Butler Elementary School

2121 Margaret Drive

School District

Arlington Independent
Grade

PK, K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Arlington Independent School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 14, 2024

I’ve had one kid here since 1st grade (in 4th now), and I just enrolled my youngest in kindergarten. We could not be happier with this school! The GT program has been a blast for my oldest. They both love the STEM lab. Always, the teachers have been supportive and communicative. 2 months into the school year and my kindergarten child is already at the beginning stages of reading. I can’t recommend this school enough.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2024

Butler has gone downhill drastically since the new admin has been in place. There is zero accountability for horrible student behavior, and the well-behaved kids are punished by having to deal with it. IF Basham feels inclined to respond to emails, he tells parents to seek private counseling for children who are traumatized by their peers. Every single grade level has students that are known for tearing apart classrooms, screaming at teachers, and being downright hateful. The learning environment is impossible. Admin does not support teachers, and it it obvious how miserable everyone is. Basham only cares about how many times he can repeat the phrase, “Excellence for All”, when it couldn’t be farther from the truth. The scores here are decent, but the culture is declining faster than imaginable. My family will be seeking another school due to the overall feel of this once-great place.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2024

I want to share that I have moved my children out of Butler Elementary to another school in the district. My children are behind in the academics at the new school. They are missing many skills that they should have learned at Butler, but did not. The level and quality of work at the new school is far superior than what was produced at Butler. My children are in shock as to how far ahead their classmates are in math and critical thinking. They are now trying to catch up. Butler was not transparent on where my children’s skill level in reading was. My daughter said the only book she read in her 2nd grade class was, “The Chocolate Touch.” At her new school, her class has already completed reading 6 chapter books, 4 weeks into the year. Butler does the bare minimum.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2024

We have had a great first year here. Parents are very involved and the teachers are great. Principal Basham seems very nice/engaged and seems to care about the students.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2024

My child was enrolled at Butler from 1st to 3rd grade. During that time he was diagnosed as mild to moderate on the Autistic Spectrum. He was struggling. His diagnosis did unlock him being able to enter the SPED program. He was in SPED classroom for an hour a day and with the rest of the students most of the day. He struggled in both environments and was very seriously bullied to the point he was self harming and experiencing EXTREME anxiety and depression (which autistic children are more prone to anyways.) I have a lot of respect for teachers especially post-COVID with learning gaps and everything but I cannot say this school was able to keep my child safe or learning. He still could not read when he left, within 3 months of homeschool we had him reading and most of his anxious and depressive behaviors eradicated. Within a year of homeschool we have him on grade level in all subjects and this year we expect him to go past his grade level. He is extremely extremely intelligent. So, the environment was not great there for him to learn and feel confident and as smart as he really is. I am not sure who or what is to blame. The teachers seemed kind and like they cared, so did the SPED team. One of the biggest problems is the culture at the school. There is a serious lack of diversity and the parents were not kind, even to me, as an adult I was shamed for not having the same purse all the mom's at pick up had, ect. It trickles down to their children who seen to be equally unkind. Of course there were sweet kids and parents but by in large it was not a group of people I enjoyed being around for school functions, ect. PTA was very exclusive and only scheduled things during work hours...I was told I could just send money like I always do (lots of working mom shame also.) Ugly behavior for sure. All this to say, this school doesn't reflect its high rating for me especially for a child who has special needs.
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2024

Not a good school the sped program here is not good at all and there is no diversity here
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2024

My child attended this school last year and the experience was okay. She experienced a classmate being racist with her and nothing was done about it. As a first grader that should be the last thing ANY child experiences so it’s definitely a No for me.
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2024

Overall the students, and teacher at this are incredible. The problem is with the leadership of this school, the vice principal is fine yelling and treating the students like they don’t matter, but cannot answer to parents on the treatment of the child. The principal uses aggression with parents but puts on a face of being everyone’s “best friend”. When you have children that are afraid of how they will be treated by the “leadership” of a school, they should be held accountable. Instead it is met with how any years experience they have, answers to questions are left unanswered, and you walk out feeling like your child is not safe in that environment. It’s extremely sad because this school has teachers that are fantastic and children absolutely love to be in class, but the leadership of this school is unacceptable, hold no accountability for their actions and will bully and dismiss children and parents when a situation arises.
Submitted by other on June 05, 2023

