Valley Mills Elementary School

Best school my children ever attended. The community is caring and everyone has been kind and genuine. Lived here almost 5 years.

This is the best school I have been a part of. I'm speaking as a parent and a teacher. I've been at other great schools, but this one is unique. Looking at the testing data, some might get discouraged, but I can tell you from the inside that wonderful improvements have already been made and things will only continue to get better as the programs have time to reach more kids. Mr. Dowdy and his staff are an asset to Valley Mills. They genuinely love each and every student and seek to do what is best. I wouldn't want my kids to be anywhere else.

I'm very unhappy with the past several years & the direction this school seems to be heading. Parents are no longer welcome to volunteer in the school. It's as if they're in the way. State guidelines want parent/ community involvement because it aids student learning. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be understood. In fact, the school has no form of PTA/ PTO etc. The last year people PAID & signed up, there was never a meeting. There used to be awards assemblies during the year to recognize personal growth & foster team spirit. This hasn't happened since Mrs Anderson left. (only the one end of school award time) The school ratings have fallen & I think these issues are at the root of the problem. I hope the school board will be aware of how this affects the students & their families.. There needs to be some changes made.

The best part of this school is the principal and staff. Mrs. Anderson, the principal, has done her best to improve the conditions for our children. She has helped raise the rating from recognized to exemplary. We love her and our school.

After reading the older reviews it is even more apparant how much this school has improved under Mrs. Anderson's leadership. She's raised the level of respect and cooperation among the students and staff. This school has a principal to be proud of.