St. Albert the Great School

To address the parent who noted "lazy parents" you could not be further from the truth.I am a very involved parent who has several schools outside of Louisville to compare to this school. It is horrible.My children are natural leaders and confident. That changed after attending St. Albert the Great. I did note that most of the positives are from years ago. When Fr. Don was at the school it was excellent. Since Fr. Wayne Jenkins has taken over along with a timid and naive principal - Bernadette Cooper, this school is sadly being driven into the ground. It is really sad. The office staff is unbelievably rude.When we moved here, I could not believe that parents had to be "chosen" to be a chaperone on a field trip!How hilarious is that? Guess what? It's always the same parents, so don't get your hopes up if you want to spend some QT with your child.To the parent who has 3 kids who graduated from St. Albert and are now in college...if they spell college the way you did, you perfectly illustrated my point! St. Albert can be characterized in one word - lazy.They take total advantage of the poor quality of the public schools, while they are an equally disgraceful alternative.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had a wonderful experience at St. Albert the Great in our years here so far. It is concerning to here other stories from parents of their negative experiences, but I take it for what it's worth- a place for them to sound off anonymously. St. Albert has so much to offer their students, there is truly something for everyone. My kids play sports- they're certainly not the best on any team- but there is a team for them with kids of the same level for every sport they play! That has made their introduction to sports so much more enjoyable. If sports aren't your thing...there is so much to take advantage of: countless academic teams (Quick Recall, Future Problem Solving, Book Bee, Governor's Cup), clubs (after school art club, chess club, drama club), scouts, Kuna, KYA, and I'm sure much more that I am leaving out. St Albert is a big school- close to 700 students. But to walk into the office or down the halls, you wouldn't feel like one of 700. The atmosphere is one of family. The teachers and principal have always been outgoing and friendly- addressing concerns promptly and treating the students respectfully. I am looking forward to the rest of our years here at St. Albert!
—Submitted by a parent

I see the truth in a lot of the negative posts written. My child has already graduated from St. Albert, but I have friends who still have students there. The administration used to be much stronger and is now weakened by an overworked principal and an assistant principal who doesn't know the children and is not interested in the school. (and to disagree with last post, a good administrator KNOWS every student in their school). Bullying doesn't seem to be an issue, but carrying large loads of books, teachers in need of support and positive reinforcement, and lack of discipline are issues. There is a huge lack of respect within the school and that type of thing begins with administration. The PTA was always a very strong, supporting component and is a huge positive for the school. My student left a prepared, well-rounded student, but if they were still there I would question if this was the best place for them - not based on the teachers, but based on the environment and administration. I am not a lazy parent nor do I blame St. Albert - just stating facts that shouldn't be ignored if active parents want to restore this school to it's formal good standing.

These reviews were just brought to my attention. Distressing? Yes. Accurate? No! St. Albert, as all schools of its caliber, has good and bad qualities. Unfortunately, when someone's child has a bad experience at a school, they become very vocal, which is what has happened here. It is human instinct to protect our children. I am very sorry for their bad experience. St. Albert is not perfect but it is a far cry from what these comments describe. I have a child at St. Alb now & 3 have graduated from St. Alb. They are in collage now on academic scholarships, but more importantly, they are good people. St Albert contributed to their success but active parenting also plays a role. We cannot blame the administration/school for everything. Parents have to be active, teach morals and stand up for their children. Society has changed! The administration at ANY school cannot possibly keep up with everything children face in today's technological world. If lazy parents would step up to the plate and monitor their children FB, Instagram, texts etc, problems would be reduced. Please stop blaming others and spend that negative energy talking to your children and teaching them to be good people.
—Submitted by a parent

Imagine your child at a school where he/she was subjected to on going bullying. There was a "no bullying tolerated" rule but for some reason wasn't enforced?! You show up one day to eat lunch with your child and the halls smelled of urine. You finally settle down into the cafeteria to enjoy a nice lunch. Suddenly a whistle blows and you are jolted to attention. A lady comes out of no where yelling "silence!!" Suddenly you and your small child are told, "there will no longer be any talking!" Immediately both you and your child are no longer hungry. You proceed to go out to the playground where you find bullying and obscene language. When the whistle blows you go inside to get a nice hot drink out of water from the water fountain. As the halls become crowded you see small kids carrying so many books it becomes apparent why your child comes home achy. Your child may want to sign up to play a sport where, the parents you really try to avoid, are the ones who call all the shots. I know you think to yourself this can happen anywhere right? You are amazed to hear the adults speaking in public horribly about another student? Am I in the twilight zone? You realize I'm at St Albert!

Most parents who choose to send their child to a parachoial school want and expect the best education, environment, and values to be taught. However, I know first hand you will not find those at St. Albert. Unfortunately there is very little discipline, or should I say much slack, given towards the children who you are trying to prevent your child from being exposed too at a Catholic school. There is NOT a Christian attitude in the school which sadly begins at the top which the children learn. The academic part is very wishy/washy per say, which makes every grade a totally different expectation in the sense of structure and consistency. Please I beg you to take these words very seriously before making the mistake of putting your child in St. Albert.

