Brougham Elementary School

15500 South Brougham Drive

School District

Olathe
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

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 05, 2024

Your experience will differ from grade-to-grade and teacher to teacher. We have had mainly great teachers, but they are often hamstrung by students who they cannot control and the school fails to have anywhere near sufficient paras on-staff to deal with students with emotional or intellectual disabilities. This leads to classrooms that are often disrupted by a few students who are not getting the support they need.While this may be general teaching guidance across the state, the school also focuses always on the students furthest behind. Students who are above average are often bored and could take on significantly more difficult work while remedial students are aided, but often the extra or more challenging material provided (if it is) is not close to sufficient.The school operates in a cloud of secrecy. There are significant violent incidents that happen in the school that are never reported to parents, even ones involving your own child. Children under IEPs are typically allowed to get away with murder with the administration trying to keep it hushed up. In an incident last school year, a student was thrown bodily across a gym and severely injured. There was no report to parents. My own student has been assaulted on several occasions, but only if there is significant blood drawn is there ever a notice sent home.There is also a cloak of secrecy around gender transitions in the school. A classroom had a student transition and no prior notice was provided to the parents of other students in the classroom. This is a class that has not yet had sex ed, thus students witnessed a name change ceremony and some students were likely warned about misgendering this child without even having a concept yet about human sexuality. This is a pretty hot-button issue, but the end result here is kids coming home to parents incredibly confused and despondent not understanding what they just witnessed.Not particular to the school but district as a whole, Olathe Schools transferred to FastBridge testing over Map Testing. The move, as far as I can tell, was all about saving money. The testing is inferior and teachers years into it still don't know how to explain it in full. This testing is detrimental to all students. Some of the testing is speed based, with data entry on an iPad. This is detrimental to student scores due to the need to enter rapidly on a touchscreen vs. a keyboard. This testing is setting students back.This school and Olathe Schools are in crisis.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2020

9/10. My family really respect the hard word that the school provides to our kids
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2016

My son is now in his second year at Brougham Elementary and our family has really enjoyed this school. The teachers, support staff, and principal all greet him by name and encourage him daily. I even received a personal phone call from the principal Mrs. Conklin last year where she just wanted to tell me that my son was having a great week , she was glad he attended the school and wanted to let me know I could contact her if I ever needed anything. I am grateful to all the staff at Brougham for helping my son have a great elementary school experience. F. R.
Submitted by parent on December 07, 2013

We have had children at Brougham for 8 years. The negative principal reviews on this site are accurate, but this year the principal has shown that she has listened to the complaints and she has worked hard to be approachable and friendly. She is also very professional and she takes the necessary steps to ensure our school is successful on all levels. One thing that has remained consistent at Brougham is that it has the BEST teachers! Throughout our time at Brougham, we have never had a single complaint about any of them. We love Brougham and we are so grateful that our children were able to attend such a wonderful school!
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2013

We have been at Brougham now for almost 15 years! This school used to be the best school on Olathe due to the wonderful leader and Prinicipal. Three years ago he moved to a new school and we were given a terrible replacement. A prinicipla should be happy, smiling, trying to engage in conversation with the parents and the students not avoiding it, a prinicpal needs to lead by example. This is not being done anymore, which has led to many staff changes in the past three years. Last May 5 teachers announced they were leaving. We decided to move, our youngest will only be in 2nd grade and we could not imagine dealing with this principal any longer than we already have. We caution you stronly if looking to buy a house in the brougham school districit think twice you will be very disappointed.
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2013

I think Brougham needs a principal that can work with parents, who is happy to have parent involvement and who actually wants to be there. To be a principal you should have people skills and be the face of the school. Public relations is a vital part of the job.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2013

I totally agree with the previous review. Brougham has been in a free fall ever since Mrs. Conklin became the principal. She is single handily ruining our neighborhood school. I have written the district the last 2 years (2012, 2013) voicing my concerns, but have gotten no where. My fear is she will return to Brougham and our school will continue to decline.
Submitted by other on May 08, 2013

As you can tell by the previous comments, Mr. Lowe was loved by the entire Brougham community...he is missed by teachers, parents and especially the students. Since he has left, Brougham has changed dramtically. The new principal has made the school a miserable place for everyone - the kids do not feel comfortable around her, she makes it VIVIDLY clear that she does NOT welcome parents at all in the academic process. She is difficult to work with and the parental involvement has flat-lined - they can not get parents to volunteer for any of the committees. This school used to be a "9" on this website - the test scores have declines, bullying is ignored, teachers are leaving....VERY sad turn for the worse - this used to be the best school in the area - the pride is GONE!
Submitted by parent on November 28, 2008

N/A