Harry McKillop Elementary School

My daughter was fortunate enough to attend this school when she started Kindergarten. We are in the military & have since moved...twice! Harry McKillop set a standard in education that no other school can seem to match. The teacher she had was amazing! The parent involvement is like no other! And the best part, is no one was standoffish, it was so easy to get involved! Parents & staff are so friendly. They go above & beyond! If we could move back, we would just so our daughter could go back to this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I love HME, my son came to this school almost 2 grade levels behind in his reading and in less than 1 school yrs time they have worked with him and increased his reading level to where he is only months behind at this point. That is AMAZING! Especially considering the fact that he has hearing and speech difficulties and has always had to struggle!! They know who we are when we enter the doors, all of the staff look out for each and every child from what I have noticed, parents are always invited and involved in everything, I feel completely at ease leaving my child in their care throughout the day. And I can not say enough about the communication I receive about my child and the genuine concern his teacher and the principle show for him, as well as every child in their care. I love this school!!
--Submitted by a parent

Unfortunately this school and district are losing focus of what is most important...The well rounded student. The district has an inability to hang on to talented teachers and administration has a total disregard as to the important role the teachers play in the district. A lack of vision and leadership are steering this boat into dangerous waters and it's a shame because the students and parents are absolutely fantastic. They deserve so much better.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved to Melissa just in time for my daughter to start Kindergarden at the brand new (that year) McKillop Elementary. It has been a wonderful experience for her. I believe the leadership from the top down are what makes this school great. My daughter loves going to school. When I visit, I'm met with warm, friendly, helpful staff and volunteers. The district has received multiple awards for its programs and best of all, I don't feel like a stranger. Because Melissa is still a small town, you still have that small town feel...everyone knows you, faces are familiar....I feel secure sending my child there knowing that people care about HER, her emotional and academic development. I HIGHLY recommend MISD to any parent considering a move to the country.
--Submitted by a parent

We are new to MRE this school year and have found the school to be wonderful. I am most impressed by the ratio of teachers to students. Having fewer students in your class is a win-win situation for both students and teachers. More after-school programs are being offered and I know that as the community and school grows that more programs will be available. Very happy here!
--Submitted by a parent

I love Melissa, I love the small town feel. Everyone knows one another. I do wish we had more choices for our kids...I mean the ability to take a secondary language in elementary even the middle school. More choices that even the elementary kids can be a part of. I think our school is geared toward older classes and the younger ones just find their way eventually. We do have plenty of field trips and tons of parent involvement. We do not have a lot of extra money, so the community has to come together to raise money for extra items to make school a more enjoyable atmosphere for the kiddos, ex: playground equipment, that money was raised by the community and our PTO...most schools take playground equipment for granted, but the kids and parents wanted to work for it!
--Submitted by a parent

We love the small-school feeling and the individual care the children receive at Melissa Ridge Elementary. Most of the teachers we've encountered have been top-notch, including substitute teachers. (And we notice that the really good, qualified subs are often offered full-time jobs the next school year.) We are also very pleased with the speech pathology, physical education, counseling, and art services at the school. This year the new principal has infused the school with enthusiasm, attracting new teachers and creating new traditions that the children have grown to count on. The greatest areas for improvement I see for Melissa Ridge are in the lunch selection and in the availability of dedicated computer time. I realize both issues are partly a function of cost to the district, and neither of the issues nearly compare with all the things we love about the school.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved to Melissa 3 years ago. I feel that I did not do my homework on the school district to my child's disadvantage. My daughter has dyslexia. We moved to a more country setting for a more peaceful lifestyle. In our three years at Melissa I.S.D., we have had nothing but trouble getting the school district to do what state school regulations say they must for dyslexia students. In conversations, it has been hard to accomplish a resolve in this matter because the faculty wants to play finger pointing games instead of getting answers for dyslexia education. My daughter is now in the third grade with a teacher she had in the first grade. We are still having problems with the state mandated dyslexia program being ran right at Melissa. If anyone knows what steps we can take to solve our problem please let us know. Jess Woodson jess@woodsonventures.com
--Submitted by jess woodson, a parent

I'd like to see foreign language classes offered at elementary level, like other public schools have.