Laura Welch Bush Elementary School

This is great school. They try to maintain a high rank but also help the struggling kids in any possible way. The staff from teachers to principal are very supportive.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful school!! I am so grateful that my children have the opportunity to go to LWBE. There is a great combo of an excellent teaching staff and willing, involved parents. My daughter has thrived here and is well ahead of her peers at other schools. I have yet to endure the 'don't want to go to school' from her; she is always excited to see what is next. This school has the resources and talent to ensure a positive, challenging learning experience for all.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school and the teaching staff. I love the principal and admin. staff. They are always able to answer my questions, and make me feel at better.
—Submitted by a parent

I have nothing but good things to say about LWBE. Is it rigorous? Yes. We came from another local district where my son ended the year well behind where he was supposed to be. After coming to LWBE, much hard work and many tears, he has now caught up to his peers. The faulty and staff have high standards and hold the children and parents accountable for their own performance. If you want your child's school to be more like a drop-in day care center, might I suggest another place to live.
—Submitted by a parent

LWBE is a very good school. The teachers are receptive and responsive. They need to have a bit more of homework at the 5th Grade. Compared to the California schools that I have seen, LWBE is way better.
—Submitted by a parent

We were new to the District and School this year. I was expecting this would be a terrible year for my kids having just moved from California. Boy was I wrong!! My kids love this school and their teachers. There is not a day that they don't want to go to school. The teachers here seem to really love what they do and they want the kids to enjoy it also. The kids are actually challenged for the first time and we couldn't be happier. I am very impressed with the principle's involvement with the school. You actually see her directing traffic in front of the school everyday. I can't say enough about how wonderful this school is. My only regret is that we didn't get out of California sooner!!!
—Submitted by a parent

TAKS, TAKS, TAKS.... this is all that matters to LWBE. Whatever happened to schools which would teach a subject and test you on it? What we have now are classes on how to take TAKS tests and how to teach kids to deal with the stress of taking the TAKS. I could not be more disappointed.
—Submitted by Carlos, a parent

There are some wonderful teachers at LWBE. However, the school is very overcrowded and the principal is inexperienced and overwhelmed.
—Submitted by a parent

We are relatively new to Laura Bush but so far have been very pleased with the level of academics as well as most of the 'specials' such as art, music and theater arts. There is a high level of parent involvement and support at LWBE, and seems to be well supported by the community. LWBE offers a variety of educational styles in the classroom, so undoubtedly one will be successful in finding a teacher that fits with their child. Overall the communication is fairly good, although as a newcomer to the school it did take a while to catch on to what was expected / allowed since little information came home in that regard.
—Submitted by a parent

LWBE is the only school with which we have personal experience and I thank God every day. There is an awful lot of talk about ranking (bragging rites for parents) but there is something every parent should consider. . .it's not all about the numbers. I've had many conversations with many parents who feel the same; how a school ranks in standardized testing is not everything. Some schools put such an emphasis on TAKS it's about all they do. . .study for TAKS, study how to take the TAKS, stress about TAKS! So parents can say they rank better than the next school. Yes, standardized testing is important but so is compassion, enthusiasm, and teaching to produce well rounded, well educated children. . .not just kids who know how to take a test. We found it all at LWBE. Put your ego in your pocket and think about your kids!
—Submitted by a parent

We have been disappointed by LWBE. The school and the school district both seem to be suffering from non-stop growing pains. The school already has more than the 900 students it was built house after only 3 years of being open, and there is no end in sight as more and more new house are planned. Our Kindergartner's class has grown from 19 to 23 in just half the school year. This does not allow the teachers to provide much individual time or attention to each student.
—Submitted by a parent

I really feel like my child has struggled with the style and pace of teaching at LWB. My daughter has attended this school since it opened in 2002. Although she has had new teachers each year, her academic struggles have become progressively worse, and there is a tremendous amount of pressure put on students and their parents to 'keep up' with tons of work that I feel is above the grade level the children are in. We have received so many projects due in the past 3 years that only a parent could possibly do for their child, and I don't feel like this is fair to the students. I have been snubbed by teachers and treated like I am a bad parent and my child has been treated like she has a learning disability, even after passing extensive testing. Not to mention the school lunches are horrible and not nutritious.
—Submitted by a parent

Not impressed. Way too standardised and far too much testing and not enough teaching.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been here 2 months. My daughters teacher has been very positive and proactive in providing advanced instructional materials. The school is growing very fast and is somewhat overcrowded but seems very organized so it doesn't seem to be a problem. They are building schools in the area but it will be a few more years before it helps here. Extracurricular activities and facilities are clean and new but basic compared to our previous school - probably good for TX. The library is nice and does a good job of providing up to date books for the kids. Parents seem to be very active from what I can tell at this point.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the other two postings. My son is in 1st grade & so far we have been very pleased. The parents are very involved & the teachers are wonderful. I also worry about the growth. We are almost at 1000 kids & there is talk of moving the 5th graders to the middle school. That worries me greatly. Hopefully they will build another school soon.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school with parent involvement.
—Submitted by a teacher