Lakewood Elementary

2520 Vesson Avenue

School District

Durham Public
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for Durham Public 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 December 22, 2024

I have 2 kids at the school and another who will be joining next year. 1 in dual language, 1 not. Is it perfect? No, of course not, but in not being perfect it is the school I want for my kids. Learning that everything may not go to plan, truly connecting and working with folks of many different backgrounds, thinking of what’s good for everyone instead of what’s only good for you, and learning about the different perspectives and cultures of families in our neighborhood are all wonderful things Lakewood offers. Teachers care a lot and the principal and AP could not be better. The parent community is open and welcoming and there are many ways to engage in helping the school. Breakfast and lunch is free to all (lunch is actually good!) and the community schools team brings in resources from all over the city. Tier 2 and 3 kids get great services on both sides. Wish DPS would budget for a better playground (we’re due!!!) but besides that the kids are happy, confident, and kind. We love being Bulldogs!
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2023

My oldest is currently in 2nd grade in the Spanish Immersion program at Lakewood and we LOVE the school. All of the teachers are wonderfully supportive of the students and the parents, and my child is genuinely excited to go to school every day. He is excelling above his grade level in math, and I've been pleasantly surprised with just how much Spanish he can speak and understand after three years in the program. Coming from a family that doesn't speak any Spanish, I was worried that he would be left behind without help at home, but he's doing great. I really love that he has friends from many different backgrounds, and he sees strong leadership from teachers of diverse backgrounds as well. Lakewood also has a great PTA which is great at making sure the teachers, staff, students, and families at the school are supported. They fund field trips, teacher appreciation, provide food at events, and put on several fun events each year to bring families together. The Lakewood community is so supportive and I couldn't ask for a better Elementary School experience for my kids.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2021

Our oldest child is finishing 5th grade this spring (2021) and has been at Lakewood all 6 years of her schooling. SHE-IS-DOING-GREAT!!!! We love our neighborhood school. We have a 2nd grader here as well and our youngest will enter Kindergarten at Lakewood next fall. We've entered him into the lottery for the dual-language immersion program, but will be enrolling at Lakewood whether he gets in or not. School leadership matters and Lakewood has strong leadership in 2 ways: 1. A fantastic principal that puts the focus on teaching and learning and building a strong school culture, and 2. Lakewood employs the "Community Schools" model where a full-time coordinator pulls together all stakeholders to go after resources needed to support the families and staff of the school. I recommend this school to anyone.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2021

Lakewood Elementary School is everything that we have ever wanted for our daughter! The second you walk onto the property in the morning you feel the enthusiasm and the deep sense of community fostered by an incredible Principal and stellar team of teachers. My daughter has had the opportunity to participate in the Spanish immersion program and we could not be happier with her experience and her progress. If you are fortunate enough to be considering LES for your child, don’t miss out on an opportunity to meet Principal Hopkins and tour the school.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2021

Lakewood has great teachers, administration, and momentum. Reviews which are many years old and negative do not reflect the present school. The present school has excelled as a community of caring and learning even during and through the coronavirus pandemic. Check out Lakewood and see for yourself.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2021

I have 3 children at Lakewood Elementary. One of them is on the Spanish immersion track (she is a native English speaker who is learning Spanish). I can't sing the praises of this school highly enough. It is one of the most vibrant communities I have been a part of. At the first PTA meeting last year (pre-pandemic), there were more than 80 parents present -- and there was nothing negative or controversial that drew the crowd. There were just a lot of of parents who wanted to be involved in the school! The teachers and staff know and care for my children well. They also demonstrate awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, and address their academic, social, and emotional needs well. I especially appreciate how committed this school is to language justice and to making sure that English speaking families and Spanish speaking families can participate equally and have ways to interact (there is always interpretation, for instance). The teachers, administration and staff are enthusiastic and clearly support each other well. We love Lakewood!
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2021

This school is amazing! My daughter is in 1st grade at Lakewood and the principle and staff are amazing. The first day of school last year I dropped my daughter off and they staff had flags, banners, pom poms and music playing to welcome the students. And they did it again the second day. And the third day. And every day of the school year! How sweet is that? The kids are legitimately excited to walk in and get a high five every day. Also, I am floored by how much she has learned. 5/5 stars!
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2019

Exceeds expectations - we are so glad that we gave our neighborhood school a chance. A truly special place for kids.
Submitted by other on January 12, 2019

Lakewood Elementary is on the move! Principal Hopkins, the staff, and the teachers are all focused on improving the school. I volunteer at the school and very much enjoy it.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2018

