Meadowview School

Our oldest son is about to enter into the fifth grade and Meadowview Elementary has been hands down the best school we've had the privilege of enrolling him into. We moved from California to Illinois halfway into the school year and the office staff were so welcoming and made it very easy for us to enroll him. His fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Fahrner was such an incredible blessing and helped to make his transition from one school to to another mid-year as easy as possible for him. Plus her communication with the parents of every child in her class was outstanding! The school also has a great music program, a wonderful campus, and was a truly great school for our son to attend. We are sorry that it does not go beyond fourth grade! They quality of the way the school is structured and run, made us feel like we placed our child in private school (and we can compare since private schools were all our children have been in while we lived in California). Great community, fabulous school.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school for my boys. The teachers are well manner and friendly.
—Submitted by a parent

The office staff is not friendly at all to new students! They made it clear that we were just causing extra work by being there. They did not want to answer any of our questions and refused to let us see the school. If you're considering moving here from out of the area... Be very firm about your rights, getting the principal involved if needed. The principal is very welcoming and approachable; I wish we'd gotten her involved sooner! They like to 'loop' here, which means the same teacher will keep the same kids 2 years in a row. This is nice -- except if you're the new kid the second year. I hate to sound like a broken record, but again we were not welcomed at all into this teacher's class. The teacher of my other child was nice, professional and very good!
—Submitted by a parent

Nice school, relatively friendly staff, professional teachers. Unfortunately this school uses the highly controversial math program Everyday Mathematics. Its unorganized, confusing, and doesn't cover the basics well. My third grader is still counting on her fingers! Its based upon the theory of discovery learning- students will understand math better if they discover their own way of solving problems. So, instead of memorizing facts (multiplication, etc.) they are supposed to use manipulatives (fingers, blocks) to 'discover' the solution. It just doesn't work well and requires a lot of supplement by parents at home. Check out the math scores for schools in Grayslake and you'll understand. Otherwise we have had a good experience at this school. My child is happy there and the teachers are very accessible and truly seem to care.
—Submitted by a parent

Nine of out 10 teachers here are wonderful and go beyond what is expected to make sure students learn! The office staff is extremely professional and friendly and promotes a wonderful feeling of warmth and care. I sometimes wish more teachers participated in 'extra' events, such as family nights and the school dance. In my opinion this should be encouraged by the administration. However, in a community that will not approve a referenda to keep teacher, I really don't blame them.
—Submitted by a parent