Wynton M Blount Elementary School

don't be deceived by this "Great Schools Rating" Montgomery County" is know for having the worst public schools and so i guess you can consider Blount the best of the worst. the curiculum leaves much to be desired. my child attended a private school and kindergarten and i promise you when he started attending this school it was as if he was learning some of the same things all over again, if you don't believe me then ask them for a copy of their sight words for the grade your child will be attending. now let's talk about the security of the school which by the way is a joke... the " enclosed" office cubicle that sits in the front when you walk in is even a bigger joke. on any given day you can walk right into the school because one of the doors is always unlocked(before the sandy hook incident, they were all unlocked). sometimes they ask you for id when pick up a child and sometimes they don't it just depends on who is at the desk that day. there are always people walking around in the halls and i myself was able to enter the school and walk all the way through without anyone stopping me and i promise you this is no lie! if you can afford to send your child to a private school.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been a steadfast, quality school in the Montgomery Public School system. The school and its administration, staff, and teachers are not perfect - but it is a school where these persons strive to provide a safe, secure, well-balanced, and academically challenging environment for the students. All of this being said, they do this under the confines of public education and trying to appeal to the demands of many parents, grandparents, guardians, education officials, government officials, and the students. I make these comments after having three children who have gone to Blount from 2003 (the first year it opened) through 2011. I have spent many hours volunteering there in many areas (including the office) and encourage anyone to "walk in another person's shoes". For example, do you want a small glimpse of a teacher's day? - volunteer to take the class to lunch. Are you frustrated with carpool? - volunteer to help direct traffic. You get the point. It's a good school, not a perfect school. When everyone takes responsibility in their child's education, the student(s), parents, and school will benefit.
—Submitted by a parent

We are a military family here for only one year. We have been quite pleased with Blount, even coming from an amazing school in York Co, VA. The fifth grade team of three teachers is phenomenal. We couldn't have asked for a better balance for our 11 year old. Our 2nd grader adores his teacher, she is vary caring. If I were to have a complaint it would be that the curriculum for 2nd grade is a little behind compared to VA, but we are able to supplement with other activities. We have had minimal interaction with the principal but I hear from others that she is very good with both discipline issues and special needs. The PTA is involved at a good level and is surprisingly welcoming to the one year military families. My favorite thing about his school is the cultural diversity of the student body, it's hard to have racism when there is such a great balance and variety of people. The teachers handle the diversity very well. Not all teachers use email, so it was a little challenging working out communication, but we worked it out by putting in a little volunteer time. Front office staff takes a little warm up time, but they come around if you show your face enough.
—Submitted by a parent

Not a good school for military families especially if you are here for a year. The principleand teachers will appease you until Christmas then ignore you for the rest of the school year. Kids are bored.

POOR DAILY SCHED--While i agree this is a good school with a caring staff, a blind eye has been turned to a poor daily schedule for first graders-- my son is in 1st grade. Just a heads up, they DO NOT have any unstructured down time until lunch at 11 and then nothing until recess at 2pm right at the end of the day. What is the point of recess at the END of their LONG day--DEFEATS THE PURPOSE? They might as well send them home at 2. That's like putting spring break at the last week of school. We are coming from a more academically challenging school where the students had a small break in the morning then recess after lunch-- it was great AND IT WORKED. I was told one reason "recess" was at the end of the day, was because kids would be too tired to learn in the afternoon. That makes no sense and was not the case for me growing up nor many students with more forgiving schedules across the country. This makes me, as well as other parents, who opted to send their children to private schools, question the integrity of this school. Many parents told me they just power it out sense they're only here for a short time. I dont think that's fare to kids at such a young age. Change needed!!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a military parent with 2 children at Blount. One of my children is also special needs. I am VERY impressed with the depth of caring of the staff. I have interacted with administration, special education staff, and teachers in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 4th grade. I am not particularly thrilled with the required Alabama curriculum, however, I feel the teachers do their best to supplement in order to ensure children are learning what is necessary (rather than only what's required). I really think the PTO does a great support job without being overwhelmingly irritating to parents. I do feel that the student to teacher ratio is high, but that is due to the economy and can not be easily fixed.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had three of my children attend Blount Elementary over the past two years. It is an excellent school with a great principal and wonderful teachers. It is truly a shining star in the Montgomery Public School System. As a military parent and educator myself, I have had experience with many different schools and Blount will always be a place with fond memories where my children received an excellent education along with the love and support military families need.
—Submitted by a parent

Wynton M Blount Elementary is an exceptional learning facility. This school is lead by a wonderful and caring principal, Mrs Mona Green. Mrs Green is a dedicated professional that cares about every child that attends this school. The teachers are equally as dedicated and caring to the individual needs of each student. In my opinion Wynton M Blount Elementary should stand as a high water mark and example for Alabama Public Schools to follow.
—Submitted by a parent

We just finished up our first year with our daughter graduating kindergarten. We had a great experience, and I would recommend this school to anyone thinking about it! They certainly do a lot of fundraisers, as the last reviewer (16 May) said, but that's not really a problem, just a little bothersome. If that's what it takes for a school to be successful in Alabama, I'm all for it! Our daughter is reading books almost completely without help, and is doing very well with basic math. Her teacher, Mrs. Miller, was outstanding all year long. My only complaint would be that a lot of communication happens online, and some information is left out. I assume that's because most people know how the school normally works, but this was our first child's first year, and we were new. Most of the info was nothing important, but little things that would have been nice to know (where to buy the non-uniform items, bus procedures, what happens during a tornado warning, etc.). Overall, I was very happy with our decision to attend Blount instead of paying for private school.
—Submitted by a parent

