Infant of Prague Catholic School

Faculty is tremendous and singular reason why school remains functional. However, IOP has significant ongoing problems due to the following: extremely poor communication (administration to both faculty and parents), no evidence of mid to long range planning (zero vision for growth or improvement), and no coordinated effort to enhance parental involvement at the school (opinions/feelings of parents are not valued) Bottom line is that my children are receiving a good education at IOP. Whether a child will receive a good education there next year, or two years from now, I cannot say with certainty. The trend lines are negative due to the aforementioned reasons. Strongly recommend a personal interview with the principal, and tour of facilities prior to enrollment decision.
—Submitted by a parent

My grandchild loves the school. Fr. Ernest has begun to make a difference with his presence and care for the school. I understand the office issue but try walking into the office in a public school, my other grandchild goes there and it just does not happen. This school has come a long ways, Mrs. Marks has upgraded text books and enough can't be said about the music dept.. I can't remember if it was Fr. Joe or Fr. John that was here before, it would have been nice to have him here with Fr. Ernest to work in a positive way with kids and parents. You still here in car line some folks being so negative, if it is so bad why are they still here?

I have kids in school right now. I feel that the teachers are great. My kids are happy, disciplined and well mannered. I do feel some frustration towards the lack of professionalism the office staff shows to visitors (whether you are there to volunteer or pick-up your child). You can stand in the reception counter or the office door and no one acknowledges your presence. Sometimes you have to interrupt social interactions between staff and teachers to get your point across.
—Submitted by a parent

Have one child in the school for a second year and my child also loves the school. I find the principal and pastor to be very good with the kids and very caring. They both try and do what they say and understand the school is about the kids and their education and not personal agendas as I have witnessed. Having an only child is important to have quality education and have an administration from the top that cares deeply about children. I second the comment about the lady that sells gift cards, great program and I don't feel bombarded by fundraisers. Last year there were so many negative families which was disruptive to the school. Hopefully, Ms. Marks and Fr. Ernest can keep this in check this year, I don't know how they do it with the cheap tuition we pay.
—Submitted by a parent

Infant of Prague Catholic School is a great school. My Children attended this school for 3 years before we had orders and we miss it. The small family like community inside the school and Christian atmosphere is something hard to find. There is no perfect school. Every child's needs and learning styles are different. This school offers a chance for a good education with moral values. That to me is priceless. I feel blessed that my children were able to attend this school from 2005 to 2008. We had teachers that were wonderful and willing to work with us and our children. We had Mrs. Marks leading our school in a new direction making many updated changes and doing a great job. Look beyond negative statements and make your judgement based on what you think not someone else's. God lead your interest to this school for a reason.
—Submitted by a parent

The leadership at this school is undesirable. The HSA Board has had many obstacles attempting to foster a positive christian atmosphere. The teachers are awesome and seem to love their jobs. The Pastor is not as involved in the school as I thought he would be. I am disappointed again for the third year in a row. We won't be returning.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has attended Infant of Prague for four years. I have nothing but praise for the administration, faculty, and staff of the school. The students follow a strong curriculum that has been updated by the current administration, especially in mathematics. The school is safe, the administration and the teachers care greatly about the students and we are more than happy and satisfied with this school. Unfortunately, the people who have complained here, and I have both heard them and know who they are, would complain about anything. These are the same people who complained about the last administration and would undoubtedly complain if God himself ran the school. They are not only incorrect in their comments, but have no idea what they are talking about. Infant of Prague is superior to the public school system in curriculum, discipline, values, character, and overall worth.
—Submitted by a parent

While I'm not completely satisfied with Infant of Prague, I do believe it is a fine school. I must caveat this statement that I would not be happy with any school unless it was run by God himself. All schools are institutions, run by people who are imperfect, thus their institutions will be imperfect too. If the people below who are complaining have such issue with the school, take them out of the school immediately. If that is not an option, for whatever reason, then it can't be that bad. They should ask themselves 'What have I done to positively contribute to the school?' Academically the school is great. The administration has made decisions that I don t agree with, but I m not in their shoes and don t see the big picture as they do.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have attended Infant of Prague school for the last 6 years. I love the small, family like environment. I love the uniforms, and the structured environment. I feel my children are receiving a top noch education and their report cards and standardized testing scores seem to validate my feelings. I would definately recommend IOP to new families.
—Submitted by a parent

This is not a good school anymore. The teachers know what they are doing, but that is where it stops.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attended IOP for the 2006-07 school year. I can not say enough great things about this school. The school is by far the best in the Jacksonville area. The academic program was outstanding. Parental involvement was highly encouraged and welcomed. The staff and families were wonderful. My family will cherish the time she spent at IOP. April
—Submitted by April Pearson, a parent

We feel so blessed for our children to be part of I.O.P. The quality of education, moral values, and Christian environment makes this the best school in Jacksonville. Wonderful music program, art program, and basketball is big at our school. The Spanish classes and computer classes are excellent additions to the education the children receive. I love the parent involvement. It is like a family. The is overall an excellent school.
—Submitted by Vicki, a parent

There is no better school in Jacksonville. The childrens main focus is on academics. They don't have to deal with all the drama and disobedience that goes on in other schools. The teachers all expect a lot out of the students and themselves. My child loves going to school everyday and has a wonderful group of friends.
—Submitted by a parent

Infant of Prague offers the highest quality education ANYWHERE in Jacksonville. My children have learned so much and all in a loving, Christian environment.
—Submitted by a parent