Darlington Elementary/Middle School

My husband and I are also very frustrated with the lack of communication between the school and ourself. The politics and the difficulty of dealing with a school that rate your children and their abilities based on who their parents are has caused the whole family unimaginable amounts of stress and sadness. Lots of back door hires in this small town and it shows up in the climate of the school.
--Submitted by a parent

Our children have had nothing but wonderful experiences at this school. The teachers are first-rate. They truly care about the students & go out of their way to help. For those students who have trouble academically, there are wonderful programs in place. The classrooms are cheerful, clean, positive learning environments for the students. I would rate the administration very highly for their effectiveness, compassion, professionalism and commitment to making the school even better. Beyond the excellent academic programs, there are many wonderful opportunities in the areas of the arts, sports, gifted & talented, leadership training, vo-tech, etc. The physical school is beautiful & immaculate, & equipped with the latest technology. The support staff are very devoted to the students. They even have great lunches! Parental involvement is very good on an individual classroom basis. The teachers need only ask for help & several parents will step forward.
--Submitted by a parent

My wife and I have been extremely pleased with our children's education. Test scores are not only above the state average, but often exceed it by more than 10%. I do agree that the community supports the school well. The school has maintained wonderful communication with us. They send out a monthly newsletter that previews each grade level and their activities for the month and what materials will be covered in each subject. They still have two conference dates a year compared to only one in most surrounding communities. They have an orientation and an Open House at the beginning of the year. The teachers always seem to go the extra mile. I find that my children are academically ahead of friends and relatives children of the same age. We're pleased. Only negative is the lack of a solid PTA.
--Submitted by a parent

I have been very frustrated with the total lack of communication between the school and my husband and I. The saddest part is the school gets a great amount of suport through the communitie, tax money, and low student to teacher ratio and still their results are poor, moreover the staff favors students of popular parents. Strong leadership would turn this school around.
--Submitted by a parent