The Parish Episcopal School Pk

I attended this school from Pre-K through 7th Grade. When the school was being run my Gloria Snyder, it was great. Drama was low, and academics were high, but once Mr. Monaco came in, things changed for the worse. The drama went from peaceful to brutal, with the girls that is. Teachers were contacted several times, but they did not seem to care, and nothing was done about the problems. The academics were okay, but community service was often put before them. The arts (visual and performing), I admit, were excellent, and may be one of the only things this school has to offer.

This is our first year at Parish and we have a preK1 and Kindergarten student who both LOVE their school!! Such a nurturing and confidence building school with outstanding teachers! My kids leave for school everyday with a smile and excitement and come home just as happy! We are so grateful to be a part of such an outstanding school and would highly recommend it!
--Submitted by a parent

LOVE PARISH! Our children started as a Junior and a Freshman and they immediately were welcomed in. Parish has very strong academics and a great athletic program. We now have 2 graduates of Parish, and a freshman and an eighth grader! Things are done with class all around. Graduation is simply beautiful and Friday night football games are awesome for all.
--Submitted by a parent

I have a second grader at Parish, and think that it is a wonderful academic and social environment. We have be so pleased with the teachers, facilities, and overall environment. It is a wonderful place to send your young children.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a former parent who spent 3 years (1-3 rd grade) at this school. We relocated cities so moved schools. Parish was a very good experience in the lower campus (1st and 2nd) for our son. Appropriate homework, awesome teachers, good feedback and small nurturing environment. 3rd grade at upper campus was disappointing.... Some of it had to do with bad luck but the overall experience was completely underwhelming and had we remained in Dallas we would have considered moving. Issues we dealt with: new teacher hire for 3rd grade was weak and school asked her to leave halfway through. Revolving door of teachers and subs after. Very poor management and communication with parents. Too much homework and a lot of busy work. Math is weak...skips around a lot and nothing is taught to mastery. Too many transitions in the day for a third grader....change classes every 45 mins!
--Submitted by a parent

Our biggest complaint about Parish is the way they handle things here. Our son was being mistreated(bullied) by one of his classmates and the school did very little or nothing to avoid it. We requested the Head of the Lower school to put them in separate classrooms for the following year. Initially she accepted our request. But a couple of months later I contacted back with her and learnt that she didn't grant our request. She didn't even care to inform us that she changed her mind. She stated that there were "multiple criterias" in forming a class roster(without explaining what those criterias are). Now the two kids are again together in the same class for second grade. I don'd understand this because all the classes were completely shuffled, so why they had to be in the same classroom?When I respectfully requested a meeting she just ignored me.
--Submitted by a parent

I have decided to withdraw my child from Parish this year; my child has been made to learn some painful and unnecessary lessons. I was impressed initially with the educational reputation but there is more to a child's education than academics. Maybe I'm biased, but I think my child is a wonderful human being. Nonetheless, 5 weeks into the summer there have been no invitations for play dates and that has been painful. I can't tell you how many times I"ve called other parents to set up play dates and been completely rebuffed. Academics have been generally good (but should be great for the money) with mathematics being strong and science being distinctly mediocre. Lags behind in reading.
--Submitted by a parent

I still have not made up my mind about this school since we have been at the school only a couple of yrs. Academically - I have not seen anything stellar in elementary school. The kids who are ahead do not have any advanced material to work with. Music and Visual Arts - I think elementary kids get enough exposure. Socially - The elementary teachers are nurturing, some more some less. The parents who volunteer do an awesome job of taking care of all events and activites. However there seems to be a big divide between families from different backgrounds. This impacts the children because they don't get to spend as much time with each other as kids should. The kids are left to find a niche for themselves on their own. In summary if I had a choice I would consider changing schools.
--Submitted by a parent

I'm currently a Senior at Parish and have been here since I was a Sixth Grader. Parish has been an incredible experience you cannot find a more loving yet challeging experience anywhere, especially in Dallas. I have many friends at various other private schools in Dallas, who are always complaining about their schools. I love Parish and would recommend anyone to send their child here!
--Submitted by a student

Our child is in middle school at Parish and couldn't be happier. The academics are excellent and the teachers have been nurturing, attentive and nothing short of phenomenal. Our child has made great friendships, thoroughly enjoys school and comes home smiling. Parish has been a wonderful experience for all of us. As another poster said, worth every penny!
--Submitted by a parent