Juniper School

My son and have had a great experience at Juniper. I am an active parent/volunteer in the classroom. The teachers are amazing and the administration is exceptional. My only concern is the very low socioeconomic status of the other children/parents. When one attends school assemblies, be prepared to see and hear some rough people. I am not saying everyone is like this, just the majority. I am one of the few parents who have attended college, much less earned a masters of science degree. This does distress me a bit. Education does not seem to be a huge value for many of the parents, much less the use of proper English. Juniper is overall a diamond in the rough. I wish more parents like me would give it a chance instead of just transferring to Grant School or Manzanita. It is a very good school.
--Submitted by a parent

Juniper came from what I would call a 'bad rap' in the early to mid 2000's; however, since Margret Arthofer took over there have been some incredible improvements. I moved my 3 children from a rural school to Juniper and the same "home town" feeling remained. Juniper has provided challenging and engaging education to my kids, they are constantly working toward meeting and exceeding goals and are all performing well above grade level. I like that each student is encouraged on an individual basis and although there are students at different levels in each class; they are each pushed to keep reaching higher, and given challenges to meet. The staff is friendly and professional with clear sincere interest in the futures of the seeds they're planting in the kids' minds and hearts. They have always addressed my concerns in a prompt and respectful manner. The atmosphere is one of overall improvement, not just academically but socially and as an upstanding and responsible student citizen. My kids started in Kindergarten - 2nd grade and have been exposed to other local area schools; Juniper clearly has the entire package!!! GO JAGUARS!!!!!!!!!!
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers are excellent, as well as most of the staff that is one on one with the kids, but the administration is horrible
--Submitted by a parent

Juniper refers to itselfas the flagship of the school district, which if true is disturbing. As with a lot of public schools, the remedial demands so much time that the exceptional seems under recognized. 'The squeaky wheel' gets the grease. It certainly seemed to me that because my child was quick to grasp new things, she was handled quickly and considered taken care of instead of given more. JA also seemed to put themselves in the role of public authority over the children rather than in service to them. I found them adversarial as opposed collaborative in terms of her best interests. When I tried to discuss specific issues with administration, I was met repeatedly with a parroted 'party line', instead of the interest and concern I'd've liked. JA seemed more concerned about their stats as a charter school than they were about the individual kid. Bottom line? I don't trust them.
--Submitted by a parent

Juniper Academy is a caring school where the staff is 150% for the students. They are always looking for ways to do the best for the kids and keep them safe, responsible, and respectful. The teachers always put the kids first!
--Submitted by a parent