BASIS Peoria

I really love my school. I think that before anyone sends their child to this school, they should know it is not for the weak at heart. Our teachers know the subjects they teach, but sometimes they teach us as if we are college students, and well, frankly, we are not! Some teachers at school really connect with their students and teach in a fun way, others not so much. We do really advanced things, honestly, I'm not trying to brag :) My grades are currently atrocious, but I am hoping to stay for next year's ninth grade and perform well. BASIS doesn't really let you maintain much activity outside the school, at least at my stand point. BASIS BECOMES the life of the student. There is nothing else. SCHOOL=LIFE Thanks for reading!

Great school. problem is that most teachers are subject experts but not trained as teachers. I had afew problems with a teacher who really knows her subject well but treats fifth graders as robots. no people skills and very uncooperative to parents. She is like a commander in the army. Takes parents involvement or questions offensively. A typical fifth grade evening is spents on 30 math problems, 30 mins english homework, 30 mins geo homework, read for 2 tests . its that way every night so that is 3 - 4 hrs of homework and studying per night. I love it but my kid has no life.
—Submitted by a parent

My son just start couple of months ago, he is in 5th grade which is a tough grade, even though it hasn't been easy for him, he loves the school, the curriculum and the teachers; the program helps every student to succeed and all the teachers are involved in the student support program before or after school; they surpass our expectations in all aspects; it's a wonderfull school and if you child is strong enough to finish high school at this school their options to Collage/University are endless but it's true this is not for every child, if your kid is an average student at a traditional public school he will struggle enormously.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter began at Basis Peoria as a 6th grader last year and is now in 7th. She consistantly tells me that it is the best decision that she ever made. She has learned far more and enjoyed every minute of it. She loves the staff and her teachers. When I was researching on this site the other Basis campuses, what I found was that people either loved or hated it. This could not be more true. It is absolutely not for everyone. If you have a self driven child their adjustment will be easy provided that they start by either 5th or 6th grade. There is no question that what the kids are exposed to at very early ages far exceeds what they will be exposed to even when compared to gifted education offerings. Weaknesses would be no use of technology, no differentiated instruction within each classroom although acceleration is available, limited creativity in teaching but teachers with vast knowledge and passion for their subject and finally class size concerns as kids move into higher grades due to high attrition.
—Submitted by a parent

WOW that was alot of stress for my child, she did well in most classes but as a parent you have to be a detective to find out how your child is doing, the school doesn't want parents to be involved ... they want the kids to be responsible alone... good idea in theory but sends the wrong message to kids. She attended Basis for 1 1/2 years til I decided it was too much stress to put on a kid.
—Submitted by a parent

Curriculum is rigorous but not for every child. Unfortunately the school notifies parents well into the year if your child will not be promoted to the next grade (they should tell parents earlier), this happens to many students and leaves parents scrambling to find a good school. Other good option is Peoria Traditional School K-8.
—Submitted by a parent

too good. No words to say, excellent teachers and friendly staff. very challenging and i can see lots of improvement in all the subjects.
—Submitted by a parent

What BASIS has created is quite simply the strongest free academic experience in the entire Valley for grades 5-12. The schools give teachers a great deal of autonomy in the classroom, while at the same time giving us the support we need to create a dynamic curriculum. The fact that I am able to successfully teach 6th graders using a high school textbook is astounding, to say the least, but that's just the type of culture BASIS supports. The administration at Peoria in particular is simply fantastic; I cannot say enough good things about them. If any student who graduates from BASIS attends anything other than a good four-year university, I would be shocked. And honestly, some of my high school students are talking Ivy League- and I guarantee you that those with that goal have a good shot at it, too. There are lots of activities at BASIS too- if your child is athletic or artistic, the programs are there to support them. Not to the same caliber as the academic program, of course, but the extracurriculars are there for students who wish to participate in them. My children will go here one day, and as a teacher, I can't think of a stronger recommendation than that.
—Submitted by a teacher

Basis Peoria is an excellent school. The curriculum is rigorous, but the student get along well and the teacher are dedicated to encouraging a learning community. The staff is curteous and helpful. My daughter is in her second year at Basis Peoria and I am confident that she will be well prepared for college.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a tough school and there have been some first year kinks, but the growth and learning that I've seen in my son is astounding. He has not only learned more than I thought he could from school in a year, he has also stepped up and become a more responsible person. Coming in, we also had expectations of the school not being fun from other parent reviews of other BASIS schools, but we were pleasantly surprised. My son was in several after school activities on campus and had to start making tough decisions about prioritizing activities, because some were offered on the same day. In all, he stayed after for activities generally 3 days per week and still wanted to go to school an hour early almost every day to hang out with friends. He isn't involved in outside of school activities, so I cannot speak to working out that schedule. I will say, for incoming students, that organization is key. Be prepared for lots of homework, but if you manage your time well, it shouldn't be overwhelming. Be prepared to not get straight A's. If all you want from a school is A's, this is not the school for you. If instead you focus on how much you can learn, the doors of knowledge are wide open.
—Submitted by a parent