Grace Brethren Christian School

I have been attending GBCS since K4 and am now in 9th grade. The teachers show test the students to the best of their abilities. I have shown interests in many subjects that I did not appreciate until now. I have also shown interests in sports and made many friends. Overall this school is safe, a good learning environment, and a great school.

I am impressed with GBCS. Staff & teachers are friendly, know almost every kid; at least by sight, & as an involved parent I see many great things. However, I have noticed more students who are more "public school" behaviorally; exhibit poor work ethic and speak & act in ways which made public school education distressing for my child. When the bell rings classes are focused on learning. I have complimented many students who are, in my opinion, future leaders & successes on their professional behavior & excellent communication & social skills. The downside about the school is the fees. I understand that a school runs on tuition, but the myriad fees are nonsensical. Renewal fees were over $600 for two children; e.g. reapplication fee (a four page application: updated contract, emergency contact page & declaration of tuition payment method $150 each.) Then more fees for activating payment plan & all non-refundable if for any reason kids can't attend next year such as job transfer. But if not paid early no guarantee of seat. Also students starting late (1/2 yr) pay same full fees, no pro-ration. Even some staff were astonished! Please rethink the fee structure.
--Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's first year as an eight grader at GBCS and she absolutely love it! She previously attended a public school so it took a little time for her to get acclimated. With missing old classmates and friends she found only negative things to say. After about 2 months, I only hear great things about her new school. She has absolutely no regrets with the transition. I find that my daughter is doing very well academically as public school students are usually a tab behind. This is due to the fact that the teachers really work with the students and provide the tools they need to excel. I decided to enroll my daughter at this school because of the positive feed back from other parents of kids who also attend. My daughter was always an honor roll student, but as she entered middle school (6th & 7th grade) things started to go downhill. I'm so glad we made the decision to enroll her in this school as we honestly have not had to deal with peer pressure or lack of interest as we did with her previous school. It's truly a blessing! Thank you so much GBCS. I look forward to a new year as she enters high school.
--Submitted by a parent

Great School! Show true concern for the children's education and growth.
--Submitted by a parent

Our son has attended BGCS since Pre-K and he is now in the 4th grade. We love the school and our son loves the school. No school is prefect but you get out of it what you put into it. A very important part is the involvement from the parent being a part of the child's education. You can not just drop your child off at school and expect the teachers to do it all, you must get involved. You have to get in involved with their school work, homework and extracurricular activities. My husband and I are very involved and we have been since our son started at Grace Brethren. We know all the kids in his grade, a lot of the kids in the other grades and most of all the teachers in the elementary grades. Our child has matured and is excelling well academically. Get involved!
--Submitted by a parent

As a parent, enjoy GBCS and am willing to make the financial sacrafice for the tuition. My son will be entering the 3rd grade in the fall. I am very satisfied with the extra curricular activities. I feel like the school makes efforts to keep the programs affordable and there is a good amount to choose from. Compared to public school where I feel my child learned nothing, I found the curriculum challenging. Some of the ways his teacher graded for the second grade I thought was hard for a 7 yr old but the push for excellence was there. I also found his teacher very interested and caring about his well-being and often called, e-mailed or sent some sort of message when she had concerns. I am glad the school goes up to the 12th grade. I plan on keeping him until he graduates high schoo.
--Submitted by a parent

If parents are considering summer camp I would not reccomend Grace Brethren Christian School. The staff and program is unorganized. They will collect your tuition without having camp materials available for camper. The school facilities need updating and the school should hire counselors and assistants who are qualified and shows attentiveness towards the campers and their surroundings. I find it hard to consider GBCS as a school for my child to attend.
--Submitted by a parent

After reading previous years reviews, it is disappointing to read that in 2009 concerns are repeats from previous years and still unresolved. Grace Brethren has the potential to be a wonderful school if the priority is switched back to educating students first. Rules are enforced haphazardly with little consideration for students. Most of the people are very nice, but niceness does not prepare a student for college. Some teachers are more experienced than others which is a disadvantage to the student. More staff and faculty should reflect the demographics of the student body so that no child will be left behind.
--Submitted by a parent

After seeing that most reviews are from previous years, I felt compelled to write a more current review. My son has been in attendance at Grace since elementary school. I have witnessed significant changes in the quality and professionalism of the administration and teaching staff. I have also witnessed the transformation of the school from a caring, nurturing, and disciplined environment to a unreasonably strict, rigid, inflexible, legalistic, and somewhat institutionalized environment. Further, the lack of diversity is a major issue, primarily because the staff at the school do not seem to know how (nor have an interesting in learning how) to deal with children from various ethnic backgrounds. Parental involvement seems to only be welcome to help raise funds for the school. If the Administration does not make significant changes, enrollment will continue to drop, and not because of the recession and bad economy.
--Submitted by a parent

I have gone to Grace Brethren for about 3 years now, the school is okay but it could be better. The academics at Grace are good just because you must work hard to earn the grades. Some teachers at the school are very strict but some need to work on their skills. Overall the school is fair.
--Submitted by a student