Central School

Great school in a great district. Teachers are caring and use a very differentiated approach to instruction while still following rigorous curriculum guidelines and meeting state standards. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the administration is very attentive to both kids and parents. I am so pleased with the diversity of this school and feel it is another one of its strengths. The teachers have many professional development opportunities and while they might be out of the classroom to be involved in it, they come back with new ideas that benefit all of our children. This school addresses both the academic and the social development of children which is something I've come to love about Central. Also, the administration takes time to inform parents about the curriculum through written information as well as parent workshops. Many teachers also do this through weekly or monthly class newsletters. I feel like I have a strong understanding of what my children are learning and how they are learning it through these workshops and newsletters. Overall, Central has been a wonderful experience so far for our children and I'm sure it will continue!
--Submitted by a parent

We moved from the city to this school district because we 'thought' that where homes are overpriced and property taxes are high, there lies the great schools: NOT SO!!! The curriculum is weak, I know so because I am an educator and happen to be very in-the-know as to acceptable vs expected standards of education in elementary schools. Also, every personal in this school is rude, uninterested, and non-challant about any concern a parent may have regarding their standards or styles of teaching. All I can say is, before you buy a house in the CENTRAL school catchment area and pay multimillion dollars for it, do your homework! You may be stuck having to rent your house or sell it below market just to get your kids into a better school district! What a HUGE disappointment!!!! TWO THUMBS DOWN!!
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children going to Central, and I could not be happier with the school. Central has great teachers, involved parents, smaller classes and the best school campus in Larchmont. Transitioning from preschool to Kindergarten was fantastic, as the 4 Kindergarten classrooms are all on their own wing, with their own lunchroom and playground. The special programs at Central are excellent as well. We are incredibly happy to be at Central.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children in the school and can truly say it is a loving, nurturing school FAMILY! Everyone from greeters all the way up tp the principal not only treat each child as their own, but go above and beyond to meet every need of each child, be it academic, social or economic. Everyone pulls together for the greater good of the Central community. There is no school better!
--Submitted by a parent

Please, do not go by the ratings given by a website. Make some time and go to the school and meet with the principal and asst. principal. Take a walk around the school and see for yourself. This is a great, and diverse learning environment. IF you go just by the scores, what they fail to tell you is Central houses most of the Special Education students in this district and the scores cannot be disaggregated. Come and meet the wonderful students, teachers, and staff. I did and I AM glad I did my research.
--Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school! I have three children currently attending Central and I could not be happier with the quality of their education. Our Principal, Carol Houseknecht and her entire adminstration are passionate about the best ways to care for and educate our children. The school has a wonderful community spirit, and every child strives to respect all others within their community. This culture is fostered by teachers and parents alike, and the diversity this school offers is embraced by all. Our state test scores are not an accurate representation of the incredible teaching and learning that is going on at Central. Stop by any day to see and hear all the amazing programs the children have opportunities to be involved in. In addition to all the regular curricular subjects, the children are most fortunate to have outstanding music, art and PE programs in this school. Central is the best!
--Submitted by a parent

This school is absolutely stellar and amongst the top in the country. The way that the data is presented on this (and most other) rating sites is so misrepresented that it should be considered completely invalid. If 'test scores' were separated into two groups - first being 'typical children' and second group being 'children with special needs', you would see Central School skyrocket to the top - in both areas. This is such a major acheivement and is not represented at all. You can imagine - when you have a school with a somewhat small population and a somewhat larger percentage of special-needs children and then take the test scores in aggregate...the school will have a low rating. Yet this school is tops whether the child is typical OR has special needs. This seriously needs to be addressed in the presentation of ratings data.
--Submitted by a parent

New principal Carol Housenacht and awesome teachers make this enriching, diverse community of students and parents unique. The special education students make all of us learn about very important values that are otherwise not experienced first hand in many schools. We had other options in our district and chose Central School for our children's elementary education. Happy we did so.
--Submitted by a parent

From good to great under new principal Carol Houseknecht. Teachers who care and are enthusiastic combine with super-involved parents to make this a great place for kids to learn and grow.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers are, for the most part, exceptionally engaging, dedicated and good educators. Where Central falls below perfect is the administration; it's quite poor in terms of communicating, focusing resources for all and assisting when problems arise. There is a new principal however so it would be unfair to paint her with her predecessor's brush...let's see if the changes she makes improve the school's performance.
--Submitted by a parent