Purchase School

2995 PURCHASE ST

School District

Harrison Central
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:9
Type

public

School Map for Harrison Central School District

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 April 24, 2023

Positive learning environment and great teachers. Keep up the good work.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2018

Great teachers. Very caring and responsive. Balanced approach to problems.
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2017

I have four children who have attended/are currently attending Purchase School. I have had one, two or three kids there continuously since 2008. It's a great place. In all my years there, I have only ever been unhappy with one teacher. So many wonderful, warm teachers. The new principal is very good. The kind of guy who kneels down to speak to kids at their level. I'm happy with some of the small changes he has made since he started in 2015. The class sizes are very good. The number of young children in the area has gone down considerably in recent years, so the school is nowhere near its peak enrollment back in 2008. My kids have had classes as small as 16 students and the largest ever was back in 2008, with 24 kids. Most years they had 19-21 kids in their class. Three of my children have needed extra support (from reading help to speech therapy to separate special education classroom), and the school is accommodating and flexible.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2017

It WAS a great school, then greedy developers built the Park Lane Reserve, which is in WEST HARRISON( Preston territory but these folks think their feces doesn't stink and are entitled to go to Purchase) and had nasty spoiled"noueveau riche" kids bussed in...The parents and these kids are in for a rude awakening when they get into middle school and high school as no one is going to kiss up to them there! This was such a small warm wonderful place ...then came Park Lane...UGGGH!No worries if you're wealthy though, your kid will make the right contacts in this school!
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2014

Great teachers, well organized, private-school class size. They employ a good deal of technology and are concerned with children's safety, sometimes to the extent of being overly procedural. The only downside is the PTA which seems sometimes to cater to the needs of a high-end demographics, in that it is not very sensitive to the participation of working parents.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2014

I have two children in the school who began in kindergarten and they simply love going to school! I've found the principal & administrative staff to be professional and the teachers to be energetic and caring. This school has a large number of international families several of which have come from as far as Australia, England, India and Japan (just to name a few). I would strongly reccomend this school to anyone considering the area and I'm sure that our principal or one our students would be glad to give you the grand tour.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2011

Purchase school makes my daughter feel welcome. She is in Kindergarten and has never been upset or afraid to go to school. She looks forward to it everyday. At her age, feeling confirtable in your surroundings is as important as anything else.
Submitted by other on January 14, 2011

This was a great school up until 1997...Since then it has become ridiculously overcrowded. New teachers are hired with limited experience, parking lot is a disaster as people refuse to utilize the bus service. The nurse is never in her office when a child needs medication dispensed..always in the playground or gym as kids are constantly getting hurt due to overcrowding. The PTA is always asking for money- I was asked to contribute money to a class fund of $50 for parties..almost every week,we were asked to contribute money. It's assumed that all the students in this school coem from wealthy families- The truth is many do not and excluded from playdates, parties and almost always are placed in clases with teachers who were hired only days befroe the start of the school year. There's still hope though; the midle and high school are far more diverse and both are excellent schools