Laurel Elementary School

We support our neighborhood school 100%. We are proud to be Laurel Lynx. My kids are thriving at this school. They are learning academically. They are learning to be good friends to all neighbors. The staff work incredibly hard at this school to make sure kids are growing and cared for. We cannot say enough great things about the school and staff. All the teachers are top notch.

Of all the schools my 9 children have attended in 11 years, Laurel was by far the worst.

I have two sons at Laurel right now, and I think this school is top-notch. The teachers are wonderful, and the atmosphere at the school is warm and welcoming. It's a very diverse student population -- in terms of race, ethnicity, and income, but also learning level (programs for both gifted kids and kids with disabilities). The teachers are marvelously flexible, finding ways to teach to kids at their level, individualizing assignments, and making all kids in the class feel included, challenged, and encouraged. Diversity is so hard to find in FC, and Laurel embraces it and fosters a caring, inclusive, and cooperative community. The test scores at Laurel are lower than some other schools in the district, but I'd send my kids here over those schools every time. What my kids are learning at Laurel is much more valuable than what standardized tests measure. They're learning how to be cooperative members of a diverse, inclusive community; they're making friends with kids who are different from them in a million different ways; they're learning not to expect (or want) to be surrounded by people just like them. (They're also learning math and all the rest -- way above grade level -- thanks Laurel teachers!)

My oldest daughter has been at Laurel for several years now and my youngest is a about to start. We have had excellent experiences at this school and love the sense of community we feel here. The teachers have been wonderful and their communication excellent. I have a few reservations about the principle's communication, but on a day-to-day basis we are extremely happy here. The class sizes are small, they stress and practice anti-bullying skills, and the homework is age-appropriate (I'm on the 'kids learn through play at the early ages' side of the spectrum). As for the transient population in Eastside Park, which is adjacent to the school, I've never seen them on school grounds and they have never bothered me when I was with my children. We stay and play with friends every day after school and have never had any issues. I also don't feel the need to shield my children from lives that are different from theirs; honestly, it is a learning opportunity.