St. Laurence School

I love this school! I love the relationship that I have with the school, the teachers and the staff. Everyone is so approachable and creative in their teaching styles. One of my three children is not what you would call a 'traditional' learner and this school has gone above and beyond to make sure that she is learning what she needs. She started at a public school, after a great kindergarten teacher her next two years were struggles. She would wear her teachers down after a couple of months and would skate by for the rest of the year. Getting her to even go to school was WORK! St. Laurence has never given up on her. They always make sure that she is doing the kind of work that we all know she is capable of doing. She would rather do just about anything to keep from doing school work. But this school has gotten her interested in learning with trips to Yellowstone for a week and countless other activities. What a difference this school has made in my children's lives.
—Submitted by a parent

We chose this school for the high quality education and family like atmosphere. We felt that the first two years our childen were there, but while the teachers all seem hard working and dedicated, I am sad to see that some aren't licensed by the state, and some seem to have few resources to help the students. When we made the hard choice to transition to public school, we fully intended to return when our third child was ready for Pre-K, but the lack of teacher licensing and academic curriculum in that grade level made us reconsider and go with another area program. It's too bad that such a great school is no longer great.
—Submitted by a parent

The caring and individual attention the student s receive far exceeds any school we have experienced. Parent involvement is a big part of what makes the school work. Personally I have experienced that the Teachers and staff are quick to bring appropriate attention to any issues my children experience. Teacher/parent involvement is not set by the quarterly calendar; there is consistent and appropriate communication. The school would benefit from stronger leadership from both the Principal and the Pastor.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal, teachers, staff, and parents are all very devoted to this school. Parent involvement is highly encouraged, and volunteering helps run the school. The small environment is much like a family. Academically, my three children are thriving in every subject.
—Submitted by a parent

PreK and First grade are pretty good. Third and Fourth grad are combined and now 5th and 6th grade are combined. The school has tried to progress but the facilities are very old and the teachers are working to their limits. The kindergarten teacher at one point had 20 children with no helpers. They do try to care for the kids but resources are becoming limited.
—Submitted by a parent

Leadership at this school is not as strong as in the past. The principal is also the 6th grade teacher which does not allow for much administration time. Parents are not encouraged to be involved in the classroom to a large degree once you are past PreK. There is an emphasis on not allowing boys to be in kindergarten unless their birthday falls in May or before, regardless of academic or social ability. Overall, if you are looking for a religious school and do not mind working to catch your children up in math studies it is not a bad place go.
—Submitted by a parent

I had reservations about sending my children to a Catholic school since I am not of the faith (while my husband is). The teachers and staff are great! My children have really done well. The test score for my oldest puts her in the 95th percentile or above compared to other students (nationwide) in her age for all her subjects. Parents are really involved. The smaller school size really is like a community where everyone gets to know everyone. As a grade school there are no sports but he music program is great. I would like to see a more in depth art program as currently they only have art in the classroom. A really great nourishing palace for my children.
—Submitted by a parent

The focus at St Laurence is on the whole child. I found my first graders work to be quite challenging. The small class size allowed the teacher to teach them subtraction and addition of several digit numbers. They also had spelling tests, reading comprehension, writing, editing, problem solving, time, money, PE, religion, and much more. The parents are highly involved as is their principal Dawn Staver. The principal knows each student by name and is so cheery! I had reservations about sending my kids to a Catholic School, but I am now convinced we made the right choice.
—Submitted by Sharon, a parent