Springdale Park Elementary School

1246 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast

School District

Atlanta Public Schools
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

public

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 May 26, 2023

I had to ask around because I never encountered a school environment that was more catty or passive aggressive. The school was dedicated to moving blame and doing as little as possible. The principals and their inner circle act like high school bullies and it is uncomfortable. My child was getting punched and bullied. When I expressed concern to my child's teacher, the teacher was reprimanded, and my child continued to be harassed. It is unbelievable that my child's education was severely impacted at such a young age, and the only person punished was the teacher who tried to help us.I do not understand why students with behavior problems, who take away from other children's learning, get priority and get to avoid consequences. This school is a glowing example of toxic Yuppie culture, and handholding to make bad families feel good about themselves. The school and principals may look bright and shiny, but they work hard to hide their toxicity and no-discipline policies.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2022

SPARK is absolutely wonderful — leadership and success start at the top and it does not get better than Mr. Harness (principal). He genuinely cares about his students and his staff. The results are proven — SPARK is the most ethnically diverse school in the cluster other than Hope Hill, it has the best elementary MAPS testing scores of ANY school in the APS cluster… Yes of any school in all of APS!! Our daughter is thriving and I cannot imagine how or why there are complaints on this platform about SPARK. I think some people cannot ever be pleased, no it is not perfect, yes it’s part of APS (which has a terrible superintendent and is definitely not well run — APS not SPARK), yes there could always be a place for some level of improvement, but if you have an issue and you take it to Mr. Harness, he will listen and address. Some teachers are better than others as with all schools, but I think f you send your child here you are stacking the odds in their favor to learn, grow, thrive and be amongst the best students and staff in all of APS. This is a phenomenal school with the best of everything. It was just accredited with STEM certification. There are so many ways to be involved and the environment is inclusive. We are lucky to have a child here!
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2021

This school is a “good” school because of their hyper focus on test scores. The students spend months preparing for standardized testing and there is 0 social-emotional learning. We were glad to get out.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2020

Disappointed with the school. I wish the curriculum was more organized and there was a bigger focus on timeliness to issues parents raise.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2019

Highest marks possible. I have had at least one child here since 2012 and currently have two there and love everything about the school.
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2019

Our son attended Kindergarden and First Grade at SPARK. We have been happy overall with a few caveats.We weren't a huge fan of our Kindergarden Teacher but liked our First Grade Teacher. Hoping for a good experience for second grade.The school is within a very affluent district in Atlanta. While there is some racial and socioeconomic diversity, it is a mostly upper-middle-class white school. After two years there we worry sometimes that our son is surrounded by priviledge and about his ability to appreciate the opportunities he has and be empathetic to others who have less.Again, overall happy just something to carefully consider if looking to move in the district.
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2019

Springdale Park is an amazing school! The administrators, Mr. Harness and Dr. Toney, are always available to speak with parents. The teachers and staff are world class! Best school ever!
Submitted by teacher on February 03, 2018

I teach here currently and love it! Wonderful place to work and great place for students to learn and thrive!
Submitted by teacher on August 03, 2017

I am a teacher at this school. Unfortunately the staff morale is extremely low due to the lack of support from our principal. Many outstanding teachers have left the school, along with the secretary who was absolutely amazing, because they were having a hard time serving without the support of the admin team. The test scores have dropped tremendously and the principal does not seem to care. I would not send my children to this school.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2017

Wonderful school. Amazing principal. Thanks, Mr. Harness
Submitted by other on April 27, 2017

Amazing small town feel in city living. Principal is amazing and engaged with kids and parents. 99% of teachers are absolutely tremendous. Great experience overall!
Submitted by parent on July 25, 2016

My son is entering 2nd grade at SPARK (he has been there since K) and we love it! He has had great teachers that have had genuine concern for his learning and have gone above and beyond to ensure his success. We are sad to see the past principal leave as she goes on to bigger and better things (a testament to caliber of staff at SPARK), but we are excited to see what the new principal will bring to the table.We are actually staying in our home which we have outgrown in order to keep our children at SPARK!
Submitted by parent on January 05, 2016