Lakewood Elementary is a secret gem of a neighborhood school. It's small enough to feel like a family, and the teachers, TA's, even the cleaning staff are so kind and loving.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2017

We really love this school. My daughter comes home happy at the end of the day and is learning so much! The principal, Mr. Hopkins, is awesome!
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2017

Lakewood is a great up and coming elementary school. Our daughter has really enjoyed her time there and has been learning a lot. She adores here teacher and has made a lot of friends with the other great kids in her class and other Kindergarten classes on the playground. There is a lot of work being put into improving, with a new PTA and a school improvement committee. The administration has been responsive to parent input. I'd highly recommend taking a tour and giving the school a chance. It is much better than the socio-economic based state grades give it credit for.
Submitted by other on January 06, 2017

Great school. Very caring staff. The Principal loves the children and you can see and feel that when you watch her interact with them.
Submitted by other on December 05, 2015

As a parent, I would say this is definitely one of the worst schools in Durham, NC. On the one hand, you have wonderful teachers who truly care about the students as well as work together very well as a team. You can see when you enter any classroom, the teachers truly care and go out of their way to help every child. However the lead principal is the worst I have ever encountered. I have had 5 children go through this school. We moved from another state when my husband got a promotion in his IT company. We truly loved the school we were since I could talk about any concerns with the administration and they were happy to help. Since moving here, I have had the worst experience ever with this principal. I have dropped off my children to the office in the morning, the administration would be extremely unwelcome and never had a smile on her face. She never goes out of her way to try to listen to parental concerns. She is totally disconnected from the school, the students, and her staff. In fact, I brought up my concerns to the PTA president whom was much more helpful than the administration. My daughter has a wonderful teacher now but I can tell the principal does not support any of the staff and is doing a huge disservice to the students as well as the community. I ma in the process of trying to get my daughter transferred to a private school since the administration is awful at this school. One day my daughter even came home with a huge bruise from a boy in the class. She said the teacher sent the boy to the principal and she sent him right back. I would advise any parent to try to get charter school or financial aid to switch their children out of this school. I will be happy when this school year ends and my child moves up to middle school. In the meantime, we are looking into alternative schooling including home schooling.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2014

Lakewood Elementary School is the best school. The staff is super supportive and the principal is always assessable. The school has a strong emphasis on reading. For the past two years I can see a lot of writing in the halls. I love this school.
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2014

This school is definitely one of the worse in the DPS school system. The administration at Lakewood needs to be replaced immediately. The principal should not have been placed at this school to govern our children. Most of the teachers that I have encountered are decent, but the lack of real leadership hurts Lakewood tremendously. There is such a new for a do-over!
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2013

I have had 4 kids to go through this school. I have loved this school and my kids have loved this school, but the last year and a half have been insufferable. The teachers, assistants and most of the staff have the same wonderful qualities that they have possessed throughout the years. The Administration is a very different story. The principle does not care about her staff or her students. I am at the school regularly and I have never seen her smile or attempt to make me feel welcome, she walks around with her head held high and a frown on her face like she is superior to all. Parental involvement and student involvement is at a low like I've never seen before ( maybe because they invite you to have dinner and run out of food after 40 people). Lakewood has lost so much of it's character since this administration has been put in place. My child is a 5th grader and I am sad to say that I am relieved that I will not have to walk through those doors again after June.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2013

This school is a struggling school, trying to find their way. The teachers are some of the most caring and hard working teachers I've seen and yet very defeated and struggling. You can't find a better student population with a great group of students as well. Lakewood just need a little positive encouragement and support to be the best they can.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2013

This school has gone so far down hill in the past two years. The only thing that makes this school acceptable are the teachers and staff. The administration is completely resistant to any parental concerns and 100% disconnected from the students whom she governs. You can tell from the staff that they are not supported and just waiting until the principal continues on her planned path outside of the school. It is clear that she is only serving her required time in the school setting to move on up the ladder. She does not have a true passion for her students or staff, and it is incredibly sad to see, not to mention a gross disservice to the students.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2013

In MY Opinion, this school was def not for my child, as a matter of fact, it was the worst school that my child has attended. She's a honor roll student, that's at a school that does NOT help her at all & they're holding her back. There's always a problem with the bus & they have a terrible time communicating...even with the child being involved. I can't wait for the end of the year so I can switch my daughter's school & hopefully I can make it these last 1-2 months. Well, I suggest that they get it together & fast!