St. John's Episcopal School

We live in East Dallas and have a child at St. John's who was previously in a well-regarded North Dallas preschool. We had the option of continuing in the North Dallas path, but after much research decided on St. John's and have been very happy there. Regarding academics, with some research I think you'll find that St. John's compares favorably with many of the North Dallas schools. In our research, we obtained information from admissions folks at Jesuit and Ursuline, met with a private school consultant, and generally picked the brains of parents who are plugged into the private school scene. The consensus was St. John's compares favorably with ESD, Good Shepherd, Parish, St. Monica, St. Rita, etc. We've been very happy there, but I would encourage you to do your own research in that regard and not rely too much on statements from anonymous posters on a website.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Johns wants to charge big private school tuition and provide a second tier private school education. Everyone is expected to function at an average level and no accommodations are made for brighter students. Our child came in at a later grade and I agree with the other poster that the community is not very welcoming. Not all children are invited to participate in grade level sports teams and other social activities.
—Submitted by a parent

Clearly sectarian, this school appears and feels secluded. Outsiders (accepted for state funding purposes) are not made to feel welcome. Many learning challenged kids, and even a few teachers with similar issues and inferior backgrounds.

There are way too many kids with learning and behavioral issues that dominate the teacher's time. Young children are also forced to sit in chapel for an hour at a time. We have seem little focus on academics.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is nurturing and progressive. We have two kids here with learning difficulties. The teachers and principals are very accomodating to their needs. Our kids are made to feel welcome and not different. the xtra curriculars are amazing. I will keep our kids here until the 8th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school. We have 3 kids here. They are in the lower school. All are challenged academically, yet they are on different levels. The communication with teachers is good to excellent. I am looking forward to the next 8 years here!
—Submitted by a parent

Good programs for learning, but I feel that we could receive same in public. The art, spanish, and music programs are very poor. The art teacher is very rigid...there is a right way to draw and it is her way. She gives no room for individuality. They have no instrument programs except to provide after school lessons for piano, guitar, or violin. The spanish was fantastic, but with a new teacher this year I never hear any spanish from my child as I had in the past. She can't tell me anything that she learns. I feel that maybe as our daughter gets older that the academics will be better, but I am becoming skeptical. If I could move to an area that had a good public option we would move tomorrow.
—Submitted by a parent

1. disappointing experience of being double-crossed by a teacher who wrote a horrible recommendation yet a glamorous report card. 2. not worth the tuition, for what has been taught. You can buy better, but you cannot pay more.
—Submitted by a parent

As an alum of St. John's I cannot say enough good things about the education I received there. Warm and supportive community and teachers combined with the academic strength of the school makes it the perfect place for a child to grow. Upon entering a challenging prepschool for highschool, I found myself more than prepared with my St. John' background.

The school has high academic standards which get more challenging each year especially the middle school. Many private high schools will say St John's kids are among the most prepared and that college entrance is relatively comfortable once they've gone through prep for high school interviews and entrance. There needs to be a focused balance between homework and extra curr once the kids get older - maintaining high academic standards without making homework too overwhelming. The school definitely provides kids with ample opportunity to boost self esteem and confidence in speaking and presenting or performing in front of others. It's hard to describe this special characteristic of the school but is an amazing outcome.
—Submitted by a parent

Fabulous school all around. A loving and nurturing environment with high academic standards. Wonderful teachers, wonderful students. I just can't say enough good things about St. John's.
—Submitted by a parent