MacFarlane Park Elementary Magnet School

This school is welcoming and committed to providing a quality education for their students. The teachers are engaged and do a fantastic job balancing fun with work. My son is completing his second year at MacFarlane and I'm excited that our second son will be a kindergartener next year.
--Submitted by a parent

This school provides an excellent education! I am a new parent to the school and I have felt very welcomed by the staff and by the other parents. The PTA is welcomed in the school and has an obvious presence. We appreciate and support our teachers. My daughter has had a wonderful first year! My only complaint is that more children don't have access to this kind of experience. I hope to see even more IB schools open in the future.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has some real "issues" at the administration level. They offer great programs, and "most" of the teachers are good. Its the few that are not that make the experience less than desirable. New kids are not integrated effectively and there is a lot of bullying from the older kids. The workers in the lunch room are disrespectful to the kids. Kids are people too! Not worth it unless your kid starts at the kindergarten level!
--Submitted by a parent

What can I say about this school other than from top to bottom, it is excellent! The administration is exceptional, the teachers are absolutely, hands down, the best in Hillsborough County and the PTA is the strongest I have ever seen. My kids left their neghborhood school to attend MacFarlane and they have never looked back. They are studying Spanish, play violin, attend art and scrapbooking clubs, are challenged and rewarded on a daily basis, and genuinely look forward to school each day. When you walk through the halls of MacFarlane Park you will see smiling teachers and staff, happy kids who are eager to show what is happening in their school and parents who feel very comfortable in the school and proud to help their school in any way possible. The school is very clean and I feel confident in my children's safety as well. The IB program challenges kids to learn about the world and their role in it. The school is very involved in outreach programs locally and worldwide. It is important to this administration and the teachers, to show the children they can make a difference in the world and to give them the best education possible. We love our school!
--Submitted by a parent

MacFarlane Park is full of wonderful teachers who care about the children inside and outside of the classroom. The diverse curriculum allows the students to excel...we are so pleased to be part of the MacFarlane Park family.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been extremely pleased with the school including the administration, teachers, faculty, staff, students and parents. There is a true community at Macfarlane that cares about the success of all of its members.
--Submitted by a parent

We have only been happy with the quality of the school, its teachers and the expectations of the students.
--Submitted by a parent

I decided to take my child out of this school after being at MacFarlane for many years. The teachers are great and I have never had any major issues with that, but the fact is that the administration has been focusing too much on issues that are not relevant to my child's education. The teachers seem to be busy preparing for events rather than teaching what they are supposed to teach. I knew that the scores would be lower this year, and a few parents and myself have been waiting for the scores before we pulled our children out of this school. It is a shame that with such wonderful teachers and kids, that there is an administration that is bringing this wonderful school down. New leadership is needed at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

MacFarlane Park has exceptional programs, teachers and administrators. The teachers develop innovative ideas and strategies to reach and teach our children.
--Submitted by a parent

MacFarlane is a very good school. However, there is a great deal of pressure on teachers and therefore, students, to achieve top scores, awards, etc. This school may not be the best choice for some children. The PTA is excellent. Because it is a magnet school drawing from a large area, there is a small core group of involved parents, but many are uninvolved.
--Submitted by a parent