Millbrook Elementary School

1520 East Millbrook Road

School District

Wake County
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:9
Type

public

School Map for Wake County 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 other on August 15, 2020

Overall, I would give MECME 4 out of 5 rating because I would typically have fun and I learned important life skill that I will remember as long as I live.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2018

We are very happy with MECME. My son has had a great year! Can't wait to see how it continues to grow with the new theme.
Submitted by other on April 07, 2018

Overall great school and great environment for students to learn. Staff is caring and supportive of each other and dedicated to seeing students succeed!
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2018

Millbrook has transformed into an amazing school! The teachers and staff are absolutely the most dedicated group of people that school has had in a long time. The new magnet theme and curriculum is rich, engaging, and rigorous. The amount of growth my daughter has made in less than a year has been fascinating to watch. MECME is making a comeback! This school is doing great things! The climate is warm and inviting. You can feel the love the staff has for each other AND for their students. I am extremely happy with the decision we made in sending our daughter there.
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2017

My son and I have really enjoyed this school and the teachers! We are very pleased
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2017

In 2014-15 was impressed with the magnet program under the leadership of Paula Trantham enough to sign my daughter up for a glorious first year in kindergarten. She was nurtured, taught, and guided down the path towards the many successes that I hoped for her future. I was proud to call Millbrook Elementary our school.The following year Mrs. Trantham left and the school slowly began to deteriorate in both quality of education and overall behavior/structure. Many of the teachers that had been at Millbrook left and the overall climate of the school was tense at best. The programs that my daughter and other children responded so well to were removed. The halls that were once so inviting and fresh seemed stressed and suffocating. My son also entered Millbrook that year and attended the same kindergarten class my daughter had been a part of. His experience was drastically different. He became very withdrawn despite the encouragement of his teachers. He would come home with scratches and bite marks to which the teacher explained came from a student who admin would send back to the classroom over and over. My daughter couldn't focus. Other students were constantly disrupting the teachers instruction, throwing furniture, screaming, hitting other students, etc. I watched my bright eyed daughter who had started so far ahead begin to fall behind.I want to be very clear that the teachers in this school are exceptional educators and some of the best I have seen. However, it is clear that they are not supported and the students are running the classrooms. I quickly decided to pull both of my children from the IB program I so loved because I could no longer watch them struggle to learn in an impossible environment. Perhaps I am deepening the issue(s) by doing this, but I am a mother and this goes far beyond having a difficult teacher one year.So, I decided to write this review for all the other mothers out there who want and need an honest review of what you can expect when your child attends a school of this caliber. I pray things change.....after all, only one way to go from here.
Submitted by teacher on April 02, 2015

This school is a wonderful place to work. The staff is dedicated to helping students find their strengths and showing them the impact they can have on the world. We are happy to welcome our new principal and look forward to adding her to our school family!
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2014

This school is a truly amazing place for learning! There is such a high quality level of teaching that goes beyond a traditional public school. The teachers are committed to fostering development of the whole child and work diligently to communicate the strengths and areas of improvement for students so they can be successful. Students are always engaged in learning and that's possible because of the amazing staff at Millbrook Elementary Magnet School. Thank you!!!
Submitted by other on May 29, 2014

I have to agree with some of the other people and state that it is very awkward to walk into the office and just have everyone look blankly at you. However, I am more concerned with the fact that no one seems to want to take the steps to deal with some of the behavior problems that I have seen in the school. I have witnessed kids crying because they have been physically and verbally threaten. When I attempted to bring it to someone s attention it seemed like I was bothering them. I have a degree in counseling and I am trained to recognize various behavior problems in people. I also witnessed some teachers yelling at kids for no reason, which I found very disturbing. I personally would be scared to send my child to that school.
Submitted by teacher on March 24, 2014

Millbrook Elementary Magnet School is a wonderful place for all children. We are proud of our diverse population! Children come from all different types of backgrounds and learn that together they can create a better and more peaceful world. The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme has been successfully implemented at Millbrook for 10 years. The reason for this is the high quality teachers that work with students no matter what their academic background or experiences are like. We have specialized teachers who work with children who are academically gifted all the way to children with severe learning disabilities. We are proud to be a school with effective teachers who instill in children that continuing to make growth is what is important. Come to our school to experience our family of lifelong learners!
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2014

Millbrook Elementary Magnet School has been my school for 12 years and 3 kids. It is so sad that this is our last year there. The staff is the best in Wake County and everyone in that building is committed to the success of every student. It amazes me when teachers who have never had my son, connect him to me and are noticing progress he is making. The PYP program really encourages my son to be invested in his learning. My two sons who moved on from MEMS are both A students and have adapted well to middle school and high school. This school is more than a school it is a family!
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2013

