North Polk Elementary School

My older daughter attended kindergarten and first grade and my two youngest both attended preschool here. The teachers were amazing and attentive to their personalities and how that effected their learning. They communicated well with me and the Principal Mr Wesley cares more for his students than any principal I have met. When my older daughter had eye surgery in the first grade she was being bullied on the bus for the blood in her eye while it was healing. mr. wesley rode the bus home with her every day until she was all healed up so that she would feel safe and comfortable. I'm sad to be leaving and my youngest children missing the chance to be at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

im not sure that i can agree with all these comments. one of my kids went to kindergarten, 1st and 2nd when we were stationed there. now kindergarten he had a bad year. his teacher was burnt out on teaching had been doing it a long time and thats the yr he was diagnosed with adhd. once we got him on meds and all learned how to deal with him life was alot easier. his 1st grade teacher was amazing as were all the subs we came across. all could handle him fine. my younger son did headstart and pre k there and i couldnt of asked for better teachers. i loved the principles. my oldest sons 1st yr there the office staff was great then they started bringen in new people, really wish they wouldnt of because a couple of them were rude and very unprofessional. im sure people have had bad experiences but i think it depends on your situation and the people you come across and how you approach things.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children that have attended NPE for 3 years, if we ever had an issue all I had to do was speak to the teacher or principal and it was always handled. They were great in getting my son the speech therapy he needed.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had 3 children attend North Polk Elementary and I have not encountered any of the negative things posted in other reviews. My daughter was actually in the advanced K and 1st grade classes. She also attened la4 there. My oldest son started 1st grade there and my youngest has completed la 4 there. We have met many of the teachers as well as the office staff and principals over the last 3 years and everyone has been very enouraging and loving to the children. There is not really one negative thing I can say about this school or the staff we have delt with.
—Submitted by a parent

I wish I never enrolled my kids there. I have 3 kids who go to that school. Two in 1st grade and one in kindergarten. I can honestly say that the teachers and staff that I have had to deal with should not be in the teaching environment. I have found a max of two people that I believe are in the right field. I have a son with ADHD. And I am constantly called because they don't know how to handle him. Not one of the teachers in that school have any idea how to approach a child with that issue. I also believe that they expect way to much from children at their young age. My kids got suspended from that school because I refused to allow them to stay after school for a detention that was given to them for being tardy. They had no control over that being as they can't drive and I was taking them to school. We are talking about Kindergarteners and 1st graders. Not middle school and high school kids. I would not recommend this school to anyone. If you have a choice DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO NORTH POLK ELEMENTARY!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

My youngest son, was left at a bus stop by the school bus without his parents were there to receive him and a couple had to stay longer to take care of the child until I came, because the child should be at school at that time waiting to be picked up by me. I was at the school at the time that I should pick him up, I was waiting for my son in the office and they had no clue where he was.This is the worse school ever, I don't really want to give any more details, anyway it is the only option I have in Fort Polk for my kids
—Submitted by a parent

my daughter goes to north polk and i have been getting reports from her teacher about her behavior. she is a good helper and likes to clean up but she does not follow the rules from what her teacher said. I punished my daughter and told her she was getting a spanking everytime she comes home on yellow purple orange or red. Well she still came home on yellow everyday and her teacher knew my punishment. I have been frustrated because she now came home with a paper from the school because she was on red and had a meeting with the principle. She is very smart and has learned from watching her older brother...i feel her teacher really has high exspectations of these kindergarteners. I have a adhd child with a developmental delay along with speech delay and his behavior is great at school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very pleased with this school. Yes, they do have behavioral expectations, but they are not as harsh as other parents have voiced in this review. A quiet and orderly environment is needed for educational experiences. My son in K and 1st grade excelled well above his cousins in other states at same grade levels. Very happy with how many opportunities there are for parents to be involved with the school programs.
—Submitted by a parent

As a parent of as Kindergartener with Asperger's, I would advise anyone with a special needs child stay far, far away from this school, and the school district in general. The behavior expectations at this school are also unrealistic. I was never so offended as when I saw a group of 4 yr olds being told to walk in a single file line, 'lips and hips', meaning one hand on their mouth and the other one their hip, to keep them quiet and make sure they don't touch the walls. Also, if you are against your child being paddled at school be sure you fill out the form disallowing this, as it is allowable by school policy
—Submitted by a parent

