Yuma Lutheran School

Very pleased that YLS offers electives for 6-8 grade. 7th and 8th graders can also take an advanced math class. I also like that my 1st grader is getting the opportunity to learn to play the violin. The orchestra teacher is so wonderful!- just as all the other teachers my 3 children have had so far!
--Submitted by a parent

I sent two children to this school for two years. My son attended his first grade there and the experience was less than satisfactory. My son is an extremely bright boy but hyper. His lessons bored him constantly. Parent-teacher meetings were requested and never scheduled. Eventually I wrote a letter to the teacher calling her to task and I got my meeting, with her and the Principal which was less than helpful. The next year my son transferred. My daughter attended kindergarten there the next year with similar results. She was doing poorly academically. Meetings were requested and never held. Towards the end of school year, her teacher had the nerve to tell me she thought my child should be held back. She told me this in the parking lot. My children now attend a charter school. One that has resources and that staff that is trained enough to intervene when a child is having difficulty. My son's issues were caught within the first two weeks by his new school, was diagnosed as ADHD with an IQ of 120. My daughter is still pending, but her difficulty was determined within weeks of school starting. Why did I pay over $3000 a year for this school?
--Submitted by a parent

I am a mother of two and both attend Yuma Lutheran. I am a proud parent of what this school offers. With the change in Principal, the school is very positive, academics exceeds many other schools. We are a family here and we are very happy. I do not understand why some of the reports are negative, they do not push through academics, teachers care about students.
--Submitted by a parent

After two years at YLS we are leaving. It seems they push through the academics regardless of how the kids are doing. Instead of reteaching and retesting when kids don't understand and do poorly, tests are given and counted in the grade book regardless and they move onto the next topic. Too much attention is paid to getting through a book by the end of the year instead of making sure everyone understands the subject matter. Many of the children don't seem to uphold the Christian values that we expect in a Christian school. I would guess that many parents leave it up to the school to teach children Biblical principles and nothing is reinforced at home. Many children cuss and bully. I can get this for free in a public school, so why am I paying for it?
--Submitted by a parent

Absolutely NO recommendation for YLS! We did not return our well behaved, bright and talented children after one year due to the administrative policy of ignoring its own handbook regarding discipline. IN the Biblical sense, they are respecters of persons of influence, or parents who are intimidators, whose children enjoy a double standard with total immunity to discapline. They have burnt many bridges here....
--Submitted by a parent

I would not recommend this school to anyone! It is the worst school out of all that my child attended and its teachers were the worst we ever had. There was lots of bullying, harassment, and gossip. Telling the teacher did not help because she supported this behaviour in children, and the principal did not take control of the situation. This school is also weak academically. The math program for 7th grade was barely halfway completed. The teacher did not want and was not able to answer my child's questions concerning the contents of the subjects which she taught.
--Submitted by a parent

After looking at the other schools in the area, I chose Yuma Lutheran School for my child. I am very happy with my decision. The teachers really care about the students and keep parents involved in the learning. It's like a big family. Next year they will have a new principal. The program is superior. Beyond the challenging academics, sports teams compete against other schools as part of the after school athletic program. String orchestra instruction is available for gr. 1-8 during school as well as a well rounded music program for the whole school. My child wouldn't consider going anywhere else and is sad that they don't have a high school as well.
--Submitted by a parent

Pulled my child out after three years. School has no controll of the students my child was bullied and harassed. I would not recommend this school to anyone ever.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been at Yuma Lutheran for three years (K-2nd) and now have two children attending. We have been very pleased with this school. They receive a well-rounded education, with science, social studies, music, art, PE, etc. This would not be the case at public school. The teachers at YLS have been wonderful. They have responded promptly and pleasantly to any issues we have had (such as sitting next to a bully). The environment at this school is what we enjoy the most. It's a place where modesty, respect for others, and love are paramount. There is no dress code on non-PE days because they don't need one! The students are being raised to dress in an appropriate fashion. In the past three years I have never heard a curse word from any student, even the 7th & 8th graders. We feel that YLS is helping us raise decent, loving kids.
--Submitted by a parent

YLS has been a huge, disappointment and bad decision for our 1st grader. At 6yrs of age our child has had to endure bullying behavior by 8yr olds in her first grade class. These older children are repeating first grade because they were failing in public school. I have been told by the teacher and the principal that I am NOT welcome to visit the class! I have tried to discuss concerns with the teacher, now my child begs me NOT to talk to the teacher, because the teacher yells at her. My child has been ignored, and bullied, learning has come to a complete stop thanks to the neglect of the teacher and disregard of the principal. This experience has been devastating to our daughter who once said,'I love school', now she says, 'I hate myself'
--Submitted by a parent