Life School Lancaster

This school should be called Life School "NO talking". My children go to this school. All I ever hear is "NO talking" you can't talk at lunch, in bathroom, or dismissal. Cafeteria is small seats are so close. They have a new play ground now it's like they don't because recess gets taken away all the time. School is so hung up on discipline that they don't have time to teach. Younger grades are "OK" from K-4th. 5th & 6th grade is awful. I'm so glad this is my last year dealing with this school. 5th and 6th grade teachers are a joke. Assign all these projects have you go & buy expensive stuff for them spend your whole weekend doing them & and they don't even send home a grade for it. The classes are crowded it's like 30-1 the teachers in 6th grade spend so much time getting on to students it takes 30min of the class time. With so many students if your child gets behind they will be left behind they don't have time to stop & help them. The teachers in 6th grade do not communicate with the parents on what is going on except for this cheesy news letter every week which does not help. It's just a low level school specially 6th grade teachers are horrible and I'm glad I'm done with it.
--Submitted by a parent

This should be a Military school the way it's ran. The computer teacher is so mean to students. 6th grade teachers don't have a clue one teacher gives project after project and does not keep parents up to speed on what is required. She sends home way to much homework with no directions. You have to hunt her down to get her to explain the project if you don't understand how to help your child. Math teacher spends most of his time on his cell phone texting or on facebook & has terrible communication with parents he does not know how to talk to parents at all. But he talks good in emails, the other seems to have it together but does not communicate to parents much. When I talk with other 6th grade parents they are unhappy with their experience with Life school in general and the whole 6th grade I don't blame them. The PE coaches are mean there are minimal academics. There are fights almost everyday the 6th grade program is just very disappointing. I have never in my life seen a school that is so hung up on discipline they can't even teach. Kinder-1 teachers are petty about every little thing. Way to many students in one class the lunch food is gross. Take your child somewhere else.
--Submitted by a parent

Sadly, I would have to agree with the previous comment regarding academics. My daughter has attended Life School Lancaster for two years and this will definitely be her last. The educational quality of the curriculum is poor, homework and tests are exceedingly easy and after hoping things would improve this year, they haven't. Add to that the fact that the public elementary school my neighborhood is zoned to has higher test scores and ratings than LSL. The parents who send their children to the local elementary school speak highly of their children's campus and that is something that I have never experienced from other Life School Lancaster parents, who have mostly echoed the same dissatisfaction with the school that I have. I want my daughter to have a more stimulating and challenging environment in which to learn and Life School Lancaster fails to provide that.
--Submitted by a parent

I was really surprised when my son first went to Life (after having been at Duncanville). The homework seemed very easy. He was rarely having to study and he was acing everything. (He's always been an A/B student but I'd never seen anything come so easily to him). I then discovered that lots of other parents told me the same thing. Happy as I am for my son, the academics here are EXTREMELY weak! If you're thinking about this school for you child, ask them about TAKS scores and more importantly, ask them about SAT/ACT scores and about how many students are going on to college. You'll be surprised that the numbers are no better than nearby schools. I would absolutely put my son back at Duncanville if he weren t a senior, as the academics were much stronger there. The kids at Life School are good kids, but they re getting a very mediocre education.
--Submitted by a parent

We are in our 5th year at Life School and we love it. They require self discipline from every student. Academics as well as character building are a daily objective at this school. As for the "tally" program for bad behavior they also commend children every day for doing the right things. The entire staff is consistently working toward the same objective. I have found them to be involved and concerned with each student's progress. I get emailed updates from teachers and a website that I can check my child's daily work. Parents are required to participate through a "parenting point" system which is easy to meet. We had one problem in 5 years, met with the teacher and assistant principle and it was taken care of immediately. You will never go in to the school and hear teachers yelling or classes being disruptive. My child loves Life School and they have been a God send. You can be the smartest person in the world but if you have no character is all for naught as the headlines today prove. In highschool they have a free program where your child can graduate WITH two years of college credit.
--Submitted by a parent

I like this school for the continued efforts at making improvements to the facility and the quality of education. By comparison, it is the best option in the Lancaster/ Desoto area. My concern is the horrible traffic control system for both drop-offs and pickups. There is the opportunity to reduce the traffic headache by making simple adjustments. I am hoping that the school takes into consideration the inconveniences caused to parents and makes these adjustments. in my view, having a single line that wraps around the school is just not the smart way to go when there is the option of having two or three lines simultaneously
--Submitted by a parent

Life school is the BEST! I have a Kindergarten and 4th grader there. I see this school as really focused on learning. Unlike my son's previous school in the Desoto area, he does not have to deal with behavior issues from other kids or disruptions in the class room. They are there to learn. Not only that, I hear from their teachers every week through e-mail and very informed about what they are learning that week. Any questions regarding their homework can be asked on the paper and gone over. Not only that...they are setting goals in the 4th grade. I did not know anything about goals until high school. It been an eye opener about what public schools could really be like. For the first time my kids are loving school!
--Submitted by a parent

This school adminstration is very unprofessional. It is a very wise decision that child remains in the public school system not impressed with Life School of Lancaster. Give great consideration before you make a major changechild in your child's education. The first impression is always a lasting with the first person of any establishment you inquire. This school has alot of negative reviews.
--Submitted by a parent

I am already impressed and the school year has not even started...my child is starting K with Life School and his teacher called saying she is excited to meet him and have him in her class. Ooooh Yeah...I am loving this school already. Ms. McCoy.
--Submitted by a parent

Based on the school in my area Life Charter School is at the top of my list. The staff make time for our kids and you can't ask for anything better.....Parent participation is a requirement I love that ...so when you rate a school understand that its only so much they can do as a Charter school and can't please everybody WE AS PARENTS NEED TO pick OUR battles...If the homework is to easy look at your kids TAKS test scores it works. We want our kids to be all they can be but we honestly need to pull back some and let them be children.
--Submitted by a parent