Brookdale Elementary School

1200 Redfield Road

School District

Indian Prairie Community Unit 204
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204

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 June 10, 2022

The new-ish principal is great! Big improvement over prior principal. Teachers are individuals, some better than others, just like any other job. I don’t like that they are so PC with the holidays’s names. But, school is good. Deserves a higher rating than the current 6. That score unfortunately is brought down a bit due to the low equity score. However, I can tell that the school provides a lot of supplemental support to low income groups, I don’t think it’s fair to penalize the school for the low performance of that group.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2022

My son has attended this school since kindergarten. Prior to becoming a bobcat, he went to a private daycare (The Gardner School), Indian Prairie’s preschool, then spent a year in a full-time ABA program after he was diagnosed with autism. After graduating that program, he was eligible for Gen Ed placement at Brookdale Elementary which some parents may find as a distraction when a student with special needs is in that setting, but this school, the teachers, their aides and even the students actually embrace it and my son has flourished because of it. Pre-covid, during covid and all of the challenges everyone faced with e-learning, the effort the teachers, students and parents at this school has prevented me and my son from wanting to go anywhere else. Everyone is so accepting and always faces challenges or obstacles together and able to overcome anything. A great foundation to start kids on that is often overlooked by analyzing test scores. Reading other reviews, the gym does not have carpet. It’s actually really nice and the entire facility is clean and well kept! There is a small section that doesn’t have central air, but I’ve never heard a single teacher or child complain about that, so it’s never been a concern of mine. The only negative thing I don’t like is that certain holidays are not celebrated (Halloween is not recognized, Valentine’s Day = Friendship Day), but that’s everywhere and with that said, they do still teach the kids things about ALL of the celebrations and holidays. They also still say the pledge of allegiance every morning which I personally love and appreciate! Best of all, the Principal is one of the biggest and greatest advocates for kids that I’ve ever come into contact with. She truly looks out for the kids best interests. Anyone who gives this school less than 5 stars is either completely disconnected with what really goes on at this school or they just want to blame their child’s bad experience, lack of participation or low test scores on the teachers or other kids/parents. I went to an elementary school in Lake Forest and this school blows that out of the water in my opinion. My only wish is that the students and staff remained the same going into middle school. Such a close knit group that my son and I proudly consider as our extended family.
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2021

All four of our children attended Brookdale. The youngest is a sophomore in college. They all had excellent experiences at Brookdale. 204 prepared them well for college. All four got college scholarships at good schools. The kids said Brookdale was one of their favorite schools and the transition to HIll went well. My wife participated in programs at the school during the day, so she was able to see the classrooms in action, and she felt the teachers were professional and flexible. Our last son had a very flexible program that was customized for him. In his last year at Brookdale, he took math at Hill Middle school so he would be at the right level for his abilities.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2021

Very caring and nice teachers and staff, but academically my child did very poor- there were no accountability for the students. There was rarely any homework (from k-5), and follow up on whether work was completed. Also bullying. My child was pushed down the stairs with a major bruise on her spine in K and no one bothered to call me. Again very nice staff but it ends there.
Submitted by other on September 17, 2020

I’m now in 10th grade in a different state and was only there for 5th grade but far by the best school I’ve attended
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2019

Overly crowded. Our experience has averaged 30 students in class size. A lot of misbehaved kids that disrupt the class. Short lunches. Carpeting in gym. No AC in classrooms. Homework is basically a few minutes on tablets owned by the school. Kids take to and from daily. Work is very similar to homeschool. Kids are allowed to sound out words instead of knowing how to spell. Writing is minimal. Didn't work for our family's needs.
Submitted by parent on August 06, 2017

Worst school ever. I don't know how other parents think this is the best school.If you need to deal with something please send an email to school district 204. The principal never replies back.
Submitted by other on February 10, 2017

Academically I have no complaints about the school. However, school is also a place to learn social skills. This school takes politically correct to a whole new level. There are no holiday performances, they dont want to offend anyone. No costumes on Halloween, they wouldn't want to offend those that don't celebrate. Classroom parties are called 'fall' and 'winter'. Now some may think a holiday Christmas program isn't a big deal, but it teaches kids to work together, practice, stand up in front of a crowd. I could go on about the programs, emails, and fairs that push other cultures... in an effort to include everyone it almost leaves a 'white shaming' taste in my mouth. All that I can handle. But the mom's! Oh my, the mom's... if your looking for clique-y, drank the look-aid types, this is the place for you. It makes it really hard to connect with other parents. If your looking for an ultra liberal overly political correct school, Brookdale is it. Personally I prefer my children to grow up in a more realistic environment, preparing them for life. So we moved.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2017

I've had 3 children attend Brookdale, and I'm impressed with the way the school worked with them individually to help them be successful in learning. Most impressive is how much the teachers genuinely care about the students.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2015

Brookdale Elementary is an excellent school. My son loves it. The teachers are wonderful. They are always willing to work with the parents to help provide the best education possible. The PTA at our school is great too. The PTA provides the parents a great way to be involved in the school on a day to day basis. The children are taught to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe everyday. We love Brookdale!
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2014

Brookdale should have a 10 out of 10. What a great school. The teachers are wonderful, the PTA is really big at our school, so much parent involvement, & I love the enrichment classes they offer in the fall/spring. My sons is thriving, making great friends and becoming so independent.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2013

We moved specifically to be within this school's district, having compared with Longwood and Beebe and we felt this school provides significant opportunities, excellent teachers, and lots of enrichment activities for our children. While the building is lacking in some areas (no A/C in hot weather) it has a unique layout that places a focus on the Library area (LRC) this not only subtly reminds students (by always walking around or through) how important 'information' itself is in this age but it also gives a great way for students to show and see various exhibits (both instructor or student made), art, etc. Some other schools in the 'region' (particularly the ones we left) have had to make major cuts to elementary programs like Art, Music, Phys Ed - all of which we consider valuable enrichment and social experience, Brookdale (and IPSD 204) have done a tremendous job tighting belts elsewhere and have created a very positive school for students for the 2012-2013 & 2013-2014 years! The school is not 'perfect' but we believe it is under-rated (based on scores alone) and are very thankful for all of the staff at Brookdale!
Submitted by parent on June 26, 2012

Brookdale Elementary is an excellent school. My son loves it. The teachers are wonderful. They are always willing to work with the parents to help provide the best education possible. The school provides interventions for the students that need them and Project Arrow for the advanced students. The one thing I do not agree with is the PBIS system (aka PAWS). I don't think this system is fair for the students that do follow the rules everyday. The PTA at our school is great too. The PTA provides the parents a great way to be involved in the school on a day to day basis. The PTA also provides a lot of extra activites for our children to participate in. I also love all the clubs that my son can join, such as Lifesaver's Club, Safety Patrol, SLAB, etc. Brookdale has a lot of school spirit. The children are taught to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe everyday. We love Brookdale!