Cougar Ridge Elementary School

4630 167th Avenue Southeast

School District

Issaquah
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
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 December 23, 2023

Teachers are engaging and caring at this school. Our son seems happy here and is enthusiastic about going to school. Ptsa puts together good afterschool community events. Bullying is addressed promptly by the principal.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2022

Teachers leave something to be desired in terms of being emotionally present.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2022

All of my kids love Cougar Ridge! The teachers are wonderful and so is the leadership. Principal Terry is a fantastic leader that is always rolling up his sleeves to support the parents and kids. My older kids both felt challenged in their grade levels and were offered opportunities to be more challenged if they wanted. I loved all the family / community activities such as spooky spaghetti and the carnival, gives you a sense of the commitment people have towards education and social emotional development for the kids.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2020

Both of my children attended CR for 6 years each before moving on to middle school. The school is challenging academically and they were taught well and made significant academic strides. The only downside honestly is the parent groups. Very much a clique for "yummy mummy" types. Lots of SAHM who judge everything and everyone. My children got a great education but the moms are a bunch of bullies.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2019

We have been very happy. Every student should have the opportunity to attend a wonderful school like Cougar Ridge. The staff genuinely cares about each child and supports them to be their best. Families feel valued and have lots of opportunities to volunteer, attend school events, and share cultural experiences. Highly recommended!
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2017

I am taking the time to write this review because too often only negative things get posted as reviews of anything. Is the school perfect? No. I am not aware of one that is. Teachers create content rich lessons that are engaging and enjoyable. Kids at this school on a whole are happy and well adjusted. A previous review mentioned a lack of concerts. There were two that I personally attended last year. Also a lack of art was mentioned. The district has done away with the art classes but an amazing set of parents serve as art docents who attend conference type training and change the curriculum yearly. Critics should suggest projects or better yet volunteer in the classroom to implement an art lesson. Spanish has been offered as an after school program option, and the after care program puts on plays frequent. There is certainly a click like issue with a portion of the parents, and yes that can be frustrating. This is not something however that the school has much control over. PTSA is run by volunteers and schools must take what they can get when it comes to this. I have personally worked with a slew of parent volunteers who are fabulous and do not fall under the clicking umbrella. Overall I believe Cougar Ridge provides a safe, academically rich environment that celebrates students differences, encourages positive relationships, and strives to achieve greatness through constant teacher education and frequent self reflection.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2017

Our experience at Cougar Ridge has been so, so disappointing that if we could rate this school from 1-10, we would give it a 4. We have been very fortunate to have fantastic teachers, but the rest of the school experience leaves a lot to be desired. There is no school leadership (we are on our 3rd principal since we enrolled at the school), the parent volunteer groups are extremely exclusive (they are ran like a sorority because ultimately, that is the social environment of the school) and there is ZERO school community. This is the least child-centric school that our children have ever attended. It is so focused in creating a factory of gifted children, that the school has completely lost sight of what it takes to educate well rounded kids. There is pretty much no art, a very mediocre music program and no exposure to drama. Good luck if you want to have any memories of a holiday program or a concert (they don't have them), a photo of your child participating in a play (they don't have them) or any meaningful art pieces created by your children (the art at this school is a non-existent).Test scores are great, but beyond the teachers, there isn't anything else that would ever make us consider keeping our children enrolled at this school.
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2017

I cannot understand why this school is rated so high, except because of high test scores (hint, most kids have tutors or very smart parents helping them). There' is a leadership crisis at the school. They'll have their 4th principal in five years come September. As others mentioned, bullying and social jockeying is rampant from the kids and parents.The school is one of the oldest in the district. We are getting a large expansion to add hundreds of kids because ISD can't properly manage growth. The playground is a dirt field and the modulars are making kids sick.They have some great teachers but a lot of turnover. We deeply regret choosing this school.
Submitted by other on January 10, 2017

We find the school community generally snobby and clickish. Really the opposite of a warm, inclusive, supportive environment we would hope for for our kids. There is a lot of "mean mom" behavior that trickles down to the kids. We had one wonderful kindergarten teacher and all of the rest have not been great. One first grade teacher picked on my son relentlessly and he is such a sweet kid. There is a lot of pressure for the kids to be perfect from the time they arrive in kindergarten. Many of the parents there love this very competitive and clickish environment. They thrive on excluding others because it makes them feel superior just like back in middle school. They are not very open-minded or emotionally mature, so as one other parent stated, it is a very socially agressive environment. Not healthy for kids. Also this is a very white-controlled school. Whites dominate socially and in the PTA and overall. I have seen racist preferences at this school from some of the teachers. Many of the parents there love to think of the school as perfect, so you aren't going to get a lot of honest feedback unless you happen across that very rare honest parent that really understands the social dynamic. If you are looking for a warm, socially-inclusive, emotionally supportive and open-minded and creative school environment, definitely look elsewhere. It has been a disappointing experience for us and now we will be so much more cautious choosing a new school.
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2015

We have not been impressed with ISD's offerings overall.No foreign language programs, no instrument instruction, no art and no room for universal full day K.The new principal seems overwhelmed and lacks leadership skills. Still, the teachers and parents make up for what the district is lacking. For WA it is a great school, but for this area I expected more.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2014

This is a great school with wonderful , caring teachers. There is a high percentage of parent involvement which benefits many students. Teachers and staff make much effort to reach all students , and help them grow to their fullest potential. The community is also invested in Cougar Ridge by supporting their fundraising events and being involved whenever possible. The community as a whole, understands the value of a good school and well rounded kids. My kids are not the smartest, most athletic, or well off financially, and you can find me in at school in sweats and beat up tennis shoes most days and we all LOVE Cougar Ridge and Cougar Ridge loves us.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2014

I have mixed feelings about this school. The principal and teachers are very good. The principal is retiring at the end of this school year, though, so there will be a change of leadership. The academics are rigorous and they hold the students to a high standard. The main reason that I give this school an "average" rating is because the families are elitist and snobby. The annual fundraiser is $100 a plate to attend. I have heard 4th graders ask "what kind of purse is that? Is it Coach?" Even the boys care what kind of shoes you wear and where you went on vacation. The students are cliqued up and are not welcoming of newcomers or others not in their clique, especially on the playground. There is an "edge" to them that borderlines on bully behavior. If you have an average student who isn't athetic, isn't super talented, isn't rich, or isn't gifted, your student will not flourish here. If you're a minivan flip-flop mom, you won't fit in either. There are other schools in Issaquah with equally strong academics that you should explore. Part of elementary school is learning how to treat others with empathy and develop character. Students here fall short in these areas.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2011

A wonderful school with an emphasis on excellence, community, and involvement. It has the feeling of a small school where everyone knows each other, including staff and teachers. The principal, Mrs. Tanner, is welcoming, engaging and simply amazing. There are so many activities for kids and families, including parent education, art classes, community dinners and other extracurriculars.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2011

A fabulous school. Great teachers and staff. Everyone is 100% committed to the kids and making sure they have a positive learning environment. Teachers spend a lot of extra time to make sure the kids are learning at their highest possible level. Children also attend weekly classes in PE, Music, Library, Computer Science & Art (Art & Library are every other week). PTSA is very involved and funds lots of extras at the school.