Gainesville Middle School

8001 Limestone Drive

Gainesville, VA 20155

School District

Prince William County Public Schools
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Prince William County Public Schools

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 other on October 22, 2023

The teachers at that school are seriously so mean and I was just going to my after school art club and there was a teacher getting mad at me cause I wasn’t there she was asking me where should you be right now after school and I said I was on my way to art club and she yelled at me saying so why aren’t you right now but she literally saw me walking there and I feel kinda scared sometimes cause there is this one teacher that looks at me weird every single day so idk
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2023

There are too many fights and students do not feel safe in the bathrooms
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2022

Gainesville Middle School has become openly hostile to trans students and girls. The administration ignores reports of harassment until forced to address issues, and then punishes victims for reporting harassment rather than doing anything at all to keep them safe. The administration goes beyond deliberate indifference and actively retaliates against victims who dare to report harassment or bullying. The vice principal actively perpetuates the "boys will be boys" excuse for sexually inappropriate behavior. Horrible.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2019

Overall this is a nice school, some teachers are wonderful others not so much. When concerns were brought forward to the principal no actions were taken which was highly disappointing. However if you don’t have children with learning disabilities your kids should be fine here.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2018

Great experience with this school. Students are challenged. Easy to track how students are doing. Work is interesting enough that my child talks about what he's learning on a daily basis, especially in science.
Submitted by parent on February 03, 2017

I have two kids in the school and the staff are fantastic, have open communication, very responsive and take any concerns seriously. The kids love their teachers and especially the principal who interacts with the students in such a positive way. As a military family and ALL the schools they've been through, this is by and far the best school yet.
Submitted by student on August 11, 2015

I recently graduated after three years here. Like any middle school there are problems, but it also has many good things. The teachers are a mixed bag, there are some amazing ones that really engage students with hands on learning, then there are some terrible ones that hand you a textbook and say do page 23. (There is one especially bad 7th grade math teacher but I wont name names.) The major problem with this school is the emphasis on testing. There is so much emphasis on SOLs that studying is all you do for the whole month of may. PE is fun and the music teachers are alright. But don't think you will get away with breaking the dress code or walking on the wrong side of the hallway.(yes, the hallway.) Overall, I think I probably left GVMS better off then I was before.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2014

This school deserves the 10-rating it originally had. If you look at the negative reviews - one parent said her son didn't open up to her about the bullying he received while there, and then accused the school about doing nothing about it. It begs the question - if she didn't know about it until after - how was the school supposed to know. Then there was the person who gave one star and said they hated the school - then proceeded to give fictitious examples of wrongdoing - like a 'love tap probably getting a 5-day suspension." Come on! No school is perfect, including this one, but our family has nothing but gratitude for the extra-mile effort from our daughter's teachers. The office staff knows our girl by name and has always been friendly and supportive. Once there was a mistake with the busing, that I called in, and the principal herself contacted us and made things right. We're also thankful that the emphasis is more on helping the kids really learn vs. just passing tests. There's an excellent program that allows for second chances that gives the kids a chance learn from their mistakes and retake their quizzes. If you're considering coming here - you're smart!
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2013

We absolutely love being at Gainesville Middle School. That is not to say there are no frustrations, but honestly, I believe they have some of the finest teachers and administrators in the district. We have had multiple children from our family attend this school over the past four years, and the communication between teachers and home is excellent. The school works at communication, primarily using the School Fusion web pages and occasional robo-calls or Blackboard emails. They studiously avoid sending paper flyers home to reduce costs of printing and wasted paper. I find it sad when I hear parents complain they didn't know about something when there is so much information available. But it seems many parents do not take advantage of the available information resources. Not all teachers maintain their classroom School Fusion pages, which causes frustration for parents and students. That is an area they could use some improvement, perhaps some minimum standards (e.g. all quizzes and tests should be posted ahead of time). Overall, as a parent I can see the huge dedication this school has toward the education of all students.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2013

There are some good teachers in Gainesville. Wish I could say the same for the principal. If your child is an introvert, this might not be the best place for them. My son made it through with excellent grades, but the experience was more traumatic than I realized until he was in senior high and started to open up about it. The school promotes a no bully policy, but it fails to actively follow it. In fact, some seemed to tacitly ignore any bullying.
Submitted by other on October 05, 2013

This is my third year at Gainesville and I absolutely LOVE IT!!!! Every single one of the teachers are super nice and understanding! Gainesville has the BEST MUSIC PROGRAM in the county! The band, orchestra, and chorus are great and always win the top prizes! If your child is going to do orchestra, then this is the school to go to! The orchestra teacher is the best orchestra teacher in the world! She has been teaching me all throughout my middle school years and she is just wonderful! She makes class fun and energetic! Whenever I have a bad day and feel blue, I walk into her room and immediately feel happy! If you want to go to the best middle school in PWC, then this is the middle school to go to!!!! Take it from a student, this is definitely the middle school that you want to go to!!!
Submitted by other on September 10, 2013

I hate this school. Please never go here. All of the teachers are rude, and will hardly give you time to speak before they decide to suspend you, or kick you out. a little love tap on the shoulder, will probably get a 5 day suspension. no one was even hurt. please do yourself/child a favor and do not go to this school.
Submitted by teacher on May 13, 2013

Gainesville MS is a wonderful school. Don't let the words of one or two people determine your opinion of the school. Look at the website or visit the app. Also, look at the school's profile. It is one of the best schools in all of Northern Virginia.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2013

Gainesville Middle School is top notch! I currently have my third child attending and I feel that all three have had the best teachers Prince William County provides. I have always felt that my children were safe and they have never felt threatened. My son said that he loves the new security gaurd, he said that Mr. Pointdexter(sp?) is very friendly but the kids all respect him, Top Notch!
Submitted by teacher on May 13, 2013

Gainesville Middle School is one of the best middle schools in PWC. The teachers are of the highest caliber and the administration runs an extremely safe and positive school environment. If you want a first class education, Gainesville is the place to be!!
Submitted by teacher on May 13, 2013

Disgruntled parents who clearly have an axe to grind should be discounted. Gainesville is a great school - the BEST middle school in Prince William County!
Submitted by teacher on May 11, 2013

Previous review by angry parent should be disregarded. Gainesville is an outstanding middle school that offers a multitude of enriching classes for adolescents. There are no existing issues concerning behavior at GVMS.