Boise-Eliot Elementary School

My son is presently a freshman in college but I feel that his pre-K and Kindergarten years with Teacher Stephen at Boise-Elliot helped to make him the artist he is today. stories, etc. Boise-Eliot had great classroom/teacher/parent participation in having a wonderful Cultural Arts evening. Every classroom presented crafts of a particular country made by the children. This was carried through with the music, food, stories and dance. Early years make a big impact on a child's life and in the late 1990s Boise Eliot had the resources to expose the children to more diverse experiences. My son went on to get straight As in physics and math but he entered the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a Contemporary Dance major and passed the audition for the Hubbard Street Summer Intensive held in Chicago this summer. I applaud the teachers at Boise Eliot who have a mix of students from many cultures and strive to have creative experiences with a low budget.
--Submitted by a parent

Boise Eliot has been a truely great school for many generations. It attracts teachers who have a real passion for their work. The staff is highly qualified and constantly evolving. When other schools in the inner city were granted federal desegregation monies (in the 80's), they became arts focused or technology focused. Boise Eliot used that funding to become even MORE child focused---hiring full time teaching assistants for every classroom. While the money has dwindled, the school maintains the spirit of that choice. Focus is on the child and his/her needs. Add to that a beautiful library (the heart of a school), full time music (including band and choir as well as music class for every student, before and after school care and activities (many are free!) and you can see why some local families are 3rd and fourth generation Boise Eliot alumni.

Kindergarten teachers are amazing, especially Ellie and Kelly. Large class sizes, extra curriculum is lacking and certain teachers and librarians seem done with being in education. Sun School/after care is a huge help but needs more funding to make it great. My daughter is absolutely a minority there and is taunted by other kids...but that can happen anywhere. Without her awesome teacher, Boise Eliot would be a train wreck for my girl. Parents definitely need to participate!!!
--Submitted by a parent

Boise-Eliot is a great neighborhood school. My daughter loves all of her teachers she has had and the friends she has made. The principal is a passionate, strong leader who believes in the talents of all kids. I'm proud to be a member of the BE community.
--Submitted by a parent

Boise-Eliot is a great school, with a dedicated staff, involved parent group, and some excellent programs that include full-time PE, music, and library instruction. There is also an excellent after-school choir that performs around the city, an artists-in-residency program for each grade that is slated to start soon, and a new focus on writing instruction across the curriculum.
--Submitted by a parent

school is doing much better with a strong leadership and parents association
--Submitted by a parent

A lot of money has apparently been dumped into this school. They have some very nice playground equipment and decent PTA events, it seems they've been the recipient of a lot of good grants. Their principal struck me as being very good and they've got some great teachers. Overall my kid had a pleasant experience here, although I really disliked their method of having the kids wait outside before school began--there were far too few adults present to make that system work very well, I saw plenty of bullying going on and not enough staff to effectively put a stop to it.
--Submitted by a parent