O'hara Catholic Elementary School

715 West 18th Avenue

Eugene, OR 97402

9 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 18, 2025

Our daughter has been attending O’Hara from Kindergarten through 8th grade, and we couldn’tbe more pleased with our experience. This school has been a true blessing for our family. Theteachers are incredibly well-prepared, dedicated, and passionate about nurturing each child'spotential.The environment at O’Hara fosters not only academic excellence but also strong moral andspiritual values. They emphasize character development, kindness, and a sense ofresponsibility, which we see reflected in our daughter's growth.What truly sets this school apart is its strong sense of community. Families, teachers, and staffwork together to create a supportive and welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels like theybelong.Academically, the curriculum is challenging and well-rounded, preparing students for the futurewhile encouraging a love of learning, making O’Hara a place where students grow intellectually,emotionally, and spiritually.We are forever grateful to the faculty and staff for the incredible foundation they have given ourdaughter. O’Hara is a place we wholeheartedly recommend to any family looking for a nurturing,values-based, and academically excellent education.
Submitted by other on January 17, 2025

O'Hara is more than just a school; it's a family from day one, and that sense of connection is felt in everything they do. The teachers and staff consistently go above and beyond to create a nurturing environment where each student feels valued, supported, and encouraged to grow. It’s a place where you not only receive an excellent education but also form lifelong relationships that extend beyond the classroom. I was fortunate to attend O'Hara for seven years, and during that time, I witnessed firsthand how the school prioritizes the well-being and development of each individual. O'Hara was truly an amazing place to grow up and learn, and it laid a strong foundation that has stayed with me throughout my life.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2025

I'm writing this review in hopes it saves at least one child from attending O'Hara. This school was not a safe environment for my child; the emotional trauma experienced from being bullied was unimaginable. My child was bullied by both students and the teacher. I reported the incidents multiple times to administration. Our reports were completely ignored. We persisted contacting administration until there was a response. Unfortunately, our meetings with the principal were futile. The school takes zero accountability for any abuse you bring forward. The school provided us a very informal halfhearted "internal investigation" that found no wrong doing on their part. A third party group should be retained to help them review allegations and remain unbiased and impartial.One of the most concerning claims the principal made was that the school is not responsible for what happens during "unstructured play" i.e. mealtimes, recess, (and this also includes after school clubs and sports). This is very disturbing considering the history of abuse in the Catholic Church. The staff and volunteers take mandatory safety training by the archdiocese to protect children from abuse. However, the training is really just a formality.Don't be fooled because bullying begins as early as kindergarten here. The bottom line - avoid this place if you value your child's emotional and physical safety. Do not let O'Hara break your child's innocence.My child is now thriving at a new school and the difference is night and day.
Submitted by parent on December 16, 2024

I can confidently say the school offers an exceptional education that extends beyond academics. It fosters a strong sense of community, character development, and a deep understanding of faith values within a nurturing environment. The dedicated teachers genuinely care about each student, challenging them academically while providing spiritual support. It’s a place where my son thrives and feels truly valued.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2024

We have multiple kids at O'Hara and throughout the years we have lived the decaying values. We enrolled because it was supposed to be a catholic education but we were sadly disappointed. Faith formation is supposed to be at the core, but it is not. As a matter of fact the majority of families are not catholic or even religious. People go there because of status and social circles, not because of the education or the catholic aspect. Learning: its ok, class size is bigger than most public schools, which adds to the difficulty of handling students. Math is strong but science, history and general world culture is lacking big time. Not a strong language offering, they have Spanish classes but very behind, way below the level of Spanish taught at public school Most teachers are well prepared and experienced teachers. Social-emotional support: not existent! No school councilor or any type of professional trained to provide social-emotional support, teachers and school administration is not equipped or prepared to supports students' mental health and emotional well-being. In my experience, O'Hara provides an environment safe from external intruders, however bullying and discrimination is a common issue among students, teachers turn the blind eye or just chose to ignore the issue, so it is part of the day to day for students of color or from a non-traditional background. Family Engagement is one of the strengths of the school, parents have to volunteer 30+ hours per school-year, this allows for family engagement. O'Hara creates an echo chamber when it comes to feedback and advising; the parent advisors are picked by the administration, and its often the same type of families who are part of it, very rarely catholic families. O'Hara does not necessarily welcomes and includes families as partners in their children's learning, only if the family are donors then there is a saying.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2022

Sent my grand-daughter here for what I hoped would be a wonderful experience to further her faith and education. What I found was no better curriculum then what was currently being offered at public schools and an elitism of which family contributes the most or has the most money to donate to the school. Girls from certain families could do no wrong and would verbally bully others if not from certain wealthy lifestyles. Many of the boys had been expelled for behavioral problem at other schools, but could buy there way in to this one. I had to pull my daughter out mid-year, as she was suffering from anxiety after all the attacks! We were told, "Well, we can't change kids behavior." We were not receiving any financial aid for this school and paid the full amount for the tuition, but if your not giving extra beyond that, do no expect much care for your child.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2021

I love this school so dearly and very much.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2021

This is a very loving community of amazing staff and great families! The school has done a great job making me feel excepted as a student.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2013

The education is nothing stellar. If local public schools had proper funding, they would be my first choice. The parents are ridiculous when it comes to sports and competition. At this school it's not about YOU or what you know, it's all about your connections, your money, and WHO you know.