Alice Ponder Elementary School

My child is just completing her Kindergarten year at Ponder and I have been very pleased with this school. Her teacher is great, there is alot of parent involvement, and I feel like she is getting a very good education.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have attended Ponder over the last 7 years. We have been extremely satisfied with the education our kids have received. The staff is very friendly, knowledgable, and willing to help whenever we need it. I appreciate that all cultures are respected and celebrated at this school
--Submitted by a parent

The school is old, the teachers are inadequate, the principles have poor leadership. There was never a friendly welcome feel by anyone at this school from the first time I enrolled my child there.
--Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed with Alice Ponder Elementary. My daughter has been going since first grade and they were just being taught things she had already learned in preschool and kindergarten in her previous schools. The school has very old equipment and quite a few rooms have quite an aroma. Her teachers have been wonderful but they are restricted by a school district that seems to focus on new schools rather than keeping old schools caught up in technology leaving a great deal of the students behind. When they do eventually join the children in the middle schools, they will be leaps and bounds behind. Luckily I am a stay at home mother and can give her what she is not getting at school. I feel bad for the households that are not able to do that.
--Submitted by a parent

All of my children have attended Alice Ponder. Though this is a more culturally diverse school in comparison to most in Mansfield, they still had a good education. In turn, they are more prepared for the world in which they live and more accepting of others. These values were supported by the teachers at this school. The teachers have also given each of my children the education they needed to be successful in school. All of my children have been succesful and continue to be successful academically. All are college-bound. I do have to say that I preferred the multi-age program of years ago over the traditional setting. Unfortunately, my youngest was only able to experience the traditional setting classroom. She did miss out on a great program. The teachers at AP need to keep up the good work and continue to keep the students first on their agenda!
--Submitted by a parent

My son is going into the third grade next year and so far he has had two good teachers and one bad one. He is in the excel class which I am a bit dissappointed with though. Over all I feel this is a pretty good school.
--Submitted by a parent

My child has attended ponder for the past four years. In these last four years i have been very pleased at times, as well as very displeased. I do not believe the school has been the same since gary manns left as the principal. I think that the school has gone downhill at an extremely fast pace. -very displeased parent
--Submitted by a parent

The school hasn't been the same, since the Principal, Gary Manns left. The majority of the best teachers left with him. He was fair, consistent, and loved the students. The atmosphere seems cold, and the staff isn't as friendly. During lunch time the students aren't supervised very well.
--Submitted by a parent

I am reasonably happy with this school. I believe there are are lot better schools in the area though. If you are moving into Mansfield consider this when buying a home. We really didn't have a choice but to stay on at this school.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a great School. My daughter attended this school for 3 years and we loved it. I would definitely recommend this school. They have a wonderful staff and a lot of parent involvement.
--Submitted by a parent