Brookridge Elementary School

9920 Lowell

School District

Shawnee Mission Pub School
Grade

PK, K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:14
Type

public

School Map for Shawnee Mission Pub School

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 February 01, 2024

We have had such a great experience here. My kids transferred here when they were in 2nd and 5th grade. It wasn't an easy transition but the admin Karen made it as smooth as possible. My son had major anxiety issues and they worked with him daily, having him work with the social worker, trying skills at home, even reached out to his former class and had them send over signed letters about how much they love and missed him. It was definitely the extra mile. His teacher was sweet, and he has had great teachers each year since. The kids all get along in his classes he has been in, there truly don't seem to be many issues. My daughter had some issues with some girlfriends when she was in 6th grade, but honestly, it was normal girl drama, not school related. They have a wonderful PTA here too that is constantly doing fundraisers and activities for the kids, and they usually have great participation too. They have created a sports network too to help kids doing rec sports find teams within the school, which is so nice and a great resource.
Submitted by parent on July 25, 2022

We have now had three years at the school. My daughter began in kindergarten and will be going into the third grade and my son will be going into kindergarten. Despite a really challenging pandemic for a very large school, my daughter is doing quite well. Her teachers have all been respectful, the faculty are kind to families and their kids, and I have really honestly enjoyed getting to know the other families there. I am thrilled that there is so much diversity at the school because that adds so much to the learning experience in my opinion. I think the kids growing up at the school are going to have a huge advantage once they are adults because they will have had lots of experiences with lots of different kinds of people. The Johnson county schools can get a bit snooty and really intimidating and I have been very happy that this school is very kind and welcoming. This is a much more down to earth culture. And I will also say that the principle, associate principal and nurse are all very trauma-informed so I feel confident that all kids will be welcomed in this school. I think it is a gem and I'm thankful we have been a part of this school. I used to work with traumatized kiddos and I wish more schools were like this. So overall, a great experience thus far, and the only knock on the school is it is big. But they do a fantastic job with pickup and drop off considering the size.
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2022

Knew a teacher here. Their heart can be in the right place but their lack of business and administrative personnel make for a very inconsistent experience. Classrooms are chaotic especially where teachers were hired for friendships instead of credentials or experience.It is also policy to turn away children that “don’t fit the culture.” Read: Beware if you’re the parent of a child with special needs.
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2019

I am starting to really warm up to Brookridge. The longer my children go the more I see the positive personal development instilled in the students. I heard the first few weeks from parents how their children who met during elementary will be graduating primary school now and how many friends will still be sticking together. My children are always excited to go to school and find the next challenge, and of course, try their best!
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2017

Let me start with a few positives. There are many great teachers at this school. The art teacher is absolutely amazing. The PTA is very involved and there are lots of great events that include the family. The students are kept safe while here.This being said, there is very little joy in the day to day endeavors as a student here. I have witnessed students being yelled at in the hallways for minor infractions such as talking or walking out of line. They are herded around and treated like numbers. Technology is used as a babysitter. There is very little play and even very young students are expected to sit down and be quiet for a majority of their day, which is a tragedy. (although this issue is not unique to Brookridge) Students are given a one size fits all curriculum even if they already know the material. Students are not allowed to experience the joy of discovery and innovation, and are instead beat over the head with testing. The kids look like sad zombies marching around. The principal is very odd and possibly in way over her head. When I encountered her at enrollment she was not able to tell me when the first day of school was and had to ask the secretary. She is cold and robotic with the students. Her newsletters are only chastisements and plain reminders, not school spirit or joy of children is expressed at all. It's actually bizarre. Worst of all I get the feeling that she just doesn't really see the kids in her school as real human beings. I have overheard her mocking a student while dropping something off. It's all just left me with an uneasy feeling that I just can't really pinpoint. If you are in this attendance zone I would look into a private school or homeschooling if you are able.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2017

Our oldest started Kindergarten at Brookridge this year. We are so happy the district was able to adjust the zoning before he started, as we have not experienced any of the overcrowding issues from a few years ago. We love his teacher and the principal is wonderful to work with. She seems to really care about the students and takes parental concerns seriously. So far, we couldn't be happier!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2015

Great School!!! Love the community. Recently moved here from out of state and couldn't be happier making the right choice. We're very involved in extra curricular's and my kids love their new school.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2014

Both our children attended Brookridge (2005-2014). Overall the experience was very positive. Great, caring teachers that will go out of their way to teach the kids. They do have the standard SMSD Gifted program (once a week off site) which is pretty weak. We never had any problem with either of our kids being appropriately challenged by the teachers. The principal has an actual open door policy: Dr. Adams always listened to and addressed potential concerns we had. With that said, the merger with Moody has brought along some definite growing pains - overcrowding, lunch room 'over-discipline', traffic congestion etc. I am hopeful that SMSD, the leadership, and staff will be able to solve the issues that were caused by the merger. As far as parent involvement . . .GET INVOLVED . . .In the ten years we were there (before and after the merger) it was always the same small group of parents that were at all the events, helped organize, ate lunch with their kids, and were a presence at the school. The parents most likely to complain about parent involvement NEVER show up. And, if you want to know what's going on, CHECK THE WEBSITE! The days of paper reminders sent home are over.
Submitted by parent on June 30, 2014

