Lab School of Washington - Reservoir Campus

My son attended The Lab School from elementary to high school. He came there from a disasterous public chartered school experience where he was made to feel ignorant and unappreciated by his peers. The Lab was a most welcomed relief from the very first day! He immediately found a peer group and began to like school and himself again. Academically, The Lab School's ability to capture the child's strengths while working on his/her challenges, paid off in spades for my son. It was a wonderful experience for him (and me). I highly recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

The Lab School is a perfect example of "all that glitters is not gold". The facilities are in bad shape with significant environmental issues. There has been a major staff overhaul along with significant budget cuts. All focus seems to be on development with glitzy staged advertisements. The creative teaching methods have seemed to fall by the wayside since the passing of the founder.
—Submitted by a teacher

My kid has gone here 3 yrs. I highly recommend Lab if your child cannot keep up or integrate into another school (even w/ extra help & IEP). The real advantage of Lab is their integrated speech-language & occupational therapy executed by the most qualified therapists anywhere. Student/teacher ratio is super low. One Lab disadvantage is kids learn @ their own pace which may not keep up w/ other schools. So if you ever move or integrate back into good public schools, your child may be way behind what his/her peers are doing. Other disadvantages of this small school: very limited activity clubs, band/music, cheerleading, sports teams etc. The school doesn't host outside activities like boy/girl scouts, sports tournaments, concerts. Their summer program (which my kid attended 3 yrs) is educational & fun. Afterschool program is expensive but generally wholesome & well-run by caring teachers. Tuition seems on par w/ DC area small private schools, & special ed tax deductions may be possible depending on your situation. In summary an excellent school for kids w/ moderate/severe needs, but consider the limitations (esp in high school) of attending a small school.
—Submitted by a parent

It offers an excellent environment for kids with learning challenges to succeed.
—Submitted by a teacher

This is how every child should be educated.
—Submitted by a parent

I had attended this school for 8 years before moving to my areas public school. It may sound funny but I wanted to be less cared for. After a couple of months at my private school, I noticed that I really took for granted the unique type of school that LSW was. The positive aspects of this school were the attention, small class sizes, definately the friendships, the teachers, and the overall atmosphere. The disciple aspects of the school could use improvement, as well as more advanced classes. The athletic department was also decent, but has potential for improvement considering the size of the gym, quality of the equipment, and, not to mention, the pool. Overall my experience at LSW was taken for granted, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for just an overall great school.
—Submitted by a student

I am currently a freshman at the lab school and I just absolutely love it! The teachers are so helpful every step of the way. When they help you they give you easier tips on how to solve a math problem or question. The classes are narrowed down by 6 to 8 kids. It makes everything so much easier and you get constant attention from the teacher. If you have/had trouble making friends at your school, well guess what? You'll be welcomed in like 'part of the family' as we call it. Everyone is so close to one another at the lab school and no one is ever really mean to each other. Every year we get some new kids and we always ask them the question, 'Did you like your old school?' About 95% of the time we get the answer, 'I hated my old school!' I love it here!
—Submitted by a student

I am student at lab and i have bin there for 6 years it this school is Sweet!
—Submitted by a student

My sister attends the Lab School and she absolutely loves it. It is a great school and she always has something to do. The parents are involved a whole lot with the extracurricular activities. Including plays, sporting events, etc.. I really think that their discipline is very mediocre. That is something that I think they need more of. I'm glad my sister ended up going to the Lab School instead of staying at her old school.
—Submitted by Griffin W, a parent

As an alumni of The Lab School, I could not be more greatful to this school. It helped me overcome obsticles and advance in places that I would not be able to in other institutions. The one-on-one attention that I recieved from professors was exactly what I needed to excell academically. Thanks to The Lab School, i was accepted to every university that i applied to. It is a terrific institution that is nurturing and supportive.
—Submitted by James Buckingham, a former student