Pearl River Central Upper Elementary School

Gwen Smith is a outstanding teacher she takes her students and puts them under her (owl) wing and puts 100% towards their learning and loves each and everyone of her students. My Grandson is Kameron Snyder and he absolutely adores her.Gwen Smith is a 5 STAR teacher in my eyes. We already miss her !

I currently have three children in PRC Elem. I have never had a problem. All the teachers my children have had has been great. The principals along with the teachers & Staff are always willing to help in whatever you need. I have been a volunteer ever since my first child started school 5 years ago!
—Submitted by a parent

Ithink there need to be more school police at the school every school day thoughout the school year. And there also needs to be more asst. Teachers there or hall montors.There just needs to be more secrutie at our elem. school for lower and most of all the upper.When My Child passes to the 6th grade thats the year i will homeschool him. Theres noway im gona put up with him getting out of school close to 4 p.m ans returning home at 6 p.m.Theres so much us parents or gardians that are dis satisfied with this new school setup. Thats why theres too many parents picking their child up with daily pickup this school year, This is getting way out of hand now.
—Submitted by a parent

I have always been pleased with the personal involvement with teachers at PRC. However, the quality of education offered is lacking. The classroom sizes are overwhelming. Special needs students do receive a quality education, but gifted students fall by the wayside. Also, I was concerned when I discovered that Bibles were being handed out at the school. What happened to the separation of Church and State?! I wonder if there would be as much apathy if copies of the Koran being distributed. I wish the school would concentrate less on my child's spiritual foundation and more on his education.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attends the special ed pre-school at PRC. We have been blessed with two extremely patient, loving, and knowledgeable teachers. Yes, our school may be overcrowded but it is up to us, as parents and the community, to vote for the building of a new school. Also, I am very grateful for the one on one time that my son receives at school. These children are our future,and none of them, despite how severe there disabilities may be, deserve to be left behind.
—Submitted by Jamie Mitchell, a parent

From the inside: PRC provides a loving, caring environment for students to learn. Class size is horrible, over crowding is due to rapid growth in the district and a community that didn't support a recent bond issue to build a new school. Computers are primarily in labs, very few in classrooms for student use, teachers have to reserve lab time if they want to use computers for research, etc. Most teachers are not technology savy, district is lacking in providing adequate training for teachers and staff.
—Submitted by a teacher

I was anxious to send my children to a school that boasts about such fine scores and technology rich classes. . .I was extremely disappointed. The computer labs are offered to children with disabilities and the computer program offered is to help students perform better on the standardized tests. . .hence the better scores. The number of students is overwhelming, another campus is needed, not to mention a better afternoon car line. The class atmosphere is not technology rich, but rich with workbooks and worksheets. Hands-on learning and student centered activities need to be implemented. The homework is atrocious! My child is a straight A student who was forced to sit in the back of the classroom doing busy work while the teacher gave the at risk students one on one attention. Great school if your child is at risk.
—Submitted by a parent

I think this school needs improvement. The uniform policy is too strict. The class size is also too large.
—Submitted by concerned parent, a parent

I have had children in the PRC School District for the past 13 years. My youngest is now in 5th grade at PRC Elementary. I am very pleased with the education that my children receive there, as well as the extracurricular activities. The school staff is great. The level of parental involvement is lacking, but that is the fault of the parents, not the school. All in all, it's a great school!
—Submitted by a parent

PRC IS one of the best schools in the state, there are extracirricular activities for girls such as girls bascket ball, band when you are in 6th grade which is a great start for girls and boys interested in joining our High school band, and co ed baseball. Our test scores are well over the adverage for Mississippi, and our teachers are exellent. They do whatever they can to help our students along. Our Gifted/Challenge class is great. PRC is awesome!
—Submitted by a student

My Daughter is in 1st grade at P.R.C. I was told it was the best school in the county. I have yet to see it. My daughter won't eat at the cafeteria most of the time. I joined the PTO a few months ago, haven't heard a word from them about a meeting. I try to have lunch with my daughter, but am constantly discouraged, I might 'disrupt the class' Very dissapointed overall with this school system. Would like to see more encouragement for parental involvment& better food.The parking lot isn't the problem for me, the fact my child is locked behind a chain link fence until they decide to unlock the gate and let the parents in is. They might have gone a little overboard with the security. This is rural Mississippi after all, not New Orleans.
—Submitted by a parent

