St Matthew Catholic School

1773 BLANDING BLVD # 0010

Jacksonville, FL 32210

37 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on March 04, 2023

This school has awful leadership, and I don’t think there is a word that can accurately describe the teachers, administration, and especially the parents. This school churns out automatons trained to be replicas of awful parents and teachers, from the questionable morals to the lack of ethics. One can only hope the students can avoid the horrible paths the parents have followed and eventually overcome the innate programming to become decent human beings. Catholic school? If only.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

SMCS is wonderful school. They’re very helpful and accommodating for students that have IEP’s (or just need a little extra help). We switched schools threes ago and the regret is that we didn’t do it sooner.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

I have 2 boys who have attended since pk4. We love it here. One has a learning disability and has been given so many opportunities from speech to extra help with title 1 and more time on assignments. There has been great communication from every teacher we’ve had. St. Matthew’s is a place where they feel safe and enjoy going. I haven’t ever had them not want to go to school and I personally think that’s amazing! I’ve gotten to see them learn and grow in an environment where they feel safe and loved and I would not trade that for the world.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

I have two daughters who have been attending SMCS since Pre-K3 who are now in 1st and 5th grades. The teachers and staff are all kind and caring. You can see how much they all love the students in the ways they interact every day. Many teachers have children that also attend the school, and some teachers attended SMCS when they were students. The school not only teaches the children the core curriculum, but also about responsibility, a commitment to the community and others, as well as a love for God. SMCS fosters a sense of family between the students as well, pairing the 8th graders as buddies for the younger students. There is truly no other school that I would want to send my children.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

We love St. Matthew’s! We felt welcome since the very first time we visited the school on a tour in 2009, and ever since we felt as if SMCS is our home. I agree that no school is perfect, but this school community always looks for ways to motivate students to do their best and encourage parents to participate in school events. Whenever there’s an issue, the administration and teachers take care of it immediately and accordingly. As a mom of a SMCS alumni and another one in middle school, I would recommend this school as a great option to receive a great education and to build a strong religious foundation.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

Once upon a time, the school was awesome then… the staff along with leadership forgot we reside in a diverse community. Every school has drama and they are not any different from the public schools. SMCS could do better in the area of counteracting the bullying and racism. Some teachers are awesome and others aren’t, the middle school needs to be revamped! My child’s teacher (7th grade) is marginal, disrespectful and doesn’t properly communicate, you want the support but don’t listen to the parent. Admin could use some work along with leadership. (Grace was the best admin) If they increase pay, then the selection of teachers would be better. Instead you get those that wouldn’t last a day in public school so the thinking outside the box and diversity is nonexistent. Their is a heavy mixing of politics which has no place in academics, during COVID the principal couldn’t stop praising the president and governor. Private school education has diminished just like public schools. Leadership definitely favors certain children and others are nothing more than a scholarship check.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

As an alternative to public education, this school is above average in comparison to surrounding school options. Staff members maintain a positive and professional rapport with students, and have emphasized teachings of social emotional learning, especially in the midst of the COVID pandemic. My student frequently mentions discussions the class has regarding how to treat others with kindness and live in Christ’s likeness and image. The environment is friendly and welcoming for all persons, including non-Catholic attendees. I personally believe students could be challenged more to think outside the box and complete projects out of the ordinary. However, the school continues to communicate that they are moving forward with a STREAM environment, more projects and hands on learning for our kids - I look forward to this progression and hope to see it in action while my student remains in this school. After reading other reviews, I am disheartened to see some of the other comments made, specially regarding the administration and staff. All are entitled to personal opinions, however I strongly disagree with the comments made. Although my student has yet to reach middle school, I have heard nothing but positivity and excitement from my child and their peers regarding middle school staff.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

I absolutely love SMCS! I was homeschooled as a child so yes, I am THAT mom. I am super protective of my children and want to be 100% aware of what is being poured into them and who is the one doing it. SMCS offers so many opportunities for parents to volunteer and really get involved with the kids. They also require backgrounds checks from volunteers and employees, knowing this puts my worries at ease. SMCS has been amazing from the start, they truly treat us as family but are also very profesional and organized. 2/4 of my kids are currently attending SMCS, the other 2 will join as soon as they’re old enough. I love the small class sizes and all of the options SMCS provides my kids with. They have art, spanish, religion…etc It’s awesome. Another thing I love is the uniforms, makes it easier for a mom of 4 and leaves less room for distractions and unnecessary comparisons. SMCS does not tolerate any type of bullying, they address it even if the bullying is done outside of the school (social media). They take pride in caring for their students and treating them all with the same love and respect they deserve.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

No school is perfect by no means. There will always be issues big or small. My child attended from K-8th grade. She loved it a lot. She loved all her teachers. Now that she is high school she still comes and visits the teachers here. Administration not always the best but the teachers made up for that for sure.
Submitted by other on February 28, 2022

We have been at St. Matthews for four years and are amazed at the well rounded education our children are receiving. Not only are they thriving in the classroom with academics, the focus on religion and being a honorable, kind member of society is so valuable. The new STREAM lab is a huge asset to the students and being engaged throughout the week in art, robotics, PE and spanish is so important at their age levels. Our children truly love going to school every day!
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2022

We love St.Matthew’s! Our son has been at SMCS since pre-k-we have navigated Covid/virtual learning and everything in between. Mrs.Tuerk and her staff did a phenomenal job making sure the kids stayed on track and had a smooth transition back into their classrooms! Teachers are responsive and supportive of the kids! The school encourages involvement of the parents (service hour, PTO, etc!)
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2022

Great school good education. Help my son with his school work he has grown so much in the school and I have to thanks all the staff. There no bullying. Just once in a while kids can be mean but the teachers correct them and they get redirected. I don’t think is any racism in the school. We are a mix family I speak English with a strong accent. Never my son had a problem, as a Catholic school has their own rules and for some kids that come from other type school my be a change use the uniform correctly and respect God and our country our elders.Me encanta la escuela el apoyo Que Han brindado los professor es a mi hijo es de felicitarles la education Que recive muy buena i la fe catolicaNo hay racismo ni bullying. Lis profesores estan siempre ahi supervisando a los alumnos
Submitted by teacher on November 26, 2020

I would not recommend this school if you desire an environment where teachers communicate, non catholic or want an atmosphere where leadership doesn’t re-enforce racism. This school was a determining factor for not joining this parish. In the midst of covid, they are still forcing the families to commit to services hours in the community or pay them a whopping 15.00 per hour. Nothing in this city pays that kind of hourly wage. There is no compassion any where on this staff.
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2020

five out of five stars...a superior environment and education compared to the public sector.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2020

Overall experience is great! My daughter is a student since Kindergarten until now 2nd Grade. She is always looking forward to see her classmates and teachers :)
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2020

WE WONT BE RETURNING ITS NOT WORTH THE HEADACHE AND SEEING ARE CHILD SAD ON A DAILY BASIS!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2020

Our experience at St. Matthew's has be a great one. The communication from the leadership and staff is impressive. The guidelines they set for the students allows for a proper learning atmosphere. There is a great diversity of children that attend the school. Each student is treated equally no matter what their ethnicity. I would and have recommended St. Matthew's Catholic school to many of my friends.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2020

My overall experience is phenomenal. Once I walked into the doors of St. Matthew's, I knew I was where I needed to be. I couldn't pick a better place for my child to attend school. We are blessed to be part of the St. Matthew's Catholic School Community.
Submitted by teacher on March 21, 2020

We wont be returning and nor do I recommend them to families with non white children.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2019

We wont be back next year and finishing this year is a struggle