Briar Vista Elementary School

"Where do I start. For living in a middle class neighborhood, this school is absolutely horrible. It is extremely outdated. There are apartments near the school with alot of low income housing which brings the school down as far as academics. I was really shocked to learn that my child would be attending this school once we moved into our home. (If you can afford it, put your child in private school.) The staff here is inconsistent and careless. My child was being bullied off and on for months by the same child and NOTHING was done. I went to the school on multiple occasions to speak with the teacher, counselor and principal about the issue and I was dumbfounded by the lack of empathy and initiative to try to resolve the issue. It's ironic because they have "No tolerance for bullying" signs all over the school, yet they DO NOT practice what they preach. The bullying then escalated to where my child was threatened and physically harmed. I was only made aware of what was going on when my child came home from school and told me about the incidences. The teacher NOT ONCE mentioned this not sent a letter home. That was the last straw and I withdrew my child from this sorry excuse of a "school". If you care about your children's safety and well being, STAY FAR AWAY FROM BRIAR VISTA ELEMENTARY. As a parent, you should feel comfortable to leave your child at school to get an education and not have to worry about them being hit and bullied. I will be addressing this with the superintendent and district as this is absurd and infuriating. The principal, Ms.Niell did not apologize to my child nor myself for their lack of disciplinary action towards the bully. She seemed to not really care. When I had a meeting with the principal and my child's teacher, the teacher lied and said my child never told her about the incidences that took place and tried my manipulate my kid and suggest they were lying. Shame on them for such tawdry tactics. Stay away from this low funded and careless school and it's staff."

"First off, I'm one of those weary parents who doesn't trust anyone to care for my child at the same or better level. I was extremely nervous once seeing the reviews and ratings of the school. But to my relief and delight, BVE has proved to be one of the best decisions I ever made for my child. Not only does he enjoy this school, he flourishes there. The principle, asst, book keeper, office admin, teachers, counselors, paras and pretty much the entire staff knows each child by name. They work together for the good of the student's education. The negative reviews and ratings are outdated. For the last 4 years this school has soared just like the eagle that mascots it. The school and its staff get better every year. The PTO is active and the parents are working together to get the school what it needs to benefit the students. I look forward to the years that my child has left at Briar Vista Elementary."

"My daughters been the happiest ever here at Briar Vista Elementary ! They are great with working with accomidations for children, and best of all they work around my daughters good allergy ensuring that it is a safe environment for her! We love our school!"

"New leadership with Principal Neill makes Briar Vista a truly unique educational environment, especially suited to children who thrive in a less traditional classroom. Having attended a Montessori school through the 8th grade myself, I experienced the challenges of merging Montessori method with the state mandated requirements, but Briar Vista is doing it."

"We love our little neighborhood school. It's made serious strides since Cammie Neill was made principal (last two years). Test scores have dramatically improved, teacher morale is way up, and parent involvement is at an all-time high. The addition of a new playground, organic gardens, and a strong and vibrant PTA mean that this school is really on the rise. It's diverse, fun, and always open to new ideas. My son is in kindergarten there, and my youngest will soon be there. We like all of the teachers and feel like the staff goes out of their way to make new little ones welcome."