Mountain School

311 W CATTLE DRIVE TRL

School District

Mountain School Inc.
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

charter

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 October 06, 2023

My family LOVES Mountain School! We have four children attending. The teachers are caring and attentive. The administration knows each child and family by name. There is a focus on experiential learning. The math program, Bridges in Mathematics, is school wide and an incredible research-based curriculum. The science curriculum is all encompassing with state standards. Reading and Language Arts are a big focus throughout the school day. I love that my children are engaged in a daily Specials class (music, art, Spanish, P.E., STEAM). The staff works as a team to best build each student as a whole child. There is a focus on values and parents are encouraged to take part in their child’s educational experience. I am so happy my children get to attend Mountain School. They love going to school!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2023

Mt. School was a perfect fit for my daughter! She loved going to school every day. The high quality teachers care so deeply for every child. The school offers more outdoor time, physical activity, and field trips than any other school in Flagstaff. Mt. School encourages the children to take responsibily for their education. My child gained so much confience academically and socially during her time at Mt. School that she was able to transition to middle school with ease. We also enjoyed all the events focused on bringing the Mt. School community together with the Flagstaff community. Some activities were: monthly assemblies, cultural night, STEAM night, field trips to local places to spend time with the elderly or pick up litter, and a whole school environmental day in the national forest. I highly recommend Mt. School!
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2022

Both my children went to Mountain School. It offered them the following gifts: strong community, creative education methods, top notch teachers and attentive support staff. I could tell that the staff and administrators worked tirelessly to provide innovative educational opportunities. Lastly, I could feel the love and commitment to the students from all employees that worked there.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2022

If you are looking for a small community of people that truly care about your child and your family, this school is a great choice! Both my children are former students. They grew up in the hallways of Mountain School and still feel tethered to it years later.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2022

I am a parent of 4 children who graduated from Mountain School! Mountain School was like home to them, and even though they have gotten older, they continue to speak fondly of Mountain School. Mountain school is unique as it feels like a big family. The smallness of the school and class sizes makes that possible. The teachers and staff work so hard to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our kiddos. Mountain School has their annual Chili Cook- off, which is a huge community builder! The number of alumni that come join in the fun is amazing! They just can't seem to leave Mountain School, and they get that opportunity to visit again each year! Although my children are older, they still feel a part of Mountain School! I will be forever grateful for the experiences and love my children received while at Mountain School!
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2022

I am a parent of a student at Mountain Charter School and I can not say enough great things regarding the entire staff and community. My daughter has attended the school from Kindergarten through 5th grade. Each year she has gained academic success as well as social confidence in herself. She is a special needs child with a reading disability as well as an anxiety disorder called selective mutism. The entire special education team as well as her teachers and aides have given my daughter tremendous help and have nurtured her strengths. She has developed a strong sense of autonomy and gained confidence in her reading. I have the utmost respect for the entire team at Mountain School. I would highly recommend this small environment for any child.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2022

I am incredible thankful for Mountain School and all the staff that give so much of themselves everyday for the betterment of the students! Both my children have gained so much as students and as growing members of the Flagstaff community from Mountain School. The rigorous academics and confidence that my children have gained from their time at Mountain School has provided the base to be successful middle school and high school students at the top of their respective classes.
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2022

Very poor school academically. My kids didn’t learn much. Some teachers are ok, but some are just horrible. We had one teacher who would put sparkles on all the children, so my kids would get it in their food, eyes, and clothes. Sparkling kids was supposed to signify safe environment. Math classes sometimes would get skipped for no reason. Teachers would call in sick all the time, so there was no continuity.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2014

My son is very active and very smart so finding a good fit for him has been hard. Before Mountain he didn't like coming to school. He loves getting up every morning now and going to school. I know a great school as I am a teacher and see the teachers at Mountain as not being brunt out and enjoying what they are doing. The class size is smaller and as a parent and former teacher I know that smaller class sizes are key. There is hardly any turn over rate at this school which is another hint that this is a great school.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2014

I'm writing this review in response to the two negative reviews at the top of this list. We've had two children go through and graduate from Mountain School. One is now a junior in High School and one is in her last year at Mt. School. It is sad to say good-bye to a school that has loved and nurtured our children and family for the past decade. Every teacher, administrator, and front desk helper, knows both my children and myself by first name. I've always felt that there was room for my children to grown, but also to be the kids that they are in elementary school. There is a push for physical activity. The "exclusive attitudes" referred to in another of these reviews is mind-boggling to me. I've never been anything but welcome in this school. That parent's unfortunate experience is NOT representative of the school. See ALL of the 5 star reviews! Mtn. School is loved by many. I didn't want the world to read negative reviews right at the top. Thus, here's my say.
Submitted by other on January 27, 2014

Mountain School was a BIG disappointment. My grandson has excellent reading skills, a great vocabulary and had always loved to speak in class, until he arrived at this place. An opening became available (I can now see why) in a K-1st Grade combo taught by a brand new teacher. His reading assessments were delayed without explanation and when he made a "what I did over Thanksgiving" talk about Hannukah (or Channukah, if you prefer) she made a comment about that being something "nobody else in the class had done,". The teacher then commented that "we will talk about this at Christmas." Even some of us who have never had a Bar Mitzvah know that Hannukah was VERY early in 2013 and it would be long over by the time she thought it was time to discuss it. Not a good recommendation as to their inclusiveness or sensitivity. My grandson has moved on to another, much better and less costly school in the Flagstaff District.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2013

My child attended this school 2 years ago and we found it wasn't a good fit for us. The school discourages compassion in kids; they were more interested in high test scores and in making everyone understand how important they think they are. They were not encouraging real learning or fostering a lifetime love for learning. If high test scores and elitist, exclusive attitudes are your thing then by all means but if you want your kids to love learning and to be caring, inclusive, and compassionate individuals, this school is not the place for you.
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2011

Mountain school is not just a school but a community~ We have loved this school from the time the receptionist greeted us as we entered until this very day. I have 3 children who have attended or are still attending and even with all the new boundaries and charters coming in, we will still strongly support our school and our community because this environment is indeed rare. Come and see for yourself, I'm sure you'll agree.