Legacy Traditional School - Maricopa Campus

With 3 boys attending school we thought legacy would be a good fit for our children after another teacher told us how wonderful it was. However our experience with Legacy was horrible. Bullying seems to be the norm at the school and the principle turned a blind eye to it. No amount of parent envolvement and conferences stopped the weekly harrassment. This may be a charter school but they should have to follow the same rules as other schools, there should be an anti bullying policy in place. How are children ever going to feel safe in school if the adults won't even protect them from the other children.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in Kindergarten this year and she is doing well! It is organized, structured, the goals and expectations for the kids are very clear and they are wonderful at handling parent concerns at every step of the way - the education is truly top notch. But... the only real downside of a half day Kindergarten program is that in order to accomplish so much in so little time and so many kids - , the teachers move very fast (which is good or bad depending on the child). My daughter's teacher is exceptionally nice, yet mechanical with rushed and repetitive answers. If you would like a more genuine individualized approach, a smaller campus might be a better option.
--Submitted by a parent

I Love this school!!! My children were always straight A students, but bored in public school, having to supplement their school work with workbooks at home, just to try to keep them challenged. At Legacy, they are constantly being challenged & maintaining straight A's. There are lots of clubs available, weekly after school tutoring for those in need, and a very caring staff. I am very happy with all my children's teachers & the school welcomes parent involvement at all times. Teachers keep close watch & graph out your child's progress throughout the school year. None of my 3 children have ever personally experienced or witnessed any bullying or problems of that nature in school. They all made quality friends very quickly. I have extreme gratitude for the structure & education Legacy is providing to my children.
--Submitted by a parent

I can not verbalize my disappointment in this school after 2.5 years.... My son was an 'A' student when he began attending LTS. He excelled during his first year there. Then, was a change in leadership (new principal) and my son fell victim to several unfortunate events there. He was attacked and threatened on campus and nothing was done about that. in the end, he was singled out and punished without procedure. When we met with the principal, she was rude, disrespectful and threatening. By the time he moved him back to the Kyrene District in the Fall of 2010, he had been emotionally crushed, explaining to me that his LTS teachers favored the LDS students over him. He had begun feeling isolated... I don't regret the move. My son has excelled since. For the sake of the kids there, I really hope that Principal has been removed.
--Submitted by a parent

So far this is a great school. Looks like they went through a lot of growing pains, but it is great now.
--Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school! I remember when the Maricopa campus was located in portables. It's come such a long way, but the quality has remained top-notch!
--Submitted by a parent

I ve been so impressed with Legacy! They use Spalding and Saxon math, the best curriculums. They have a beautiful campus. The teachers care about the students. There is a great feeling of citizenship there. There is an emphasis on patriotism and a love of America at Legacy. They challenge the students while still making school enjoyable. The hold the teachers accountable and do random walk throughs weekly to ensure quality of teaching. I ve been so happy with Legacy!
--Submitted by a parent

I don't know which campus some of the critical reviews have come from but I can tell you that Athlos, the Gilbert campus, has exceeded our expectations. We came from a private school and were very nervous about changing to a charter school. We needn't have worried - our kids love this school. They come home happy and engaged - not stressed and nervous. The teachers communicate weekly via email and have notified us promptly about any issues. The campus is beautiful and the gym and p.e. program are state of the art. Other schools should take note and learn from this school.
--Submitted by a parent

My 2 children just finished their first week at Legacy. Every day when I pick them up they are jumping up and down, skipping and just plain happy. They are excited about their new teachers and curriculum. They are now getting the education that is going to push them into success. Unlike their last school, Saddleback Elementary, who just cared about getting the best AIMS score and getting state funding. I am extremely happy we made the change, and so are my children!
--Submitted by a parent

I rated this school 2stars for several reasons. The administrators really do not seem to know what they are doing. In all of the schools they have opened-I don't think 1 of them has opened on time. They also have VERY poor communication with parents. The elementary cirriculium is very good and most of the teacher are with exceptions. But know if you do have a problem with a teacher, you are on your own. After several parents complained about a certain 4th grade teacher, nothing was done all year and the kids were treated poorly, nothinng was done--although that teacher was not rehired. The Jr. High kids are disiplined as thought they are in elementary--they promise things and then don't deliver. The after school tutoring-they basically give your kids the answers. It is better than the public school ONLY because its a good cirriculum-not becasue of the teachers or the staff and expect alot of homework and alot of busywork that you WILL be helping your kids with. Book reports and poems to memorize every 6wks and in the 4th grade starts BIG science projects every year.
--Submitted by a parent