Black Mountain Elementary School

My daughter almost had finish her 2nd year at BMES. Since the new principal has been on board the school is going in the right direction. He connects with students, parents, and teachers. The teachers are excellent and the PTO is really involved. Looking forward to another exciting school year!
--Submitted by a parent

My child's homeroom teacher, Mrs. Finley, is amazing! When I ask my daughter about what she does at school, she doesn't give me the "nothing" comment. Instead she won't stop talking about everything. And I know it is not just my child's teacher because all of my friends' say the same thing. Great teachers, great principal, great school!
--Submitted by a parent

BMES is a great school! My daughter has the best teacher ever too! I love that my children have the opportunity to do so many extras! She was in the Reptile club this year, is going to apply for the BMES National Elementary Honor Society, and is currently in intramurals. We even attended a star gazing night at the school last week. This school really goes above and beyond for its students!
--Submitted by a parent

BMES is ok if you just want your child to go through the paces. The school tends to spend more time promoting itself and trying to convince the public they are great, when really they are just mediocre by true educational standards. Their average of 80 for AIMS math may permit them to claim that they are great, but what that really means is that 20% of the kids couldn t even pass the AIMS math test which is a low bench mark to begin with. 80% doesn t mean that all the kids got B s it means only 80% of the student body could muster 60% or greater score on the test. I would recommend looking at the AZDE spreadsheet on the AZDE website and look how the kids really did. Compare this to some of the local charter schools and it s clear they have nothing to brag about. Lastly, we found the school to be a bit depressing. There is a constant barrage of threats that things are going to be worse, programs cut and teachers laid off etc... As parents we were constantly told how bad things are going to get. It s just not an upbeat positive place to be and more of a place that seems to be very proud that they are striving for mediocrity.
--Submitted by a parent

BMES is an "Excelling, A" School and this is according to the State of Az standards; which means, CCUSD is # 1 in Maricopa County and #4 is the State of AZ. So, like the person said in the posting Oct. 6th, if someone is looking for more, they need to keep looking beyond PV, and Scottsdale, because they are ranked behind CCUSD so bye-bye to Maricopa County. Again, with property values falling, they will probably find cheaper housing elsewhere. BMES Administration and Staff is more than "nice enough", and more than "fine" and they are great for Cave Creek because they are reaching EVERYONE; and not just individualizing or specializing. As for the Love & Logic and Go-Math, well, we are "stuck" there; but the bullying is a continual growing epidemic in all schools and it needs to be defused; which incidentally it is at BMES thanks to Mr. Owsley. BMES is moving forward and not looking back so either you are with us or you are not; this is still America and you have a choice. Good Luck...GO BOBCATS ,
--Submitted by a parent

Sorry, but Black Mountain is not the school you are looking for if you are looking for excellence. There are no services for the gifted, the new math program Go Math is second-rate at best, and the teachers are fine but not stellar (as with most things in the CCUSD). If the school only put as much effort into the learning as they did into the anti-bullying or Love&Logic programs, the school would not be in the bottom tier of the elementary schools in the district. And while the heavy-handed old principal is gone, she was replaced with a new principal who while he seems nice enough, it is evident he has no experience leading a school in an area like Cave Creek. Like most administrators in the district, he wants to keep the status quo and not make any waves. So if you want adequate, Black Mountain is for you. If you want more, keep looking (if at all possible outside of the district).
--Submitted by a parent

Black Mountain is a high quality school at every level. We have wonderful staff members, teachers, students, parents, and community members. Our halls are filled with learning, a caring culture, and a passion for education. Every classroom has highly qualified teachers that teach Core Knowledge, State Standards, and 21st Century Skills through best practices in teaching with the use of resources and technology that includes mounted projectors and Smartboards. Our school is one of the best in Arizona and continues to move in the right direction.
--Submitted by a teacher

My child has never been happier at a school than they are now at BMES! My child says she feels safe there and loves her teacher. They are learning so much more than they ever did before with Core Knowledge. The principal, Elie Gaines, is always out and about at school and I am amazed at how she knows so many childrens names and parents names. She even started a group for grandparents and she thanks me whenever she sees me volunteering at school. She really listens to kids and parents and is fair. I will send my son next year to BMES as a Kindergartner without hesitation.
--Submitted by a parent

I am glad my child no longer attends this school. It was such a strong school under the former principal. There was incredible parental involvement. The school and PTO were held up as examples throughout the district. There were in-depth professional development programs for the teachers. The programs and teachers at BMES were held up as examples to nearby universities who would come to the school for observations. The new principal came in and immediately set about changing what was a great school to a bad one. She continually limited parental involvement to only within boundaries she could control. She came in with the single-minded goal to force the school into Core Knowledge and has done so through manipulation -- not through building solid support among parents and teachers. She has shouted at and scolded teachers and parents in front of children. What a difference a year can make.

I've loved BMES until this year. The school has many wonderful teachers and a super PTO. The atmosphere around campus has changed this year with the new principal and is not as open or warm. Due to the budget crisis, teachers and programs are being cut, and parents are worried about next year. Staff and supplies are already streched thin, but class sizes will increase and PE, art, and music programs are expected to be very limited if not cut entirely. Getting honest, candid answers has been difficult. Teacher contracts are renewed by seniority, not performance, a common public school policy, but not in the students' best interest. If teachers must be cut, shouldn't those remaining be the best of the best and not just the ones who have been there longest? Concern has many parents, including myself, looking into other options.
--Submitted by a parent