Irma Dru Hutchison Elementary School

At first glance you my think this is a great school but as soon as you have any concern, or they do not like what you have to say you are made to feel as if you have no idea what your talking about. My daughter got a teacher whom she was not comfortable with and her feelings were completely disregarded. I had several meetings expressing how things were not getting better and i was told that the teacher had feelings too, that i needed to give the teacher the opportunity to improve. It has been 4 weeks of waiting for the teacher to "adjust" and my daughter is still stressed and upset every day. Her behavior and attitude toward school has become a negative one and the Principal Eric Nicholie, and Director of elementary education Laura Lyons seem to not care. I thought their main concern was suppose to be their students. I guess its just for show. Daniel & Melissa Cardenas
—Submitted by a parent

Hutchison Elementary is an outstanding elementary school. The teachers go above and beyond to make sure all students are successful. The administrators take extra measures to inspire the students and reward them for good effort. You will not find a more diverse school with over 32 languages spoken. The majority of teachers are ESL and GT certified and teach according to each child's needs, even students with special needs. An exemplary school on all aspects!!!!!!
—Submitted by a teacher

The administrators seem to be fair and tough. There is a lack in professional training among the staff. The school performs well on TAKS, but has no 'proven' track record for teaching a good foundation. Although the student population is diverse there is a lack of diversity training and good classroom management. School still displays some 'small town' ideals that have not proven to be effective when dealing with diversity.
—Submitted by a parent

Acedimically, this school is good. However, the teachers seem unhappy and the children are very stressed. There is an uneasiness that may come from this being a new school. If your child needs encouragement or a less stressful environment, Hutchison will probably not be a good fit. If your child is able to progress on their own, then they may learn a lot. Parental involvment is not big here or encouraged. Only 'members' on the PTA board are allowed at meetings and you have to push very hard if you want to voluteer. Most parents give up early on.
—Submitted by a parent

Hutchison is certainly an exemplary school. We could not be any happier as parents and our daughter as a student! Steven & Isabel Sampson
—Submitted by a parent

Great School! I love the structure and order, it makes for a great learning enviornment. Kudos to Hutchison's third consecutive year of Having a TEA EXEMPLARY rating. There are no perfect schools that will meet (all ) the needs of each and every individual that enters its' doors. That is why I look for, minimally, high standards of performance, education, stucture, order, safety and ultimately how comfortable my child feels when he/she comes home everyday. I've had only one incident at Hutchison for which I dealth with promptly. Principal Nicholie and Asst. Principal Hoskins are doing a great job and I commend their dedication. ALSO, Hutchinson PTA rocks! Those guys are awesome fundraisers and support to the teachers. They have different levels of volunteerism that allows us all to contribute.
—Submitted by a parent

Hutchison has excellent teachers. However, Mr Nicholie, the principal is 'tough.' I'm really hoping a fewer student per class-- as the classes are extremely overcrowded for an elementary!
—Submitted by a parent

Hutchison is a schoool very disrespectful from most staffs and teachers. Every morning have to see their frown face like a day has no sun. Specially teachers, see parents pass by they just disregard no greeting or smiling, and when parents need to talk to them will receive very rude answer. Their personalities are not pleasing. We are new here but it seems very disappointed. Another thing is between administrator and teachers don't communicate well and work as a team (different rules in both groups!) Just give parents having a hard time.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attends this school and it seems to be all about appearances . It looks great on the surface but dig a little deeper to find the true nature of the school. I have volunteered at this school only a couple of times but have seen very disturbing behavior by many of the teachers and staff. This school, in a lot of ways, reminds me of television programs about schools for troubled teens. Very in your face with the students, even in PE, where the students should be able to blow a little steam and run and release energy there is yelling and screaming by the teacher and her aide. The Principal is usually never around and it seems the building is run by the secretary who is extremely unapproachable and opinioned. I have sent many letters to the superintendent, but no change so far. Due to fear of reprisal I have sent them unsigned. Beware of this school if you have a good kid who doesn t need a lot of special discipline. They will come out scared to death to move the wrong way.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a new but awesome school w/exceptional principals, teachers & administration. They achieved an exemplary rating on the first try. I loved the involvement of the principal (Eric Nicholie), he is dedicated to being present in the classroom. He & Assistant. Principal, Cara Hoskins offer great incentives to tackle tardiness, absenteeism and disruptive behaviour. They along with the excellent selection of teachers are an exemplary combination! The school's open door policy allowed me the opportunity to witness great teamwork firsthand from a superior staff who's main goal is quality education for the students.
—Submitted by Tonia Whitaker, a parent

This is a brand new school. The teachers are very active and willing to go above and beyond to make sure the needs of the children are met. My child was in Pre-K and there was a lot of parent involvement and participation. Academically this school is geared toward reading at the end of the Pre-K year. I am very pleased with this school and the staff.
—Submitted by a parent