Vanstory Hills Elementary School

This school's stats are misleading. The leadership is poor. The privaleged elite attend here and do not represent equal and fair treatment for all students. The PTA has entirely too much power and will influence the decisions of administration. Do not send your child to this school. Investigate fully before you choose to send your children here.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is a joke. The administrator presents himself as a professional but is anything but that. There is a definitely a problem here and most of the parents dont have a voice. If you disagree with anything, they will incite pressure on you to leave the school. They only care about their scores, no matter how it affects the student.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended this school for 2 years before we moved and she and I both absolutely loved it. She never had any problems and was recognized for her hard work multiple times, even though we are not a part of a "community clique."
—Submitted by a parent

excellent school!!! A great school in the middle of the town. Wonderful teachers and environment.
—Submitted by a parent

The test scores and academics are a bit misleading. If you are not from this area, consider this school with caution. Leadership, faculty, and especially parents here have a predominantly elitist attitude. Your children will struggle to find their place here, if you are not in this community clique. Leadership states that students are placed in classes randomly, not by parent request. However, It is funny how the same "pairs" of children turn up in the same class EVERY year. (Particularly if they have a parent that works in any capacity at the school.) Interestingly, these same students attend super fitness field day, all county chorus, and are chosen for "star" student awards....Hmmmm. If you and your children have a strong enough backbone to handle these truths, then the academics here MAY justify sending your student to VanStory. Just know what you are getting yourself into.
—Submitted by a parent

VanStory is an excellent school nestled in an upscale established neighborhood. Many children walk to school. I love knowing my children are being challenged each day. (My 2nd grader learned multiplication in his advanced math class-and loved it!) The teachers challenge kids that are above grade level, and work hard to get kids that struggle the help they need. (My youngest child stuggles) Caring, excellent teachers strive to make this little school the best. We couldn't be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

Vanstory has such a wonderful faculty and staff, and provides such a warm, caring environment that's optimal for learning and development. You couldn't ask for more in a school.
—Submitted by a parent

the staff has taken alot of time to help all the students learn and establish excellent social skills.

This is my daughters first year at the school, and she loves it. The staff seems to really care about the students. Her current teacher is wonderful. The teachers seem to all be on the same page which is wonderful.
—Submitted by a parent

I taught at Van Story Elementaryfor the 2006/7 school year in the 5th grade. I am a teacher from NZ and I can not praise enough the effort of the staff and management of this school. They made the transistion from Nz to Fayetteville a very easy process. Van story has so much to offer students and i was so privillaged to be part of this wonderful school for a short time. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.

This school has more extracurricular activities than I would ever imagine an elementary school to offer. Not only does my child get to participate in a choice Friday club every week but the resource teachers offer after-school clubs that are available to him. The school also has monthly events and activities to involve families in the school. PTA sponsors some of these and the school staff sponsor some of these. There are more than we can ever have time to participate in but we try to. Most events provide incentives for students such as homework passes or points on a grade. My child does not want me to miss these activities. It truly is a 5 star school.
—Submitted by a parent

It is a shame that parents get upset when they are not the ones running the school now. Vanstory has a great academic program and very fair administration. No chile gets overshadowed by socialite parents trying to ensure their kids are not exposed to lower income level children. The only downfall I see at Vanstory is the lack of a gym for extracurricular sports programs.
—Submitted by a parent

My child will be leaving Vanstory this year after completing 5th grade. Until this year, Vanstory has been an excellent school. Parent involvement has always been a tremendous asset to the school. This year a new administration was put into place with the mentality that parents shouldn't be involved. Once a friendly face greeted you at the office and you knew you were welcomed to come in and be apart of your child's school experience. Now you are questioned and made to feel you are imposing to be on campus. After attending Vanstory myself 20+ years ago,if asked today, would I want my child to go back through Vanstory again, I would have to say no. I would choose private school.
—Submitted by a parent

VanStory Hills is located in a lovely, safe neighborhood and this is reflected in the atmosphere at the school. I find the staff and teachers to be very dedicated. It is a safe school with strong academics and a very involved PTA. On the downside, the homework load can be heavy at times, extracurricular activies are limited, and I feel there is not enough time dedicated to arts education (one class a week in music,art and foreign language.
—Submitted by a parent