Pace Brantley Hall School

3221 Sand Lake Road

Longwood, FL 32779

15 Reviews

School District
Grade

1-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 06, 2025

My son spent 6 years at the school. The campus is lovely; with a big grassy area for events. We found the teachers engaged, warm and capable. My son also had great friends at the school, who he misses dearly, but maintains a friendship with. It was with a heavy-heart that we left the school halfway through the year. We found the admin highly problematic and felt almost pushed out. My son got several suspensions for minor issues such as bouncing on his chair and turning off another students iPad. Sure, these distractions warrant perhaps a detention, or an infraction, but we watched our conscientious and compassionate son really 'wear' these severe, often capriciously handed -out punishments. He did not feel he could self-advocate, and dreaded interactions with the disciplinary staff. He learned to just accept the punishments, which weren't written up and recorded. I only want to record our experience of the school but we do know of other ex-teachers and students who have left for similar reasons. This is a problem because these are students with learning differences, and often the issues they're being punished for are symptomatic of their uniqueness. I would not recommend this school. But it's such a shame, and we adored the teachers, students and campus. My son is at a new school (Center Academy) which is a much healthier environment. they see our son as the funny, polite and smart young man that he is. He's had glowing reviews there so far. The academics are more challenging too, which is good for college prep.
Submitted by student on September 02, 2024

The school is amazing and they’re so many good teachers with a real qualification and they care a lot about the kids. All the kids are super sweet and all the teachers are also really sweet. This school is amazing and I hope you bring your kid to it.
Submitted by other on July 20, 2024

I used to go to this school, teachers were SO supportive and always there for me but the administration did not care whatsoever about my mental health and made me very depressed to the point i could NOT whatsoever control my emotions nor get out of bed i was a child who just needed support and they screamed at me and locked me in the front office to SCREAM at me refusing to call my family to calm down if your child has emotional issues or cannot manage them well i in no way recommend this school
Submitted by parent on January 27, 2022

Great teachers, but administration is more interested in your money. I've encountered several private schools in my child's educational career and none have been so interested in money like this school. Grades are not equivalent to what your child would receive at another school; if your child plans on pursuing college track then they will be in for a rude awakening since good grades will not be awarded as they are at this school. Very excited that I no longer have to deal with this school again.
Submitted by parent on July 29, 2017

I believe this is a wonderful school. It has been a life-changing experience for my grandson. We are so thankful to have found this school! If you are interested in this school, take a tour and ask questions. I had lots of questions because I wanted to be sure it was the right fit for my grandson. By the way, I'm a retired ESE teacher (Special Ed. teacher).
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2015

This school can be really great for children with real disabilities. I would take my time and look at all options and schools to make sure this one meets my child's needs. If you only plan on having your child here for a certain period of time to catch up I would create a plan with my child and the teachers. The grades are deceiving! Your child may be making A's but it's not a real world A compared to other schools and can be misleading to your child "that they are working hard enough when more is needed". Kids that are not as needy as others may get bored here or get away with a lot because they look like a superstar compared to the other kids. Be wary and don't expect the school to fix it. They have their own way of doing things that can put your child behind instead of on track. Good to consider all aspects and what your goal is before signing here. It also can be very unorganized for the money that you pay!!!
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2015

My child has been at the school for two and a half years now. The first year I was pleased with the quality of teacher and individualization. The grading system was a bit confusing. A parent never really knows how well a child is doing in a class as an A could mean the same as an A from a public school or an F, it depends on the teacher. The second year the quality of teacher dropped and he was in a classroom that did not promote learning. Now my son is so far behind I worry the transition into public school would be impossible.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2015

My first impression of this school was unorganized chaos. Because my daughter has a learning disorder I went back and spoke to someone in admissions. She was sympathetic and kind so I choose the school. I will honor my gut more in the future! It has been unstructured and disorganized from the beginning. I give the school 2 stars only because her reading has improved with the help of one great teacher. The other subjects have made no improvement and I'm concerned may have taken steps backwards.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2014

My son as a third grader did not know how to read and only knew his alphabet. He started at Pace as a fifth grader. He is now a senior with a 3.8 GPA, President of the National Honor Society and is going to one of the three top rated colleges in the southeastern United States. Pace is the one of the best reasons we moved to Florida. The teachers are superb and interested and motivated to help your children. If you are thinking about Pace as an educational choice for your children, look no further. You found it!
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2013

My daughter is thriving in this school, she loves all the hands on learning and the small class sizes.
Submitted by other on October 27, 2013

Pace Brantley School is a wonderful place for children with learning disabilities. They have the patience and time necessary to help their students succeed. At Pace the focus is truly on the individual student and how to help the student gain confidence to learn the skills they need to be successful.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2013

PACE has a beautiful campus, great social activities and sport programs with plenty of parental involvement. When it comes to providing an individualized academic program for my child's learning difference they fall short! Students are grouped into classes that come closest to my child's needs. From year to year that luck changes based on overall student population. That's too much like our public school experience. Sometimes we get a good fit but when its not, we watch your child fall behind yet another year. There does not seem to be a real freedom to give the individualized academic plan as promised. Often parents resort to expensive after school tutoring to supplement what the students are not getting during the day to prevent from falling behind.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2012

I can't speak highly enough of Pace Brantley School. I only wish he had enrolled our daughter sooner. We came from a top-notch Seminole County high school but found it's not so top-notch when your child has a learning disability. Pace knows how to reach and teach each student and are geared to meet their individual needs. Our daughter's self esteem and confidence level are higher than they've ever been. She loves to go to school now -- we no longer have an attendance problem as we've previously faced in past years at public school. All the kids are accepted by their peers for who they are and not judged by their individual challenges. They focus on the core academics but they also offer a variety of electives & extra curricular activities (sign language, art, drama club, sports). They even have prom in the spring! Having a school nurse onsite and a high school guidance counselor who is a LMHC have been invaluable. For the first time, we now feel our child could go on to take college courses after graduation, something we previously thought would not be an option.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2012

Excellent program. I have two students enrolled at Pace and would not go anywhere else in Florida. They have IEP's for all their students and offer amazing programs for the high schoolers. So happy we discovered Pace, the staff is the most caring, compassionate and invested teachers we've ever encountered. Looking forward to many more years with this school.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2012

Amazing Program! My son is in the college-prep high school program at Pace. Previously he was in Orange County Public Schools. Having ADHD, we did not know what private schools were available to us and happened upon Pace. In the two years we've been there, he's made a 180 from where he was. His grades are consistently A's and B's and he is interested in school. Which never happened until Pace! He really gets into his assignments and is curious about everything. We have long conversations now about what his day was like and what he's working on. I know Pace offers two tracks for high school. One college prep track and one modified track for kids going toward vocational training. My sister is sending her autistic son to Pace next year. Pace puts an incredible emphasis on each student and develops individual education plans for every student each year to keep the kids on their goals. I'm not sure where we would be right now, had we not found Pace. With a school that has been around for 40 years, I wish we had discovered it sooner! Best school in Florida for kids that need extra attention.