San Tan Charter School

3959 East Elliot Road

School District

San Tan Montessori School Inc.
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

charter

School Map for San Tan Montessori School Inc.

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 12, 2024

This school continues to frustrate me and it may be our last year. They are very difficult to work with if your child has special needs. With Mrs Laramie out of the picture, I had hopes it would be better, but the new admin is fake and unfriendly. It seems to be the school against the parents, which makes it harder and harder to want to send my child, obviously. If you aren’t able to volunteer, forget about your child being treated well. There’s less actual teaching going on this year and more time learning from a website only. I can see how kids fall behind.Love and logic continues to fail. The wild behavior I hear described by my students is concerning, though it’s unlikely to be different at the public schools in the area. I had assumed it would be better at a charter school since they can ask students to leave, but it sounds like there are many out of control students and very little discipline. Certain students are able to behave in ways that would be cause for expulsion, but for some reason, they don’t get suspended or even talked to. With it being a small school, you start to hear the same names over and over again for years and realize there’s a pattern to the violent behavior and threats, but nothing changes. It’s been a very disappointing experience, I’m sad to say,
Submitted by parent on July 16, 2024

The only thing this school cares about is money, they charge for everything and require families to provide all the supplies for classrooms. There is a high turnover rate of teachers and other staff at both campuses. There are only a handful of teachers that actually care about their students and do a good job of educating them but for the most part the teachers are awful. If your child is already behind do not send them here. If your student is advanced, this school will only drag them down. Send your children somewhere else.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2022

I was excited to send my kids to San Tan and to establish a good school for them after moving so much with military life. To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. When we began schooling there, I brought it all my children's school records showing that one of children is severely behind and needs testing. An entire school year passed with them "evaluating" him. His own teacher told me she was in the office weekly asking for services for him, with no avail. After emailing Mrs Laramie my disappointment in the school, I was told he would begin testing the beginning of the next year. Because our children have moved a lot, we were hoping things would improve. He got his IEP four months into the school year. Being new to IEPs I was unaware what to expect or what would be appropriate but trusted the school had his best interest in mind. I was sadly mistaken. After speaking with specialists and advocates who have reviewed his IEP, it is incomplete and very vague. But worse than that, the few accommodations he has aren't even met. Apparently if your child, in elementary school, doesn't self advocate for their accommodations, the teachers and staff will not worry about them. My son has only fallen further behind while being at San Tan. If you are working parent, don't even worry about paying the ridiculously high sports fees because they do not cover transportation and if you want your kids to attend games, you have to take them which is impossible with normal working hours. The school is ran as a business first and foremost. They charge for everything but cannot afford paper or to provide their staff with the bare minimum so the school supply lists are pages long. San Tan prides themself with a love and logic school, however, their discipline does not align with love and logic concepts. I would strongly encourage anyone interest in San Tan to search other options. There are some really great schools in the East valley and San Tan is not one of them.
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2022

I was so disappointed in this school. Athletics and academics are not strong, especially female sports. My daughter had to get a tutor and step out of the honors tract after receiving a B in honors Algebra 2, but not actually being taught the content. Although you pay more for sports than public schools, you can plan to drive your child to games at 4:00pm for a lack of transportation. Field trips, sports and any activities cost more money but the school is so drained of funds by the superintendent that they have to do a paper drive every year so teachers can make copies. Behavior is poorly managed and love and logic is not evident, contrary to marketing. There is a high turnover in staff. If your child has any extra needs (iep or 504) run the other way!
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2022

This school is really a mixed bag. If you are a wealthy family with athletic children and a mom who can volunteer a lot, this is the place for you. But be prepared to pay a tutor to keep your kids up to speed academically, because the teachers don’t. There’s high staff turnover because of problems with administration, many of the teachers are very new to the profession entirely, a high percentage of them are uncertified, and the classrooms tend towards chaos due to teachers struggling with classroom management skills and the lack of any actual discipline. You’ll find students wandering the halls, no consequences for most behavior, and a lot of students with special needs being ignored because the school doesn’t want to spend money to deal with them (those students will eventually be pushed out). For the good: P.E. every single day with an energetic and totally dedicated coach, no junk food allowed, allergy friendly, tons of sports and other extracurricular programs, which many charter schools don’t really have. They have an organized pick up and dismissal process, which is more important than you think. The music program is fantastic. There are seemingly endless school events, however most things are expensive to participate in, so be prepared to pay pay pay. I do feel they do a good job addressing any physical bullying that goes on, and that’s probably the main reason I keep my child here. This school would like to be a private school. They make it clear that they care more about money than students. If you are not wealthy and donating to the school, they don’t care about your child. Administration shows obvious favoritism with teachers, parents, and students. The unprofessional behavior is staggering. Mrs. Laramie is the best example of this. You have to be in her clique to progress as a teacher or for your child to progress. If you’re donating to the school, you’re in, and your children will have a great experience where they are put into gifted classes with no consequences for misbehavior. If not, you’ll eventually be pushed out. The school is genuinely run like a mean girls club. It’s disappointing, because I can see so much potential to be great, but not with the current administration.
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2021

