St. Bernadette School

As a parent with children that currently attend St. Bernadette I would not recommend the school.This school is run by an overbearing, controlling priest that has no cosistency in his staff and is literally controlling this community- the principal doesn't run the school, the priest does. He is not setting good examples for our chidren and the staff turnover at St. B's has been horrific the last few years. My kids will no longer attend St. Bernadette after this year. We have made numerous attemps to get the archdiocese involved and they are power to the priest. My question is this. What if the priest is the problem? Myself and other parent are choosing to take our children elsewhere. Don't let the tuition fool you- you are't paying for better unfortunately.
—Submitted by a parent

I am not only a St. Bernadette alum but the sister of TWO other alumni AND my mother is currently employed by the school. Being a part of this school for the past 15 years I know it is a wonderful place to learn and grow. Father Goggins is a good man but does not seem as good with children and administration as I would like. Hiring teachers is a very unclear process that needs to be re-evaluated for this school to be as successful as I had it. Sending your kids here will make a difference in the amount of challenge they get in their education and god can be included in that on the playground, at lunch, and weekly mass. Look beyond these bad reviews. Meet teachers and parents who have stuck through it thick and thin for 15-20 years. They'll change your mind.

Wonderful school. Caring teachers and staff. Great before and after care. My kid loves going to school. When he his dropped off in front he runs in!
—Submitted by a parent

I attended this school myself and I could not wait until my daughter was old enough to start school. I really wanted her to experience what I had growing up. I was more than disappointed. The office staff and most of the teachers treated me like dirt to the point that I got fed up & took my daughter out in the middle of the year. I have learned that many of the staff have left since then but from what I can tell by reading the reviews, the school isn't any better. Sad really sad! It breaks my heart that I am no longer proud to say that I am a St. B alum.
—Submitted by a parent

Been there done that... No thank you! If you want cheap babysitters then go ahead. Poor run down area. Worst working conditions I have ever had in any school. Left voluntarily-Overworked, underpaid, unappreciated, lots of good teachers and families leave. No administrative support. They don't care about anything other than their numbers. Miss the kids & co-workers but nothing else. There are plenty of other better schools to choose from. Do your research and ask lots of questions before you decide to either work there or put your kids there. Do not let the word Catholic fool you!
—Submitted by a teacher

Unfortunately it's true. Time to wake up and see this school for what it is...very poor school with a controlling and dishonest priest who has managed a very high turn over rate..staff & all. My kids received a much better education at the public schools than they did here. Not the teachers fault, they are stressed out thanks to the priest. Pulling my kids out was the BEST decision I have ever made. No regrets there! The comment about a teacher leaving a child alone, I believe I might know who that was & if right then I can believe she'd do that. Stop defending the school & start defending the children for a change!!
—Submitted by a parent

The April 10 2011 review is absolutely preposterous! There is no way a teacher would leave a child outside alone. The review is obviously a disgruntled employee/former parent. Please disregard the comment(s) made by this person and know that St. Bernadette is a wonderful school and parish.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a member of the St. Bernadette Parish community and my child has been attending St. Bernadette Catholic School since kindergarten. She is now in the third grade. I strongly believe that St.B s not only provides an excellent religious education for my child but the school also offers the most rigorous academic program, which other schools pale in comparison. To boot, we have the best priest, leader, and communicator in Father Goggins. Father Goggins is a major reason that we belong to St.B s. Please attend a mass at St. B s and contact the school for a tour. I am confident that you will believe as I do.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed to see the comment posted April 2010 alleging that the pastor of the school worte the good reviews. This is not true. I am a paarent and wrote the review. Let me state again, I am a partent at St. Bernadette. My son has been attending the school for 7 years. He is receiving an excellent education and now his test scores show he is at a 12th grade educational level. We love the school, the pastor, the administrative staff and the principal. We are proud to be associated with such a wonderful school.
—Submitted by a parent

Since my first review did not go through, I am writing it again. My grandmother & I went for a walk in her neighborhood to look at the school that I WAS considering putting my 3 year old son in when we witnessed a lady (hispanic, 50ish) literally pushing a little girl (about 4) out the door and locking her out. The poor little girl was outside ALONE kicking & screaming & trying to open the door to get back in. It took a while for the lady to let her back in & it was obvious that this was the little girl's punishment. I would have called the police if I had my cell phone with me. Next time i will take it & a video camera with us and I will call 911!

I've had two students that have graduated from St. Bernadettes and I feel that they have both benifited greatly to the education they received.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Bernadette's is a tight knit community. The class sizes are small (less than 200 students grades K-8). The fundraisers are fun for the adults and children. The commitment of the teachers, principal, PSA and parents to make the childrens educational experience a pleasurable one with structure is unsurpassed. My child scored well above average in all subjects on the Iowa tests, and I know that the combination of our family foundation and the school's willingness to give one on one attention to the students were the primary elements that enabled my child to achieve the scores that he did. St. Bernadette's has a record of over 90% of their students going on to college. If you are looking for a school where your child can succeed academicly, go visit St. B's. The Pastor is amazing and truely cares about all of the students at the school.
—Submitted by a parent