Well I must say I have two children and in the eight years for one child and five years for the other I have been very pleased. The teachers have all been wonderful. The staff overall have been great. As for the parental involvement, this has always been encouraged in my opinion but its up to the parent to get involved. The PTA is existent although they do seem to have a problem with attendance. To the 'teachers' and Mr.Ronald in the parking lot, I commend you not many people could do what you do daily through the cold and heat. Furthermore, to anyone who wasn't aware the school board meetings are open to the public for any real concerns. PRC elementary keep up the good work!
—Submitted by a parent

After reading everyone else's comments and having had personal experience with the school in regards to the two children I send there. It comes down to this. Yes,there is not enough parental involvement. Yes, the school has problems with funding. What county in Mississippi doesn't. Granted the parking lot was a bit chaotic, but that's been fixed. Remember it was your choice to pick your kids up. The school delivers. Besides, having your children learn the lesson of having a little patience will benefit them as they grow. I have had the personal experience of sending a child who was behind in school, and not only did the teachers not give up on him. He was able to skip a grade, and is nearly where he should be. But, I had to show an interest in the child. My point is this. The school is there to teach and not parent.
—Submitted by Uncle Windell, a parent

I can say this about PRC and the teachers, lunches, My children one in first grade and one in K, love this school, Mrs Moore and Mrs Frierson both went above and beyond to teach my children at levels that I didnt think that they should have been on, I was really amazed at the amount of information they came home with and what they were taught. As far as the parking lot, yeah it may have been bad and out of control but you try to control all those cars at one time and when everyone wants to get in and get out fast, no possible way. Ask yourself how were you parking and pay attention to what were you doing? Trust me its not all about the school itself it is about us as parents as well. If I could I would vote PRC THE BEST !
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children that attend the elementary school- one going into 4th, one going into 2nd grade. I have been very pleased with their teachers each year and not had any real problems. The parking lot has been fixed with cables and poles to get people to park in straight lines- it is much better now. This next year they will offer 2 business offices and this past year already had 2 principals which was nice. My child is in the gifted/challenge program and it is a 'challenge' for me and her. I have 2 more that will start school soon. We are involved with our children's classes each year ,but it would be nice to have other parents more involved also. You are allowed to eat lunch with your child whenever you would like and also sit in on their clasess and help with classroom crafts.
—Submitted by KRISTY WHITFIELD, a parent

Teachers are great. They give up on students the older they get. There is no extracurricular for anyone but boys, so you SOL if your a girl. I have to travel to slidell to get my daughter involved in any extra curricular activities. The music and art programs are sorry. They just have them watching movies so the teacher can have a break. The PTA is virtually non existent. I have seen more involvment in small community school than this one. There are too many children. Need to be broken down some more. There is hardly any funding for anything because no one cares. Maybe someone should replace the entire staff with someone who does give a hoot about what is going on. The food in the cafeteria very unorganized. I have ate there all week and have been given nothing but different starch options. Need better food organization.
—Submitted by Sonya, a parent

Parking lot is Atrocious.Have never seen a more dis-organized situation in my 65 years.Pick my Grand-daughter up daily and am amazed every day at how bad it is.Everyone parks how and wherever they want to with no controls at all.It should be paved and striped for parking with Enforcement.
—Submitted by Calvin Laird, a parent

Children are not reaching their potential, due to lack of funding for computer equipment and specialzed classes.
—Submitted by a parent

I just want to say the PRCE has a wonderful caring teacher, Ms Tracy Lee, she is a 3rd grade teacher. She really helped my child last year and I don't know what I would have done if not for her. I also want to commend Mrs. Parker at the parents center, she is very caring towards the children. My child has responded well towards the love and attention these two women have shown. I just wanted to point them out as two wonderful examples of what teachers are and should be.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a first grade student at PRC elementary.I think the school is wonderful. The teachers at the school are very caring and seem to put the children first.My daughter loves the school and the teachers.I only have one complaint and that is that I think they need to pave the parking lot and stripe it. The parking is absolutely terrible. I have almost gotten hit twice already this year.I see that they are trying to have traffic directors but, it still looks and is an absolute mess. I dont see how it is going to work unless it is paved and striped.If the money is a problem why dont we do school fundraisers? I think that it would work really well. Thank You!
—Submitted by Amanda Woodard, a parent