Jockey Hollow School

Sub par special needs program. Unless your child is perfect this is not the school for them. All of the special needs kids are lumped together into one setting (Down syndrome, Autism, OHI, ED, ID, speech and language impairment etc) District tries to bully special needs parents kids into giving up services. Miraculously, (sarcasm intended) the school managaes to "heal" your child and all report cards indicate they have "mastered" all of their goals.

Jockey Hollow STEM Academy is a highly effective and engaging program for all who attend. Students learn and retain material on a daily basis. Rote memorization is non-existent at the STEM Academy. Perhaps this is why their overall scores on state testing are higher than those on from the non-STEM School.

This school currently has two campuses - the main campus middle school and the STEM Academy which students can choose to attend, with acceptance by lottery. I give the school 5 stars for two main reasons. The first is the principal. You will never find a principal more genuinely involved and concerned for the students and families. He is very pleasant and never hesitates to quickly and thoroughly answer any questions and concerns. The second is the kids - sure there are exceptions to this, but for the most part they are good, kind kids and you see a minimum of bullying and poor behavior as compared with other schools. As far as the STEM Academy, I would express a little more caution. It is a great opportunity especially if your child has a specific interest in engineering. The kids take an extra class in that field that the main campus doesn't have. The "cons" are the disorganized leadership and the fact that more "hands-on" science is actually taught on the main campus - something the kids were told they would have more of at STEM, but it didn't turn out to be the case. Participation in music programs is also minimized at STEM due to the logistics of the two campuses.

Jockey Hollow is an amazing school. The state and national test scores alone provide overwhelming evidence of the committment to excellence. The principal is very communicative, responsive, and professional. He takes the even the most minor concerns, such as how long it takes to get through the lunch line, and personally researches and resolves the issue. I have 2 children there now, my daughter going into her final year there and they both love it. And I completely support their 'tough love'. If my kids forget their homework, they get an 'F' - deservingly so. Kudos to the entire Monroe, CT school district. Would never pay for private education when we have the absolute best resources right here.