Tolenas Elementary School

Overall Tolenas is a great school. My son has been going for two years now and both teachers are amazing, My issue is the staff. I've had so many different problems with the front office staff and the yard duties. It's to the point I'm ready to complain to the school board. If staff would change their attitude and put a little smile on their face I would give this school 5 stars.
—Submitted by a parent

If substandard staff and the worst parking issues and parking monitors in the history of Elementary schools than this is the school for you. While given the short end of the stick due to budget cuts this school manages to prove to everyone they are not happy about it. The attitudes are unacceptable and they feel they have the right to do things at their own pace and forget about the parents concerns. Class Schedule this Monday (all other schools had sched. out already) then when I go in I am told not till after noon. Funny, I didn't see that on the sign. Because it is apparently not obvious, it is time for the school board to take a closer look at the Operations at Tolenas before any more kids kids slip through the cracks. I finally taught, teaching kids is an important and tough job. It is going to require that those who wanted to be teachers actually work. An yes, I said teachers and not Educators. You can call Ford a Cadillac but it is still a Ford.
—Submitted by a parent

For seven years I have been involved with Tolenas. I have had two children go through this school and currently have a first grader attending and I have not been pleased with the steady decline of this school. With the lack of principal leadership, the lost of their P.E., music, art and G.A.T.E. programs, I hope and pray things turn around for Tolenas. It's a great school, with a great teaching staff and parental involvement, and I would like very much to see them return back to their high standards of commitment to achievement and excellence.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been at this school 3 years now. And I hope my sons third grade year shows some improvement. I've watched our scores drop we went from I think an 8 to a 4 now can anyone tell me how this happened ? I still believe in the school. We've lost a lot of wonderful teachers. And also the gate program. PE and Music teachers. I hope they get it back together
—Submitted by a parent

I sat here and read all the prior reviews. I'm sure that they're all correct, when they were written. Since educational cutbacks there are no more music, art or P.E. classes. The teachers are doing their best with what is available to them. I'm much happier with this school that the prior school that my daughter attended. She started here at the beginning of fourth grade when her other school was closed due to budget cuts. She is now in fifth grade. I'm very happy that we'll be moving soon and she'll be attending a school that has k-6th. I was worried about her having to go to the local middle school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a 4th grader and a 1st grader at Tolenas. My children have been lucky enough to be placed with wonderful teachers giving them a positive outlook on school and learning. They both do well and love going to school at Tolenas. I would like to see more accountability on students for their behavior and on the new principal for her lack of leadership. I look forward to the school being more organized next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel that the teachers and staff at Tolenas are always working together to do what is in the kid's best interests. They have great programs, music, sports...etc. In an economy that is unsteady, they are doing their best to shield the education of the children, and keep them working toward their goals. Not only are these teachers and staff members teaching our kids the basics, they are also teaching our kids values and independence. I have found that the way to make the system work, is to become involved in the school, and know what your child is doing, and what he/she is capable of. If more parents were 'dialed in' to their kids education, the easier it would be for the teachers to teach more 'effectively'. Thank you to all of the staff at Tolenas!
—Submitted by a parent

I have one child that attends Tolenas, I have not been impressed with the performance of the teachers. You look at the API scores and the best is just over half the students meeting profiecient. How is that good? The other half don't matter? I feel all students should have to be proficient to pass to the next grade. Those that do not meet it should be put into special classes with a teachers aid to give more attention and help to aid them in becoming proficient. Instead of teaching content they teach to test and the kids are not learning. Parents should not have to pay out of pocket for a tutor when we are paying tax dollars for our kids to go to public school. It's a bigger issue than Tolenas it's about cuts in funding, low pay for teachers and an ineffective method of educating our children.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved out daughter to Tolenas last year into the GATE program. We were thrilled with the school. Her academics took off. The music program is awesome. They still have art and other activities unlike the school she attended prior. The teachers were easy to contact and work with. The school has the small country feel to it, but still does a great job with teaching technology. My daughter learned more about using computers than any previous school. She is way ahead of friends she had at her old school. We are so pleased we are moving our son here next year because of the deficiencies at the school he attends. Wish more people knew what a great program they have going there.
—Submitted by a parent

Tolenas Elementary school was a great experience for the entire family. The teachers work cohesively with each other, the school staff and the parents. Their GATE program is exceptional as well as thier music program. They have a surprisingly strong and enthusiastic parent volunteer group who caters to the schools/students needs.
—Submitted by a parent