Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School

We love TSFES!! From the faculty and staff to the strong parent involvement and community feel— we feel very blessed to have the opportunity to send our kids to this school! 5 stars for sure.

Please take the negative comments with a grain of salt. These parents have a choice. This school is highly sought after and very difficult to get into (lottery system). Having had children in multiple elementary schools, I can tell you with conviction that you will never find a more loving, caring, and nurturing environment for your child. The Principal, Teachers and Staff truly care about your child. They are dedicated to your child's education and want them to do well academically and behaviorally. The learning environment at TSFES is structured and consistent. However, these children are also afforded the opportunity to do things that other elementary schools are not (talent show, drama club, field day, laptops, holiday store, etc.). I can assure you that this school is EXCELLENT!!

Test scores are the only thing that matter to this school. Students are stressed out and parents are helpless. The principal make her decisions without considering what is best for the kids and the parents. Creativity, physical activities, and parental interaction are all but stripped in this school. It is run like a dictatorship where no one has a right to give suggestions or comments. I cannot believe this has gone on this long. It's unbelievable and there needs to be some major changes. kids should have a love of learning- but in this school all they have is fear. They are made to feel like disappointments and that test scores mean everything. Where's the fun? Where's the love of learning? Why should parents be banned from interacting with their kids at this lever? It's just plain horrible!

I have been in this school for some time but in the last few years have been incredibly discouraged by what I've seen it become. In short, the moms refer to it as a "military school." The last two years in particular have brought great restrictions both to the students and to the interaction of parents. With this I've seen my child do a 180- no longer passionate about learning but instead stressed out from the pressure to perform on the FSA for a good half the year. It got so bad the last two years I felt my kid was being somewhat bullied. Even more disappointing is the lack of freedom these kids have; it's all about compliance, being quite and obedient. The slightest diversion from the rules will land you in the hot seat- the principle's office. Elementary kids should not go to school stressed out, afraid of getting a warning to the point they check their books three times each day to make sure everything is in order- I just don't like what it's become. While its safe and there are great teachers, if I had to do it over again I would have paid for a private school to create a better learning experience and the love of learning because in the end that's what counts, not the perfect grades. This school also puts way too much emphasis on gifted children. Just an FYI if your kid is not in this group. Sorry for the negative review but if considering this school, you need to know what to expect.