West Springfield Elementary School

Cardinal Forest Elementary has dramatically improved in the four years I have been associated with and have kids attending this school!! The addition of the Advanced Academic Program (AAP) has been huge in retaining talented young students instead to going to Keene Mill Elementary for the AAP magnet program there. The results are visible in the school’s significantly improved test scores and ratings by both GreatSchools and Niche, and moreover in the feeling and vibe within the school. The teachers know they are being successful, they are being recognized for it, and it permeates throughout the entire student body. CFES has become a sought-after elementary school, and for very justified reasons. Look at the results! And visit the school to see and feel for yourself!

A great little school. The principal and teachers seemed to know every single student and family. This ES only has around 300 kids total so it really is a tight-knit community and the PTA is so inclusive for all families. Loved the Lego Robotics club and chess club after school activities for my daughter to participate in.

We moved into this school this year and have a 2nd and kindergartener. So far, I haven’t been impressed. First, the school is huge, over 750 students, so this is not a neighborhood community-feel elementary school. My youngest son had a concert at the school for Thanksgiving and as we were leaving he said goodbye to the music teacher. She responded, “bye.” I could tell that she had no idea what my son’s name was, and that does not make me feel good as a parent. Secondly, the speech teacher, special ed teacher and a few others tried to bully me into putting my son on a speech IEP. I have nothing against IEPs, when necessary. But they brought up a speech concern and immediately told me the only option was to put him on an IEP. It was very clear to me that they wanted their government funding for number of IEPs in the school. That was all they cared about. I stood strong and wouldn’t sign off on it, but what a shame that everything is about money even at an elementary school. Third, the principal— who even is this lady? I barely see her, and the one time I did see her, it was about 30 minutes before dismissal and she was standing in the hall by the front door with her purse in her hand like she was getting ready to leave. Before the students were even dismissed! The school communication is awful, we never really know what’s going on, and some teachers relay a lot more information than others. It’s disorganized. Finally, the school does not seem like a welcoming place. The kids are not allowed to bring in anything for their birthdays— no treats, no little goody bags… so to make my child feel special I have to throw a large, expensive birthday party. Whenever we have a meeting at the school (just a few times) we ring the doorbell and the office staff asks who we are and what we want. When we respond with “we have a conference with so-and-so” we get questioned again — “well what time is your meeting/conference?” It’s like they don’t really want parents there. Same goes for field trips or class parties, they allow 2-3 parents to sign up and then don’t allow anyone else to come. Because I didn’t sign up to volunteer for my son’s holiday party in the first 5 minutes of it being released, I am not allowed to be there. Difficult to explain to my 5-year-old. I will say that my each of my son’s teachers seem pretty good, but overall, the school and community has been a huge disappointment. I would not recommend to others.

My son has attended OH for two years. We have loved all of the teachers he has encountered and they have really helped our son to become a motivated learner. With that said, I wish the administration were a little more engaged with families. It feels as though we aren’t welcome to come to the school, and there a very few non-military events that parents can attend. It would be great to involve the community more. The school is in such a great location to really invite parents in to be a part of their child’s education. Another thing I don’t love to hear, are the stories my son comes home telling. It seems like there are quite a few disruptive students in his classes and not a lot is done about the disruption to learning. While I recognize my child may be exaggerating, I’ve heard from families around the neighborhood who have similar experiences with their kids saying the same. It’s a little cause for concern that kids get to disrupt the class and be disrespectful to teachers and nothing is done about it. The German Immersion program is great too, however, students who are not part of the program lack enthusiasm for that specials.

I am a former teacher at Saratoga. Look elsewhere! Student behavior is out of control, many students with and without disabilities are unsafe and dangerous and get away with it daily (parents have no clue), the teachers receive terrible support from administration, the teachers are under appreciated and its a toxic work environment. If you can choose another school in the area, do it. Cannot NOT recommend this place enough.