I am a high school teacher, as well as a parent of a rising first grader. Millbrook has been an excellent choice. Their Primary Years Programme for the IB program is amazing, the teachers are outstanding, and I am always impressed by how involved the PTSA is. I would highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a highly organized, caring environment, with emphasis on diversity, team-building, along with high academic standards.
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2013

My son is a fifth grader at Millbrook Elementary Magnet school and I couldn't have chosen a better school. Since kindergarten the teachers have been involved and were clear about their expectations for success for all students. The principal and teachers are concerned about students learning and not always focused on teaching for a test. The EOG does not cause anxiety for my son or parents as easily passed every year. My son will be ready for any Middle school because Millbrook and Parents worked hand in hand.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2011

Test scores also don't tell the whole truth. There are schools that do nothing but teach to the test - ensuring wonderful EOG results - but at the expense of other essential things that build well rounded and capable students. Test scores are one dimension. It's something they are continuing to work on. Test scores are not the most important thing to us when looking at schools - everyone is different though. The Teacher survey results were far more meaningful.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2011

I am a proud parent of a 4th grader and 2nd grader at MEMS! We have been involved at the school since 2007 when my 4th grader was in kindergarten. We love the school! Everything in life is what you make of it. Some people will always see things half full. I can't stand when people say read between the lines. All children are special and deserve top notch teachers. ALL STUDENTS!!!! The school is diverse. It is what we love!! The children need to learn from each other and yes other cultures. Our school has one of the highest number of teachers that are nationally board certified and/or have higher level degrees. The teachers at our school are very dedicated. They differentiate for all students. Both of my students have been placed in groups to advance them. I have not ever seen them not being challenged. My son is now an AG student because of the hard work his primary grade teachers placed in him. This school is dedicated to finding what each individual child needs. It is what I love about it!! Our administration is wonderful as well. You can write what your child needs to be successful and they try and accommodate your request. :) It is a Great School!
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2011

My earlier review was not meant to be spiteful at all! I am really happy that other parents have had wonderful experiences at MEMS. I first posted a review several months ago & it was not posted b/c I specifically named teachers that I felt were an asset to the school--doing so is outside of greatschools guidelines. At that time I re-posted a less specific review. I wish everyone at MEMS nothing but the best, however we had a really negative experience. Felt like it was important to share. Besides, click over to the Test Scores & Stats tab. The numbers don't lie.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2011

We are very very happy with Millbrook Elementary. The leadershp and teachers are great and our kids are doing fantastic with the unique IB learning style. We moved from a 'better rated' school that was not putting forth much effor to challenge our oldest with more difficult material. The AG program seems to be well run and our kids are excelling. The only negatives that I can think of are the start time (early bell at 7:45) and there appears to be less independent project homework than I expect in the 3rd to 5th grades relative to other schools.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2011

My son attended Millbrook from 2nd-5th grade. I wanted to respond to the negative post. I never saw teachers texting in morning car pool. What I did see was teachers standing in the rain, heat, cold, etc. making sure my son got to class safely every day. Safety Patrol students opened my door and said "Good morning" and "Have a nice day." The comments about the counselors was also puzzling. I remember seeing banners hanging at the entrance of the school saying that they won NC Counselor of the Year in back to back years. Some of the issues the poster brought up are parenting issues that need to be handled at home. Parents love to blame the school for their lack of parenting skills. The AP at my son's current middle school said she can tell the kids from Millbrook Elementary because they are well behaved and well prepared academically. I ate lunch with my son regularly and went up to school quite a bit. It is amazing how well the students behave. You would never know there is 750+ students on campus. Teachers and administration are caring. We loved Millbrook. why wait until October to do a bad post about the school? That just seems spiteful to me. Address it at the time it happens.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2011

My daughter began MES as a kindergartener and is now in second grade. We have been very pleased with all of her teachers both in their ability to teach and challenge her as well as with classroom management. My daughter is achieving at a high level academically at MES. We have been very impressed with MES at every level.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2010

Our daughter is in the 2nd grade and we've had difficulty with the school for 2 years now. We're have applied to transfer out of Millbrook and to another local school. We don't feel the benefit of the Magnet program outweighs the negatives we've experienced. We find it hard to properly express how we feel about the school, but in a nutshell, the academic program seems to be catered to specific groups, to the exclusion of those not in those groups (read between the lines). While it's wonderful to be exposed to new cultures, it should not be at the expense of others. But, then again, the school has certain target demographics and the kids need to be kept engaged. Additionally, we have had problems with the quality of teachers and what seems to be a laid-back attitude about classroom violence and exclusionary behavior.