This school in regards to the teachers and fellow students was so wonderful and we will miss that since we have had to transfer due to a move. The big issue with the school is the principal Mr. Mark Basham. This principal is simply someone that puts on a pretty face and phony attitude and when it comes to actual helpfulness for a parent or setting aside time to discuss an issue or offer advice he’s completely absent in mind and body. It’s sad that such a great school has this kind of leadership in place.
Submitted by other on August 11, 2021

I am a former student of Butler. Butler is a coddled school, for sure. But the teachers lack the skills to effectively teach to students. All members of my family that have gone to Butler have had bad experiences with most teachers at Butler. If your child struggles, please do not put them in Butler Elementary.
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2021

I was at this school for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade but I would still like to write about experience and my point of view. So first things first.......THIS SCHOOL IS AWESOME!!!!! I LOVED MY TIME HERE! There was NEVER a time I was bullied or treated unfairly. I especially loved 5th grade (I’ll come back to that) and I think the teachers have warm smile and fun teaching methods. The clubs were very nice too. I personally liked D.I.. Also the kids are very nice. When I don’t have anyone to play with at recess, kids are welcoming and let me play with them. But I wanted to say my favorite school year was 5th grade. Not because it was virtual but because I actually thought it was fun. I think would’ve been better without COVID-19 but you can’t really do anything about that. I just wanted to say, I loved my time here and I recommend this school. :)
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2019

Quality education. Fantastic school culture. It is a warm, inviting place to be. The administration and teachers really care about the happiness and personal success of the students.
Submitted by other on May 09, 2017

I disagree about bullying being swept under the rug. A month or two ago my 5th grade daughter came home raving about a stand 4 kindness concert they had for all grade levels. She really enjoyed it and was super pumped about being kind to others. She said it was her funnest day ever! Hopefully they'll make it a Butler tradition like Nana Puddin!
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2016

My kids have attended Butler for 4 years and it is truly a great school!The staff and teachers are amazing. They are helpful, kind, and love what they do! There are many opportunities for parents to volunteer (in & out of the classroom), but we are never pressured to volunteer. Lots of year round activities too... the Father/Son disc golf tournament, Father/Daughter dance, Halloween carnival and End of year barbecue. Wonderful group of children and teachers. This school is definitely worth moving for or transferring to!
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2015

Incredibly involved PTA and Dad's Club, unique academic and creative opportunities for students and outstanding teachers and administration. Butler students consistently score well on state academic assessments, but more importantly, are encouraged to be good citizens - polite, respectful, engaged, and active. From the fall carnival, Garden Club, Chess Club, Popcorn in the Park, Daddy-Daughter Dance, teacher appreciation events, Kindergarten Circus, talent show, book fair, Fun Run, Father-Son Frisbee Golf to fundraisers for the local animal shelter, Christmas angel tree, coat drive to field trips, engaged learning, smart classrooms and forward thinking educators - all combine to create an incredible learning environment. Butler is a very special place.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2014

Butler is a school that is best described as underachieving. My daughter has attended Butler for 5 years and is rarely challenged. The work provided to her is either worksheet or pulled from a workbook. I've met with teachers and they always point to their exemplary status. They haven't received this rating in several years. This school is about the adults rather than kids. Do a lot of research before enrolling here.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2014

Great school and hard working teachers! Second daughter is starting there now, as my first is going to 7th grade.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

Great School! A long tradition of parent involvement. Many long term teachers and an excellent school councilor in Ms. Davis. It was well worth the time to stand in line at 5am at the district offices to able to transfer to this school. Very stable neighborhood surrounds the school. It is worth it to pay a little extra for a house in this area.
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2014

Butler is a school of very good teachers and wonderful parents who are engaged with their children. As one of the reviewers stated some of the teachers have been there a very long time but this is one of the things we love about the school. We like seasoned teachers who know what works with the children and not the latest fad from the district or the state. Sure the teachers teach to a test and to a point they have to. This is what they are measured on. It is no different than your boss giving you a standard or quota you have to meet. That is what you focus on. If you do not like this, take it up with the state, don't blame the teachers. The state is who requires these tests and every state school teaches to these tests to a certain degree. We think the principal, Stacie Humbles, is great. She is always up at the school and is very engaged and always available.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2012

This is far and away the best elementary school I've ever seen. The parental involvement, wonderful administration and truly caring teachers make this a top-notch environment. With a wide variety of activities, the school offers my children a loving, well-rounded education.