The Lead School 1610 Willott Road, St. Peters, MO 63376

"I was a para at The Lead School for one year. I was fired abruptly after having a panic attack at work. Management was unsupportive, and when I spoke to the director and assistant director about a concern I had about how another staff had treated my 1:1 I was told to “stay in [my] own lane.” I often left work upset and mentally beaten down. There was a huge problems with cliques, and people would constantly talk about you behind your back, often in front of the students. Staff turnover is high, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly toxic environment to work in, and since being out of that building my mental and physical health have improved so much."

"The Lead School is a positive, structured environment for students who have had challenges in typical school settings. I have had the honor of collaborating with staff to help students with post-secondary planning. The kids are awesome and respectful and interested in the subject matter."

"Kids with specials needs often struggle with change. An example of this would be a change in the route the bus takes to school, they'll have a meltdown. At The Lead School, the staff roster is almost constantly changing, and this could increase the quantity of meltdowns an autistic child might have. That's a bad situation to willingly put your child into."

"First, let's go over the facts. This is a school, focusing on special education and helping students to return to a normal classroom setting. And now, this is where the review comes in handy. I am a Sophomore in High School, attending The Lead School. 1 - From what I've observed, the education stops actually teaching any new material at about the level of Grade 6-7. I started my attendance at this school about 3 1/2 years ago, at Grade 8. Because of this, almost all of the curriculum I've been subject to has had no beneficial effect. This is because their curriculum seems to be a basic 'copy and paste' system. What I mean by this is that they take a math worksheet from, let's say Grade 6, and then they'll just swap out the numbers or not they may not even change the worksheet at all. Which, for students on a seriously lower level in High School would be fine, but more than 75% of the High School students have demonstrated the capability to learn and solve High School level math. Regardless of that, they have used a *minimal* amount of High School level learning material that fits the level, to a point of almost using none at all. This doesn't just go for math, but also English, Science, Geography, and Current Events. It's a completely stagnant and basic system which doesn't promote learning. 2 - There are obviously many concerns with the first point. But as a Sophomore, I am genuinely scared, because I haven't been properly prepared for College or other higher education. However, if I were to attend a traditional High School, (i.e., Timberland, WSD) I would be properly prepared by that districts' curriculum for a higher education. This is a genuine concern, because it's the higher education that really determines your job, and ultimately, the outcome of your life and overall successes. 3 - The Lead School occasionally does need to physically intervene with students. It's perfectly understandable, and is self defense. However, in a few instances, I have observed, and been victim of having my windpipe forcefully restricted through the use of the application of force from the 'Lead Behavior Interventionist'. I was unable to breath, and started panicking. I attempted to relay to the offender the fact that I could no longer draw in oxygen, and I was ignored. I have observed this same sort of unjustified application of force applied to 2 other students. From this event, I have PTSD, and a profuse fear of being touched in any way, and a fear of enclosed spaces. CONCLUSION - Overall, this establishment has ultimately failed it's own 'Mission Statement'. They've put children in potentially fatal situations, failed to properly educate students according to their level, and have shown disregard in their handling of delicate situations. Results of these actions have resulted in: Physical marks and damage, mental disorders, and a lack of proper education. It is through my thorough review that my conclusion is this: Don't send your children here, they may come in with behavioral issues that you, as a parent want to be solved. But they will come out worse than they arrived. As a parent, it should be your duty to thoroughly research and determine the best place to send your children. And The Lead School is ultimately an unsafe, unprofessional, and unprogressive environment."

"Unsafe for children. Abusive staff. Very poorly managed. Staff are always coming and going. The staff they do keep are always on there phone or antagonizing children for the fun of it. More like a day care. No learning is really involved at all"