St Joseph Elementary School

39 Gebhardt Road

Penfield, NY 14526

7 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-6
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 10, 2024

Disappointing Experience - A School That Falls Short of Its PromisesI had high hopes for this school, given the values it claims to embody and the positive things that were said about it. Unfortunately, my experience has been nothing short of disappointing. Despite the school's outward promises of being a place with heart, support and progress, it is plagued by indifference and a concerning level of carelessness at all levels, particularly in its leadership and administration.The administration is largely ineffective and does little to address the significant issues facing the school. Whether it's the lack of proactive measures to improve the quality of education, or the failure to ensure a safe and secure environment for students, there seems to be little effort made in creating meaningful change. For a school that claims to prioritize student well-being and success, the lack of real action to improve is disheartening.That said, there are a few standout teachers who truly care about their students and provide an outstanding education. They are the heart of the school, offering dedication and passion that is unfortunately not supported by the school's leadership. These educators deserve better, and so do the students.In short, while there are bright spots in the form of individual teachers, the school's overall approach falls woefully short. The lack of leadership, attention to security, and commitment to real improvements makes it hard to recommend this school to others. It's truly disappointing, especially considering the potential this Catholic school has to be so much better.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2024

The school leadership exercises questionable judgement at best. Poor financial management combined with complacent decision making results in high teacher turnover and annual tuition increases with no discernable improvement in the education provided to the children. The teachers are the real heros of this school doing their very best despite the challenging environment fostered by the leadership. I was always impressed by the level of care of the teachers that educated my children but I would not recommend this school. The high quality of our local school districts combined with the referenced poor leadership and high tution make this school a hard sell.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2023

If your child does not fit into their mold then your child will have a really hard time. This school claims to be “a place with heart” but if your child falls out of their good graces there is no redemption. If your child goes with the flow, does what they are told without question, doesn’t ruffle any feathers then this is the school for them.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2023

We could not be happier at St. Joseph School! We have been parishioners at the church for years and our children are thriving. SJS is a place with amazing educators and teachers who truly care about the well-being of all children. The volunteer parents are incredible, and the sense of community at the school is so positive especially after COVID when things are finally returning to normal. We highly recommend this school to all our family and friends. A Catholic education is so important, and SJS is a special place.
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2021

We had our son enrolled in this school for Kindergarten. Prior, we had him in an educational child/daycare program from 3mos old till his placement here. He's pretty high energy, but extremely smart. We discussed this with the administration and teachers prior to placing him there and were promised they would provide whatever extra support he needed to thrive there.They expelled him before Thanksgiving because his Kindergarten Teacher (Wurz) couldn't deal with his "disruptions".After we pulled him and placed him in public school, we had a ton of testing done and he's extremely smart (IQ 122) and also ADHD.In my opinion, they discriminated against him because of his (then undiagnosed) disability and their lack of ability to deliver on their promises.If you have a child with special needs - even mild ones like non-violent ADHD, don't waste your time or money.This is not a Catholic, or even Christian school. The response from the diocese to this discrimination was pathetic. We are both lifelong Catholics from Syracuse, and Catholic school educated k-12.
Submitted by parent on October 13, 2021

What was once a wonderful school has rapidly deteriorated. There is no parent/stakeholder input or involvement. Academic standards are sub-par and inconsistent, varying from class to class or grade level.There is no accountability for staff/leadership, and no communication or transparency on behalf of administration with the greater SJS community.If you bring an issue or concern to the attention of staff/administration they will effectively ignore, deny, and/or dismiss it instead of seeking to resolve.Many families are highly dissatisfied and have exhausted all avenues to resolve these issues/prevent further irreparable damage, but have been silenced and shut out. Expect enrollment to decline in the coming year(s).Most who are privy to these ongoings won't be returning after this year...others are just sticking it out for the sake of consistency for their children..Very sad to see what it's become...
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2018

St Joes has been exactly what we were looking for and works well for our family.