Buck Lake Elementary School

My child is in 3rd grade there and has been a student since Kindergarten. I lke the school alot and feel the teachers genuinely care about the students. The after school enrichment program is also a great asset to the school.
--Submitted by a parent

We have had a generally good experience with Buck Lake. Our children's teachers have been very good at what they do - some even exceptional. I agree to some extent that there seems to be a bias towards those with hyper-involved parents, yet we do not have a full-time parent at home and have still been able to have good relationships with our teachers. I am worried about the future of gifted education there (and all over Leon County) because I do not believe administrators all understand or care how important it is teach those kids differently. And the FCAT seems to be more and more emphasized every year.There used to be more of a sense that the FCAT would be taken care of by good teaching instead of by making little kids stress out over it. But overall it has been a good place for our children.
--Submitted by a parent

Buck Lake Elementary--a big disappointment. The 3 years my 3 children attended there, we were also struggling in a battle against cancer and depression, with very little support from teachers and administration. Buck Lake's flaws begin with the fact that Leon County school districts are inequitably divided. Buck Lake has no low-income housing; it is fed by middle and upper-class white/international neighborhoods, without working class blacks and latinos. Its school projects favor the privileged full-time parent at home. My 2nd grader was assigned projects that only a parent could complete, like building a native american dwelling and a geneology chart. The Buck Lake principal has the compassion of a criminologist, not an educator concerned about the well-being of a child suffering from depression. The F-Cat snuffs-out a child's love of learning. I removed my children from Buck Lake Elementary, and the Leon County public school system.
--Submitted by a parent

My two oldest children go to BLE and I have always been please with the teachers and the staff. They are always in good spirits, helpful and so wonferful with their students.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers and staff are always looking for ways to improve learning, they make it fun and they are very committed to our children.
--Submitted by a parent

Each morning I drop my children off to smiling teachers in the car loop. There are a minimum of 6 adults greeting each parent and child as they are dropped off. A child greeted by a smiling teacher has already started their day off on a positive note. The rest of the day is no different. Well educated teachers, caring for children, developing talents, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and guiding them to achieve their individual best. Buck Lake teachers and staff are committed to creating life long learners in our children. Why? Because they are also life long learners...wonderful!
--Submitted by a parent

My son is an ESE student and buck lake has the most amazing program for them. They dont treat them as if they are different from the others. They let be the amazong kids they are. Thank you buck lake!!!
--Submitted by a parent

This has been an awesome school for my two children. A new principal came in the 2006-07 school year, and though I haven't seen a lot personality-wise from her, there are enhanced safety measures and increased notification when there is bad weather or other info parents should know. Teachers and staff are responsive, and above all, demonstrate daily their love of children and learning.
--Submitted by a parent

My son and I moved here 2 years ago, and from the day we got here, everyone was most helpful and happy to assist us. We moved to the Buck Lake Elementary jurisdiction specifically so my son could attend there, since the school choice program was overloaded. We were lucky to find a great neighborhood on top of being in a terrific school! The programs at this school are wonderful, as are the teachers and all the support staff. I would be lost without the after school program since I'm a working-full-time single mom, and the folks who work in that program treat my son as if he was their own! Thanks Buck Lake!
--Submitted by a parent

BLE is, without a doubt, the best school in Leon County Florida. The diversity of academic programs available to students and parents is unmatched. BLE provides multi-aged classrooms as well as traditional classroom settings; Project Child for 3rd - 5th grade; a gifted program, reading buddies, the DARE program, a Spring Festival, a great after-school program, music and art programs and teachers that encourage students to learn through the arts; a caring and dedicated staff who have only the best interest of the student in mind. I could go on and on and continue to list the many other programs availabe but I only have a 150 word limit! My daughter has already expressed her sadness about leaving BLE next year. She feels comfortable and safe at her school. As a parent, I would not trade the past 6 years at Buck Lake Elementary for any private school education around.
--Submitted by Tricia Knox, a parent