Lorien Wood School

Our experience over 8 years at Lorien Wood has been a very positive. Our children have been blessed and challenged each year. The integral curriculum and the teaching methodology is innovative, rich, and effective at training our children to think deeply about topics and helps them see the connections between disciplines. The strong parental involvement component has resulted in Lorien Wood becoming a true community for all of us. Our children feel known and cared for, and the long-serving teaching staff pours their all into each student. It's a wonderful Christian school and I would highly recommend parents seeking a Christian school to learn more about it. The problem with any rating site is that it gives people a place to vent issues anonymously without any real context. Anyone researching schools would be better served by visiting a school, attending open houses, talking with parents and students currently involved in the school. As any parent knows, not every student or every family fits at every school. But our family and scores of other families have found Lorien Wood to be a true gem and a wonderful place for our children to grow and learn in a Christ-centered community.
—Submitted by a parent

Who could argue with the school's motto: helping children explore God's world and find their place in it? Love the concept! However, I never felt that this was really God's school. There are so many egos running the place with their own agenda and pride at stake. The day-to-day leader is not a leader or administrator, just a teacher. This school does not seem to be able to hire and keep seasoned educators. They have always left, which is a shame. (Look at the website's current faculty.) As far as the other comments re the board meetings: this is a private school. It just too bad that only certain people can make suggestions and have them valued -- not every one can because the clique is full. After being around as long as they have, they aren't going to change PERIOD. This was started as a school for the founding friends' children clearly. I too loved the parent involvement, but it still follows the general volunteer rule: 20% of the people do 80% of the work. My problem is and was that the school does not know how to deal with a diverse population. The day-to-day leader was a homeschooling parent. The lack of pupil diversity limits leadership.
—Submitted by a parent

I couldn't have said it any better than the parent below. This school has a lot of issues. Didn't realize how bad until we left and are now having a wonderful experience elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have attended Lorien Wood for seven years. They've received an excellent education that focuses on their individual strengths and challenges. I've found the Board and faculty leadership to be thoughtful people who seek to align their decisions with the school's seven Distinctives, to establish and operate a school that serves its students and families well. As a community of families and educators it's been a real blessing to my family to be working together with people who share a common purpose and philosophy.
—Submitted by a parent

While the school looks good on paper, the reality is far different. Founding parents and their close friends exert too much control, board meetings conducted in secret, bullying is common, learning disabilities are not understood, some teachers are well-meaning, but are very inexperienced. Even though classes are small, curriculum is not individualized for advanced learners. The atmosphere is cult-like. If you are considering this school, ask probing questions. Ask why other families have left. Ask why board meetings are secret. Ask why there are few experienced teachers. Ask how bullying is handled. Ask why such a small school has a one size fits all approach to learning. Maybe one day they'll change. The school has potential, just not under its current leadership. Proceed with caution.
—Submitted by a parent