Lafayette Elementary School

221 LAFAYETTE AVENUE

School District

The Of The Chathams
Grade

4-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:10
Type

public

School Map for The School District Of The Chathams

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 February 11, 2025

Stressful environment for a child who has learning difficulties, child needs not to only deal with academic challenges but social and emotional anxiety due to the stressful social environment that surrounds them from children to adults! Although the teachers tries hard, but the regulation and the executive staffs are stressful to deal with making it hard. If you are not on the honor list, be prepare for a rough road ahead.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2018

Has been a positive experience for my kids thus far.
Submitted by parent on May 09, 2018

Very stressful. Make sure your kid is at grade level before he starts the grade.
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2018

The school has no gifted and talented program. They allow classroom teachers to determine whether a child should be receiving enriched learning activities. Many times these activities are nothing more that a child sitting at a computer working alone. Administration only gives lip service to the idea of creating challenging curriculum for the highly able child. If you have a child who needs enriched and accelerated programming find another school/district .
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2014

Not sure there could be more incompetence in the leadership of this school, not only is the principal cold per previous review, she is also a pawn/play toy of many of the parents who exert and peddle influence behind the scenes. Compared to other principals at superior elementary schools in close by suburbs, she is woefully inadequate. Curriculum was not very challenging for our children, far below the higher standards seen in other near by suburbs where higher level education is demanded and parents play a more active role in actual parenting. Teachers at Lafayette exhibited incompetence, laziness, aloofness, and obliviousness to the bullying as the teachers would rather ignore and not discipline ill behaved kids at the school. Do your homework here.
Submitted by teacher on May 16, 2013

LAFAYETTE is a fantastic school with caring teachers and staff, smart enthusiastic students, and supportive families.
Submitted by parent on June 27, 2012

Great school and good teachers. School also offers a range of other programs e.g., ACE, arts program, music, theater, etc.
Submitted by other on March 21, 2011

Okay school, but absolutely terrible bullying systems. Kids are fine. The school structure is quite good.
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2010

Asst principal is doing a fantastic job, but too many rules, too uptight of an atmosphere for children this age.. 5th grade staff is overall great, 4th needs work. 3 children through, and seemed that only one 4th grade experience was a great one, surprisingly with a new teacher since new hires seem to be lacking. Perhaps more training in summer or better mentoring. Training during school year should stop for new hires- it should be done on off time since it is disruptive to the classroom.
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2010

The new principal is cold and has no rapport with the students. The assistant principal is fabulous. The school counselor works at the 3 elementary schools as well as this school and is over-burdened, as well as far too immature for this age group. But the main problem with this school is that so much depends on the teachers your child receives. We had a horrible 4th grade and fabulous 5th grade. And, as with everything else in Chatham, certain families seem to get the teachers they want (they obviously know the system), while the others--the "newbies"--are told teacher requests cannot be honored. This school has A LOT of bullying, which I think the administration is trying to work on, but many of the parents are more concerned that their children be in the top soccer league than treat other students kindly. This school is definitely the worst.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2010

The new principal is working hard with the staff on integrating technology which is invigorating the curriculm and making learning challenging.
Submitted by student on March 15, 2010

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Submitted by student on August 17, 2008

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