This school does not care about the mental health of teenagers and does not stride to help their students. Santan charter cares about appearance and does not try to help students that are falling behind. This school cares only about having the best of the best of students. Many staff ask to have basic respect from students but yet can not even give it. This school primarily cares about the perfect student stereotype. Please think before you enroll your child in this school.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2021

Great Montessori elementary teachers and program. Other curriculum is questionable. There are a lot of varying opportunities for kids to pursue their interests in clubs and sports.
Submitted by other on August 18, 2021

I used to be a student at this school, and it was definitely not a pleasant experience. Especially with white families and their children, to elaborate, I used to get viciously bullied for being a minority, I was mocked, and stereotyped for almost all the years I was there. When talking to a teacher about it there was very obvious favouritism, I hold a strong belief that some students at that school will never have corrective action taken against them because they're very close with the principal's family. This school is a majority white, and if your child is a person of color I can honestly recommend not bringing them here, because of how this school takes bullying and racism. Now I can say that this school does a great job at teacher student relationships and I got very close with some staff, but I will never forgive them for letting white kids countinously belittle and bully the students of color. This happened with almost every single student of color I grew up with over the years, not a single anti-discrimination assembly or class was taught.
Submitted by parent on July 01, 2021

Teachers that really care and work with kids strengths to reach their full potential & be challenged. My kids are happy and love going to school here! P.E. everyday, good focus on science & sports. No bullying. Happy we changed from a public school to San Tan.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2021

Wonderful school. Great with 504 plans. Love the administration!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2020

It is average but now that I know more of their finances and business I am growing to discuss like it.
Submitted by parent on June 30, 2019

If you have a special needs student, stay as far away from this school as possible. They continue to break and laws and make excuses.
Submitted by parent on June 21, 2019

They are experiencing a high rate of staff turnover because teachers are not supported. STAY AWAY FROM THIS SCHOOL!!
Submitted by student on June 16, 2019

0/10. my entire high school years are now screwed up due to the fact that i let san tan control my freshman year.
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2019

We found this school and felt that it marked all our boxes- High School, giftedness and Montessori. We quickly learned that the gifted program is jammed down parents throats and students are being accepted even if they do not score high enough on the testing. Our student in the gifted program did not have his needs met at all. The program was high pressure with out understanding the way the children learn. Giftedness is not about quicker harder work, it is able how the child processes the information. We also planned a child into the Montessori program. We have been a Montessori for over 7 years. This program was poorly executed. Too many kids in the classroom, several without prior training. Students were not receiving regular lessons. Discipline was handled with extreme measures often leaving the child confused. Lastly, the high school is a complete mess. Unless your child is an athlete, they will be a nobody in this school. Athletic teams will receive funding while teachers are lacking supplies. The administration is impulsive and often engages in gossip with students. Students are pulled out of classes and questioned about student gossip. Students who were not raised at STCS are treated differently and help to a different standard. Sadly I feel as though my daughter waisted a year of high school and will have to play catch up at her new school.
Submitted by other on May 25, 2019

Love and Logic isn't effective for all situations; parents of unruly students are given way too much power
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2019

Below average. They could be amazing if they made the right choices, improved communication, Teachers, and their follow through.
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2019

We are beyond disappointed with SanTan. I had left a review here earlier, giving it 2 stars. A few months have passed. We are now in second semester. Nobody has followed up with us after having a meeting with the elementary principal. Extremely saddened and disappointed. The school puts out a vibe that says “ we work with parents”, what they really mean is that they work with parents’ wallets. I get it, schools require funds, and I have no issues with that. This particular school, however, may “look” like it cares for parents’ concerts, where in reality, they do nothing about it. When we met with the principal a couple months into the school year, expressed our concerns, among them a concern that the school would not take the liberty to speak to my children on gender issues. We made it clear that we didn’t want our second grader coming home and thinking it was alright for Jimmy to wear a dress. We specifically explained that these are subjects for parents to talk to their children about. In that meeting, she looked into our eyes and ASSSURED us that they steer clear from any such issues as that all reading material is carefully filtered. Fast forward 5 months and we receive an email from school with regards to a reading list for spring break. As I go over it, a particular book caught my attention: Teddy’s Favorite Toy. Turns out his favorite toy is a pink doll. Ok, fine, the story highlights his mommy who comes to the rescue when his pink doll gets lost. HOWEVER, the author, Christian Trimmer- a gay activist. Now, I get how this may sound: I’m not tolerant, inclusive, yadda, yadda. But the school principal looked in my eyes and with a straight face assured no such thing would take place. What’s even worse? This is not what federal government is making them do. These are books the school has chosen to pick. Deeply disappointed in a school that is great at marketing an image they do NOT deliver. Plus, in the first 3 months, 2-3 teachers quit. That right there should say something. I’m glad will be out of there!
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2019

We left to sum it up! I hope the school makes some changes soon!
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2018

Pretty bad. A couple of the electives were valuable and fun. It's pretty safe there from the bigger problems of the large public schools, but the class descriptions and grades mean very little. Your child will not be prepared for any kind of college work.