A wonderful, inclusive and exciting school! We have loved having our two kids attend this school and will be sad to leave when they move on to middle school. The teachers are warm and loving and the school facility is fabulous and newly renovated. The rooftop garden is especially nice. Very involved parents and an active and engaged PTO. The only complaints are really district-wide issues that the school has no control over and are issues at all APS schools. We have really loved our time at this school.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2015

Academically this school is better than the rest of what the district has to offer. Most of the teachers are enthusiastic about teaching and truly want to see students excel. I've had concerns about some of the teachers' use of improper grammar, but luckily our family is the type to ensure proper training at home as well as school. The resources at the school are excellent. There is a strong PTO that is actively engaged and will ensure that children's academic needs are met.Social development at this school is severely lacking. APS, as a district, doesn't have much diversity. Many schools are very segregated. While this school has a decent mix, the school would benefit from sensitivity/diversity courses. Of course, a child's narrow minded views come from their closed minded parents, but some of the statements that have been made in the classroom that have gone uncorrected are startling. My family is not from the South, so maybe this is normal to most. However, it's difficult to focus solely on academics and ignore the lack of diversity and efforts of inclusion to teach the "whole child". Considering that social development is not being properly taught in some homes, it'd be great to have a place where, for 6 hours, a child could learn about others outside of their "bubble".
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2015

Great variety of the after school programs. The teachers have been top notch. The school offers many opportunities for parents to get involved.
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2015

My daughter completed her first year at SPARK. She transitioned well from a small private school. We like the facility, the involved parent's association and enthusiastic teachers. While we plan on sending our daughter back next year, we do not believe that she was challenged academically. This is mostly due to a rigid public school system that doesn't allow for individual lesson planning and teaches to the middle. While her teacher understood our concerns about keeping her challenged she had 24 other kids to plan for as well. We understand it is our job to manage our child's learning and we supplement SPARK with outside enrichment to keep her challenged
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2014

Springdale Park Elementary has provided a wonderful learning environment for our children. The school is beautifully renovated with a fantastic rooftop garden from which the children get to sample vegetables. The teachers are warm and loving and it is a fantastic community of parents.
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2014

This school is amazing: from the family science night, to the rooftop garden, to the spanish language classes (for grades 1 and up), to the science presentations for younger kids during the standard testing for older kids, to the orchestra, the environmental science program, the music and art programs (seriously the music teacher got the 1st graders to sing somewhere over the rainbow acapella this year, do you know how challenging that song is for young kids??), to the focus on reasonable personal physical activity in PE, to the supplemental reading circula, to the anti-bullying pro-self esteem focus, I could not love this school more if I tried. I'd go here in a heartbeat, if If they would let me attend an elementary school. I have a daughter in 2nd grade and a son in Kindergarden.
Submitted by parent on March 24, 2014

This is an amazing school all around from the teachers to the parents to the administration. An active PTO and generous parents contribute extra time and money to support the school. Fundraisers and requests for supplies are always answered. While it is not immune to a bad teacher or administrator every now and then, it rivals any private school in terms of educational outcomes. The only differences are that Springdale Park has a slightly higher class size and is governed by APS. The excellent record of the school has caused the student population to grow and expansions are already under construction. I'm excited to be a part of the school and can't wait until my younger children start here.
Submitted by other on January 17, 2014

Springdale Park is such a beautiful school! Filled with beautiful people. The principal is brilliant! Ms. Brown makes it a point to know every single one of her students. The teachers are brilliant too! They make sure every single student tries their best and succeeds. These teachers really make the best out of children. Gives a lot of work but also still knows how to have fun! School Activities are greatly valued in Spark (Springdale Park nickname). Especially the fifth grade Wahsega trip!!! So enjoyable! -former student