Kingsley Elementary School

2300 Green Bay Road

School District

Evanston Central Consolidated 65
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for Evanston Central Consolidated School District 65

GreatSchools Rating

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 05, 2024

My child started kindergarten here and we withdrew him after 3 days. The school communication was terrible, and onsite behavior of staff was the most unwelcoming I've experienced anywhere - worse than a gas station. Day one, my child had trouble separating, and I was not allowed to enter the school to help him get settled; teacher held him kicking and screaming while a security guard blocked the door and said "you cannot pass.". On the next day, security was not present and I did enter for an easier drop off and ended up helping another family I knew find their way, only to be reprimanded by the asst principal. She gave no welcome, no "how can i help you," but "you need to leave, we've got this." No, you don't got this. You've got parents and kids wandering around trying to find their way and young kids losing their minds with anxiety and offering no support. Each day I picked up my child he looked like he had just been through something awful. He didn't eat all day or use the bathroom; he said the gym was too loud to eat and that he didn't know any of the adults in the gym and that they would not let him leave to take a break from the noise. He said he got lost going from recess to gym because there was not teacher with them. On the third day we were late to school because my son was refusing to go- he spent the entire weekend begging me not to make him go. When we arrived, we had to go to security who spoke in two-word sentences like grunts to check in with the nurse, who didn't answer her door for at least 10 minutes. She then proceeded to ask my child a series of questions off a clip board that had nothing to do with him, and them sent us back to security to let me bring him to his classroom- security wasn't there. I brought him to his class where the teacher had to hold him kicking and sobbing while I walked away. And guess what they were doing for the third day in a row? Watching a video. And oh surprise! The first piece of printed information from the school in his locker is from the SEEL/ drama teacher letting families know they will soon do a course and act out on the topic inappropriate touch. Seriously? I have questions. This is bizarro world. We need community, support and welcoming. This school felt like a jail. Staff are inattentive, going through the motions, and treat parents like dirt. I'm beyond disappointed that I moved for the school district and pay so many taxes for this.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2015

The Kingsley community is amazing! The teachers, staff, administration, and parents all care deeply about the students.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2015

We have been at Kingsley 4 years now and have had a great experience. The veteran staff really cares, they challenge our children, and leadership under Ms. Murray has resulted in some very positive changes. We're so glad this is our school community. It's a place the kids love to attend, and it's very easy to become involved and make a difference!
Submitted by other on December 01, 2015

This is our second year at Kingsley. We have a 1st and 2nd grader. We came from a private preschool and kindergarten and explored private school options before settling on Kingsley. We love the school. The principal, Ms. Murray, is great. She listens to parents' concerns and responds accordingly. We have been very pleased with the three teachers our kids have had so far. They work hard to keep our kids interested and challenged. As other reviews note, the parents are extremely engaged and really help to create a welcoming environment for everyone. I have been very happy to the academic and social environment Kingsley offers.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2014

We're new to the school, but a few months in, our experience has been great. I keep expecting the honeymoon phase to end, but as I talk to more and more families that have been at Kingsley for years, I'm coming to the realization that it may actually be as good as it seems. The teachers and administrators are excellent, the parent community is involved and supportive, and we've just been really impressed (and relieved - since our choice to enroll our son in Kingsley was based on the purchase of a home, not on the school in particular).
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2014

The school environment at Kingsley is caring, dedicated to students and supportive for all families. My children have grown academically with some of the best teachers around but more importantly they are growing to become generous, responsible and thoughtful citizens thru this wonderful community. The principal is outstanding and parent involvement remarkable.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2014

Kingsley is a phenomenal community of parents, administrators, and teachers. The Kingsley community is dedicated to excellent education, providing each student with the academic, social, and emotional supports they need.
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2014

The new principal (Ms. Murray) is very professional and is doing a great job -- she is very responsive to parent questions and concerns. At Kingsley, most parents are very involved and active in the school. Kindergarten is a particular strong point at Kingsley, with a "star lineup" of 3 truly outstanding and dedicated teachers (Shropshire, Post, Heite).
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2012

Kingsley is a terrific school! We couldn't be happier. My wife and I are both teachers, and we also have seven years of experience with our oldest children at a different Evanston public school, so we have a pretty informed perspective on school quality. The school is full of excellent teachers who deliver the district curriculum while also adding in their own creativity, new activities, and differentiation. Parent involvement couldn't be better, aided by a wonderful school environment that the principal sets which welcomes parents in as partners. We had previously been at an elementary school that viewed parents as the enemy and the tone here at Kingsley couldn't be more different! The principal, Ms. Davis, pulls off an outstanding balancing act of pleasing everyone while also remaining firm and not existing solely to please parents. Teacher and students seem to love her, too.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2010

Before we moved from Evanston our children attended a magnet school in town. We moved away for several years and moved back to town this summer. I have to say that Kingsley was an excellent choice for us. The teachers are stern but caring and the academic rigor is great and keeps my extremely bright boys engaged. There is immediate response to behavior issues and the principal and faculty have jumped on areas of deficit with my boys and given them the help they need to succeed. The PTA is amazing, organized and creative. I'm blown away by how efficiently the school is run, it truly is a warm and welcoming cornerstone of the community. My boys come home every day beaming about how awesome their day was - that makes me love this school!
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2010

My son is in the 2nd grade at kingsley...and has been there since kindergarten. He has been part of the inclusion program- to which has been very succesful. My husband and I salute all of the wonderful caring teachers and staff at kingsley for all of their hard work and caring of all of the kingsley students.
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2010

We have one child who has been at Kingsley for 3 years and one who will start in the fall. We are extremely happy with Kingsley and highly recommend it. The teachers are fantastic and so is the parent community. We have been very pleased with the academics and value the diversity in the community.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2010

My husband and I explored all private school options before selecting Kingsley (public) for our son, now in first grade. The school, teachers, PTA, curriculum, available programs and activities are all marvelous. I cannot believe how well my first-grader reads and he is already doing fractions in math. A far cry from my childhood education. My son is already bilingual and happily told us that he is ready to conquer Spanish as well, one of two language programs available at Kingsley (the other is Mandarin, but language programs do require a separate charge). The administration is supportive, and the family network is tremendous. I so look forward to my daughter beginning her time at Kingsley this fall.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2010

We have two children at Kingsley - a second grader and a kindergartner. Our older son is on the autistic spectrum, though highly functional. Our experience with special services in District 65 and Kingsley, in particular, has been very positive. The strong and active PTA has been critical to providing all the "extras." We consider ourselves very fortunate to have Kingsley as our neighborhood school.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2010

Our child has received an excellent education thus far at Kingsley. The community of parents is wonderfully supportive and the goal of differentiated instruction is taking hold well. Like all schools in the district, its a constant struggle to balance academic focus and social/emotional development in elementary and the school is striving to do both. I feel the teachers are generally strong and parent involvement is high. The principal is fairly new but taking on some positive changes including increasing supportive programs for families thru a Saturday open doors program and introducing a student council to provide a sense of leadership development among students. Safety and discipline are extremely high priorities. Overall we are very pleased with our experience at the school.
Submitted by other on October 28, 2009

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