I am sorry to those of you who think this is a good school. Maybe I just have really high standards when it comes to learning but one thing is for sure this place does not. The staff here are very friendly however they are not as focused on learning as they should be. They are more into behavior awards than anything. I have never known of a school of celebrates childrens good behavior but doesn't reward those who get straight A's. The kids here are treated as though they are in military school and don't get much time to act like kids and socialize. Which at this young of an age is a big part of growing. If I had more of a choice I would not have my son at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school. The children are greeted everyday with warmth. There are some rules that we are asked to follow, but these are for the safety of our own children. My teacher has been very helpful and very on top of the children's academic standards. Actually, the standards in this area are higher than any other school we have been to. Communication is mostly through there home journals, but I have left my number and my teacher contacts me as soon as possible. There are loads of opportunitites for parents to volunteer and have an open door policy. Several 'family nights' throughout the year for the whole family to attend. Great School
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in kindergarten here all they care about is behavior and keeping the children SILENT at all times. Academics seem to be almost nonexistant. Horrible school.
—Submitted by a parent

As another posted stated the school is very focused on informing you every time your child has a bad day. While some parents might value that information i find it bothersome if my child isn't problematic everyday all day. There's no way to get in contact with the teachers during the day or even after school because they do not use emails and apparently the teachers leave the building five minutes after school is let out. So if your kid is on the second bus coming home and you need to ask the teacher something you'll have to wait till the next day to call or write a letter in the silly little notebook and wait for your child to come home to receive your reply. The school gets two stars for cleanliness and id check. Areas to improve on would be after school programs, current school website, & communication.
—Submitted by a parent

My son just started Kindergraten at NPE and my husband and I are very diappointed. There is no communication home about academics, they comment more on behavior than academics. My son has a late birthdy, and the administration might as well hold him back now because they are doing nothing to help him along. And I am an active parent and very involved with the education of my son, and work at home with him every day trying to catch up to the teacher, but they just don't care at NPE. I can't even get progress reports on my son's academics. The teachers just don't care. Send you child somewhere else where the teachers care about ore than their paychecks, because the ones at NPE are not worried about your child's education, and they definately do not want to take 5 min to talk to you or give you options. Boo!
—Submitted by a parent

NPE is a great school. The teaching staff is wonderful. The administration is very comfortable dealing with military kids and their families. NPE is a great benefit to our community and my daughter loves it there.
—Submitted by a parent

We have just started at North Polk and we love it. The academics are challenging and fun at the same time.
—Submitted by a parent

Military families are very much welcomed here! The school has an open door policy that is great! Which means they have nothing to hide like some other school I can think of. The Principal and counselor there are very hands on with the children and they treat all of them as their own. This is very refreshing to see, since so many go to this school. You always will get a warm greeting there. I highly recommend this school to anyone who has been stressed out by other schools. I can speak from experience, because I was one of those parents. Go check out this school, you will be glad you did!
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children that attend NPE. The teachers there are great, they communicate with the parents very well. They are available to the parents as needed. My older son has Mrs. Kinard for first grade, she has really encouraged him and he loves going to school. She also has let us know to look for a Gifted program for him. The teachers and principal are very friendly and are very visible in the morning to the parents. Incoming military--it is great!
—Submitted by a parent

I have two kids that go to NPE. It is a good school, and the teachers and the counselor is wonderful they are willing to help you with your kids if they have special needs. My son is in kindergarten, and my younger son just started headstart this year, and my kindergartner is doing better cause they take the time to sit down one on one with him. Its amazing how much they learn everyday. It is nice to hear your kids talk about there day at school. The teachers do make a difference in there lives there.
—Submitted by a parent

North Polk Elementary School is a great school to put your children I have an Head Starter and a 1st grader in North Polk. The teachers and all staff member are very nice and devoted into helping everyone in which way they can. I will encourage any parent to put their children at North Polk I love the school and the way the things work
—Submitted by a parent