Blount is about as good as you can get in the Montgomery public school system. Folks say that if you're not zoned for Blount or Halcyon, choose a magnet or private school. I am impressed with the principal, Mrs. Green. She is CARING, professional, and good at her job. Because of her, the school operates efficiently and productively. Secondly, the PTA works tirelessly to raise money for the school. Did you know that no money from AL property taxes goes to the schools? So, try not to be dismayed by all the fundraisers the PTA throws at you. That is the ONLY way teachers can buy supplies for their classrooms w/o using their own $. Hard to believe!! Thirdly, we are a military family and are only attending Blount for 1 year, but the teachers my children have had are outstanding. From what I hear, teacher quality can be hit or miss. Lastly, the front office leaves less than to be desired, so be prepared for that when you encounter the head secretary. For being the first impression you get upon entering the school, the attitiude friends and I received on many occasions is "cold". However, what matters the most to me are my children's teachers and they have been fantastic!
—Submitted by a parent

Although I feel that Blount provides the best public education available for elementary students Montgomery, I am disappointed with the school. Being military and moving frequently, I have had children attend several different public elementary schools. The PTA is very involved, but at the same time they are not very open to new ideas. I believe that bullying is becoming more of a problem and it is often overlooked by teachers and staff at Blount. The classroom focus seems to be entirely on grades and test scores, not on learning and the well-being of students. AR tests and standardized tests are over emphasized and causing unnecessary stress on students. PE is often skipped in order to complete more classroom activities. (and there is no recess) The classrooms at Blount are not a fun learning environment for the students. After 1 year at Blount, my children no longer look forward to going to school.
—Submitted by a parent

I use to be a student at Blount Elementary...I graduated last year in 2010......this school is AMAZING!!!!I already miss the teachers, it's like they put this trance on you or something. It did kinda lack things for the upper grade levels, but it was still a REALLY good school and I will NEVER forget my time being there from 2003 to 2010.

We strongly believe in public education, so our move to Montgomery involved quite a bit of research. We feel that Blount is about as good as it gets when it come to Montgomery education. All of the teachers have been awesome so far. I wish that we had known some of the quirks before we made our final choice as they have made our initial experience pretty awful. Ask a lot of questions about the bus schedule, lack of recess and expect the front office staff to be less than desired.
—Submitted by a parent

When moving from out of state to Montgomery 5 years ago, we were told by most everyone that we would HAVE to find a private school. We strongly believe in public education and found 2 recommended public elementary schools in the city. After taking the tour of both, Blount was our first choice. We have never once regretted the choice. The principal takes personal interest in every, single student. She can be very firm in a loving way. Under her leadership, the teachers at Blount excell. Our child has always been challenged and encouraged by her teachers, and especially enjoys the gifted program of study. Parental involvement is encouraged...you may volunteer at the school as much or as little as you like. We could not be more pleased with ANY private education offered in Montgomery.
—Submitted by a parent

Our child came here after starting his Kindergarten year at Forest Avenue. I can't say enough great things about the staff and mostly about what he learned here. Mrs. McDevitt his teacher was OUSTANDING. He went from not reading at the beginning of Kindergarten to reading chapter books. What impressed us most wasn't the level he was reading on but that he LOVES reading and does it without us asking. Mrs. Greene the Principal made out transition seamless.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall, Blount is not a bad school. I don't think you can do much better in Montgomery for younger elementary kids. Blount does a great job meeting the basic requirements and standards of an elementary education. Class sizes are decent and teachers relatively responsive to student and parent needs. That being said, Blount seems very focused on checking all the boxes required to be an elementary school and less interested in doing the things that would make it a great school. For example, tremendous focus on driving patterns in the parking lot but less focus on how to help kids who are already meeting or above standards. Wouldn't let the school scare you away from Deer Creek--as I said, probably the best education you can get in Montgomery. Just don't set your expectations overly high.
—Submitted by a parent

The one thing that this school has lacked in years past was an art program. This year there is a new art teacher who is also the music teacher. My children loves going to his class and has learned a lot. He is teaching them how to be creative in art. He even has school choir! I am very impressed with Mr. Darby.
—Submitted by a parent

We were very nervous about the public schools here in Montgomery mostly by word of mouth...we had come from a top rated public school system and had a lot of anxiety from other parents but we found Blount and have really loved it. It is a great school that keeps improving and that is what is important...we could not be happier !
—Submitted by a parent

I've had 4 children attend Blount. 2 are now in middle school. 2 will be attending Blount again this year. Mrs. Green the principal is very involved, always available, very fair and is a true leader. My experience with the younger teachers are that they are energetic, fresh and creative in their teaching. Looking forward to less students this year! I'll be pushing the PTA to spend all the money they raise. Or I'm not donating another dime! I would like to see a music room for the wonderful Mr. Reese and also a gym!! No more TRAILERS! I pray my 4th and 1st grader are NOT in trailers! I'll be highly disappointed. Overall this is the best of the best in Elementary for MPS. Thanks to the parents and faculty.
—Submitted by a parent

Blount Elementary School is a wonderful school with an excellent faculty. The principal has great leadership abilities. She is very personable and has a genuine love for the students. She can often be seen greeting over 900+ parents and students by name. She also takes the time to meet with parents when problems arise. Sending my child to Blount was the best choice I've made since moving to Montgomery.
—Submitted by a parent