher communication. They do not offer evening conferences at all. If you want to talk about your child’s development, concerns in the classroom, or grades, you have to take off work and meet only during the teacher’s free period. There is absolutely no accommodation for working parents.The dress code and spirit week expectations are also overly strict and inconsistently communicated. On out-of-uniform days, there is so little clarity that you never know what is actually acceptable. They nitpick outfits to the extreme. For example, on Candy Land Day, I sent my child in a red dress with a candy cane on it—completely on theme—and the front desk staff saw nothing wrong. Yet the principal said it was “inappropriate” because she expected a striped shirt instead of a dress. I had to bring a whole new outfit even though the colors and theme were correct. The rigidity is unnecessary and unreasonable, especially for young children.I attended private schools my whole life, and I have never seen a school so strict yet so unclear at the same time. The lack of communication, inconsistency, and unwillingness to support parents makes it very difficult to feel confident or comfortable with this school.

As a parent, my experience at Roockbook Elementary has been deeply disappointing because I witnessed and experienced what discrimination looks like within a school setting. Families are not treated equally, and instead of fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment, there are clear signs of bias and exclusion.Safety and trust are essential in any school, yet I did not feel that my child or my family was truly safe from unfair treatment, discrimination, or harsh judgment. The lack of genuine family engagement made it difficult to feel like a valued partner in my child’s education.While schools should prioritize equity, respect, and fair treatment for all students and families, my experience here did not reflect those values. I hope the administration will take accountability and work toward meaningful change, but at this time, I cannot recommend this school.

Do not send your kids here! I had to different kids from 2 different era of life! One born 1995 the other born 2014! They both went to this school and both were wrote off immediately and was just another kids in class ! The teacher let another kid constantly bullied and fight my kids for a whole month! The teacher didn’t do nothing nor the principal! I email every time something happened! No response half of the time and nothing was done ever until I told my son to protect himself then it was a problem ! They just want to send your kid to the alternative school! The his learning was not good he was behind in reading ..

This is our 9th and final year of having kids at TCE and couldn't have had a better experience. The staff is great, and the teachers really do love their students. A lot of the teachers actually live in the neighborhood and are invested in the community. Walking field trips to the library, town hall, and Andy brown park make it really special.