I agree with the previous review. This is a very tight group "community". It is a teacher run school with little regard for the current principal and a practically non-existent assistant principal. (The youth councilor is related to the principal whose daughter is one of the teachers.....) If you are not in the loop, you are not in... Academically speaking, the curriculum is there, however, the teachers lack of interest to communicate with parents is frustrating, discouraging and frankly, just sad. The bullying issues and poor bus control are just another reason to rethink sending your children to this institution.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school and I love this community, so grateful to have my children here!
—Submitted by a parent

When we were first looking for schools in the area I ran across this website and read some to the reviews. I ignored them as you must most things on the internet. I was wrong to in this case. This is the most unwelcoming group of people that I have ever run across. If you are not involved in the sports "boosters", you don't exist. In the time we've been at this school we've attempted to get involved in committees only to be ignore by a groups of non-working moms that act as if they own the school. If your kid is not a star athlete, most of the fathers won't even acknowledge you when you say hello. I am so disappointed with this school that we are seriously considering a switch next year while our children are young. The acedemics are pretty good here, but we want a school that we can get involved with and feel like we are welcome. Unless there are some serious changes in the next few months, I can't see my opinion changing Don't be fooled as we were.
—Submitted by a parent

When my family and I moved to the Louisville area in 2006 we were overwhelmed by the choices in Catholic elementary schools. We chose to send our children to St. Albert the Great and couldn't be happier with our decision. From the faculty to the administration we have experienced nothing but professional, caring attitudes. For parents there are numerous opportunities to get involved in the educational and extracurricular activities of the students. As far as quality of the instruction, both of my children are reading well above their grade level and are developing the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. At St. Albert the Catholic faith is an integral part of all activities and each day begins with a prayer and the Peacebuilder's Pledge. We love St. Albert the Great and would recommend it highly to any prospective families!
—Submitted by a parent

A close knit, family-like community with above avergae academics and high expectations of both students and parents.
—Submitted by a parent

After experiencing public schools in different states, what a refreshing change to have our three children learn in a challenging, christian environment with a caring, nuturing staff and excellent administration. We were new to the parish and school and have been made to feel welcome. As with all things, you get out of it what you put into it - and St. Albert's staff and support systems (PTO, Parish Family, etc.) make it easy to find a place to fit in and make a contribution of time, talent, and treasure. The staff is very accessible and goes out of their way to make sure that your child is in the best environment to maximize their potential. What a blessing to start and end their day with prayer...and have fabulous educational experiences in the middle.
—Submitted by a parent

they do a great job teaching the kids
—Submitted by a parent

I had 3 children go through St. Albert, Kindergarten - 8th grade. Our experience at St. Albert was wonderful! All 3 children were more than prepared for high school and their years beyond. They made lasting friendships will last a lifetime. The teachers, staff and administration could not have been nicer. The community and Christian atmosphere we found at St. Albert through the church and school were beyond compare. My family has found a lasting home at St. Albert the Great!
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the negative posts from previous years. As a new family to St. Albert this year this school did not meet our expectations. We are very disappointed that we left public school and chose a Catholic school to get away from bullying and perhaps get a better education, or so we thought. St. Albert has a major bullying issue problem and lacks leadership. Academically speaking I didn't see the advantages at St. Albert, in many ways I feel my children received a better education in public schools. I feel the carpool system could be improved. The staff isn't very friendly or accessible. Overall huge disappointment we will be going back to public.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Albert held their Academic Fair this past week. It was such an excellent way to 'show off' the types of projects and activities accomplished during this school year. It began with a music demonstration on the Orff instruments by the 5th and 6th graders. Then, each classroom was open for parents to see the children's inventions, power point presentations, research papers, and other projects. Finally, the Art Fair was outstanding! As a former teacher, I can't imagine how many extra hours it took the staff to set up, display, take down, and distribute everything to their students to take home. Attendance by the parents was exceptional considering how busy this time of year is . St. Albert is a Blue Ribbon School, and we parents are very pleased with the education our children are receiving!
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at St Albert, in 3rd & 8th grade, both have attended since kindergarten. Obviously I would not have paid the tuition for 9 years now if I were not pleased with the results. I read previous reviews about clicks, snobs and rude behavior but have not personally ever experienced anything beyond isolated incidents. In contrast, we have always felt welcomed in an incredible community of wonderful families. Though I agree the conferences are a waste of time, I think my children have had a great experience, have been offered curriculum somewhat above that offered in the public school system here and see them encouraged to practice Christian behavior which, to me, is priceless! For that, I give St Albert 5 stars.
—Submitted by a parent

We recently made the decision to move our children out of this school. Academically we feel our children did not receive the best education here. We will be playing catch up this summer. Pros- the school has a great sports program but that is about it. We found the school conferences a waste of time. The teachers and the school overall need to improve their communication. The secretaries were unfriendly and rude. We had issues with bullying and we feel that the Peacebuilder concept isn't working here.
—Submitted by a parent

Pros: Big thriving parish Offers a variety of extracirrculars/sports Cons: Rude staff Poor Communication/conferences are a waste of time Carpool safety is lacking. Major bullying lack of Discipline 'Clicks'
—Submitted by a parent

St. Albert did not meet our expectations. The teachers, staff, and principal show favortism to certain children & famililies. My children will be attending 'summer school' to learn what should have been taught this past year. We did experience harassment & bullying at this school. Ineffective disciplinary procedures.
—Submitted by a parent