We live in this school district and were hoping our children could attend here. After visiting several times and speaking with staff and other parents, we were very disappointed and did not feel our children would flourish here. All the resources here seem to be targeted to children who are below grade level. I saw nothing encouraging regarding activities or programs for children who are at grade level or who are gifted. Upon inquiry we were told that there were maybe 2 students in the school who participated in the Enhanced Learning program which busses them to another school one day per week. On two separate visits there were groups of children watching Max and Ruby videos in the library. The school interior is extremely dark and the classroom doors remain locked. We attended a meeting for prospective boy/girl scouts (an extracurricular program) and there were no attendees (current or prospective) in either of my children's grade levels. It was all in all very disappointing, because when we moved to this area five years ago, the school seemed much better. I guess the merger and the change to a title school has really hurt it.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2013

I like my child's teacher, that being said there are more things I dislike about this school than like. This school is beyond overcrowded. They don't have a music room, assuming a classroom had to take over the previous music room, PE is combined ages. The people working in the lunch room are constantly screaming at the kids. I don't even want to know what they're like when no parents are around of they're that bad when I'm visiting my child for lunch. Parent involvement basically doesn't exist, it's really kind of sad. The car line is an utter mess. They have the kids all stand outside regardless of weather. There are parents cutting in front of you and honking, flying through the lot because they're mad and I even saw one mom smack her child's head because she wouldn't get in the car quick enough. I'm just overall not very happy with the organization and parenting I'm seeing here.
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

I agree with other comments below. Brookridge is overcrowded. Organization is lacking and parent communication is poor. The merge should have been more thoroughly thought out. To now consider re-evaluating boundary lines and uproot children who have been Brookridge students the entire time due to the overcrowding from the merger, is beyond disappointing. Shame on SMSD for allowing this to happen. The destruction of a wonderful school is in the palm of your hands.
Submitted by parent on June 16, 2013

This school is way too crowded. Since the merger with Dorothy Moody there are way too many kids. All classes are at the state maximum and they have had to take over the art room for additional classroom space. Communication between the school and the parents is not very organized. I think there are a lot of good teachers at this school but leadership seems very lacking. The average student teacher rating listed on this site is comical for anyone who has a child attending this school.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2013

This is a great school, both of my children currently attend. We can't say enough good about the teachers, or their dedication to their students. For example My son was having a hard time with writing (he is left handed and 5 years old) his teacher recommended that he stay after with her to work one on one every Wednesday. That was at the beginning of the year. He now writes better than most of the students in his class. I would definitely recommend this school to any parent. The school does seem a bit crowded. However to the previous poster I would say you can always go to smsd, and print the school calendar; I thought notices sent home were reminders. This IS the first school year since the merging I am sure what didn't work this year will be reviewed and changed. I don't believe the merging of the two schools means that Shawnee Mission "messed up" the only real time it becomes "not comfortable" is dismissal after school. Which by the way has improved since the beginning of the year as well. My children love going to school here, and I love the fact that they are receiving a great education.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2013

I don't know if it is due to merging with Dorothy Moody Elementary but this school is WAY over crowded! Kids have art on a cart, music in their classrooms, mixed grade gym classes. No advance notice to parents about school events - we found out on Wednesday about an event on Friday....oh and you expect what??? The principal is doing her best, the teachers do their best but Shawnee Mission messed up by pushing so many students into one small existing school with minimal modification. Not cost effective, not comfortable and not working!
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2012

We really love this school. We bought a home in the area, and our son had previously been at another nearby school that we were quite sad to leave... But we would never go back! The opportunities that the children have at this school are far beyond what I expected. The teachers and principal are wonderful and very attentive. The student body is very diverse both ethnically & economically. The programs and curriculum are amazing, and as far as I have noticed they don't "teach to the test" yet still have great scores (though not noted on the Great Schools site, it is listed at smsd.org). I was also very impressed by the amount of time my sons teacher took to really educate, and they used very creative ways to teach, which kept the kids interested & learning! I would recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2010

We love Brookridge! They have a great staff, many of which have been here for a long time. I can't say enough good about them. They have been so good for our children. Our experiences here have been positive ones. We have been at this school for 6 years now, and have a child just starting. There are lots of involved parents, and the PTA is fantastic. The rating on here seems low, because this is such a fantastic school.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2009

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Submitted by parent on January 15, 2008

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