Summerfield Elementary School

11990 Big Bend Road

School District

Hillsborough
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
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 March 14, 2024

I am satisfied with the school and teachers. My daughter started in the 2nd grade even though she didn't know any English. Now, with the support they gave him to finish the 3rd grade, he speaks perfect English.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2022

My child has been there for 6 yrs now (K-5). These older school ratings are not accurate to my child's learning experience! We have had a wonderful experience at this school and I feel my child has been taught and learned amazingly while being here.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2015

Ms Gerych is the best 1st grade teacher. Any student will do great in her class Summerfield Elementary has the most involved Principal. Their community is fabulous!
Submitted by other on May 12, 2015

Our school is the best. No bullies, it's nice and friendly. If I were to rate all of the schools I've been too, I think Summerfield is the best. And the best part we have school spirit, from pre-k - 5th grade and staff members to teachers.
Submitted by other on April 10, 2015

Haha this school is a joke. Please if possible I would consider another school if u can for ur child. Some of the teachers here are rude & mean even to the parents. Just imagine how they treat ur kids if they treat u w no respect.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2015

I just want to start off by saying this school sucks. It needs a lot of upgrades. There's a few places that have mold. Most of the teachers need to be replaced. This school makes home schooling look better every day. Every time u turn around there wanting money for something, but I don't see what there using it for. I also don't see how there letting kids take there library books to lunch, outside etc. If some other child spills, takes etc ur child's library books then ur responsible for them & the amount of money they want for the books that are lost is outrageous. Most of the books here are falling apart. The car line in the morning is terrible. It always has traffic backed up. This school dosent have a lot of parent involvement & I see why. Cause about half of the teachers are rude when ur volunteering. I was gonna join the PTA but some of the parents that are on there act like they are better than u.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2015

I am a parent of a kindergarten who watches everything when I am there. The principal, Mr. McLaughlin, personally welcomed me to take a tour with him, when he heard about my anxiety with my son starting such a large size school. I was so impressed to see he knew all the students names as we walked by them, and they where all excited to see him, no matter their age. Through all the school halls there where kids projects, activities going on. I was very pleased. My son even had a VERY DIFFICULT time starting at this school and Mr. McLaughlin and his entire admin team became part of my sons team to help him succeed and where determined in the most positive manners disciplining and developing proper structured routines and habits for my son. The previous reviews from years passed had me leery on placing my son at this school, that is why I had called and asked for a tour and to meet the principal. They met with me that day. Come to find out, the reviews where before new staff and admin team where placed in, and Mr. McLaughlin had became principal. I am looking forward to the next 5 years at Summerfield.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2014

Currently, my daughter is the third child who will have attended SES and by far we are very appreciative and content with the education given. My other 2 have moved on the Middle School & High School Magnet programs and have excelled as being nominated for Nat'l Honor rolls. This could only be possible if the education foundation was laid while in elementary school especially since my oldest completed 3 years at Williams IB Middle School which has a very intense educational agenda. Our interactions with the teachers and leaders for the past 6 years has been informing as well as enjoyable. Our children were and are happy with SES and we are glad they attended the school.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2014

We love this school! Our daughter has attended Summerfield Elementary since kindergarten and she loves it too! The teachers she has had have been absolutely wonderful...the children are taught very well and when a problem surfaces it gets resolved immediately! Each and every child is given the chance to grow as an individual and that alone allows the children to become who they are while educating them to succeed to the next grade! Highly recommended - wonderful staff, great principal & asst. principal, art & music are finest quality as well! RATING: EXCELLENT!!
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2014

I have to say, since moving here I am extremely disappointed with the teachers. They are judgmental, rude and ignorant to both the students and parents (during conferences). We moved our child from a choice school to Summerfield and as for academics I should have left my child at the choice school. As for the teachers this school takes the cake. I would not recommend this school. They teach for the under privileged and the children who are above average they are the ones left behind or get in trouble because they are bored. I can't even tell you what is being taught in this school, my child brings home 1 page of homework, on the one page he only has to do 3 maybe 4 problems a night, what happened to learning by repetition? Anyway, this is our third move and I have never run into a school or teachers like the ones I have dealt with in Florida. I have nothing good to say. My child will be going to another Choice school for the 2014-2015 school year and I hope it gets better because I don't know what I will do. All I want is the best for my child and we are not getting that in Florida! Good luck to the new comers.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2014

I will be a parent in the fall of 2014. Reading the reviews I worried. So, I made an appt with principal. I was shocked and surprised and pleased with the school, the attentiveness of the teachers greeting me. Coincidently, the principal is from the north as well, and understood my concerns and anxiety. He just took over the school spring of 2013, and already had made so many improvements. I feel much more secure and pleased with my child attending this school.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2013

This is the third elementary school my children have been to due to us moving a lot and this is the one they have been happiest at. The teachers and staff have been nothing but welcoming and attentive to my children, the teachers have created a positive atmosphere for learning and for fun.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2011

So far I can say I really like this school. The last school my son went to for his KG & 1st grade he hated getting up in the morning & going there. I have not had a problem yet. He has said he really likes this school & his teachers. My daughter started KG this yr & loves it. & so far any of the staff Ive had to talk to have been great. Alot better than Doby Elem.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2010

In the 3+ months my son has been at this school, I have been nothing but disappointed -- and that's being kind. My son's 1st grade teacher has no desire whatsoever to nurture all of the children in her class. She recently explained to us that my son needs to "stop asking so many questions" because it can become a disruption and sometimes with the "smarter kids, it's the simple things they can't understand." Never in a million years have I heard of a teacher discouraging a student's curiosity! Further, we were also told that when we're at home with him, we should just tell him that "enough's enough" and there are to be no more questions. Excuse me? Did this teacher just tell me how to parent my child? Additionally, last week, my son was in another classroom with a reading buddy. After he was done, he went back to his classroom only to find that it was empty. His teacher had left with her students and took them to PE -- without my son!! This is absurd and utterly ridiculous. I am disgusted. This school already tests well below average...and now I know why! Because of this, it's been given a restructuring status, which is fine - because I am moving him next year.
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2010

Am a transport from NYC and am very impressed with this school. Coming from a very competitive environment, we were reluctant with the school systems here. The teachers have been amazing so far and are very very involved.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2010

In response to the parent who feels that ESL students may be holding others back, I understand the concern. However, it's not only the children whose 2nd language is English that may need remedial work. In my neighborhood, there is a diverse group of children who appear to need more remedial work because they are significantly behind and these are the not the ESL children. Parents need to be more involved than ever in the education of their children because of the reality of budgetary constraints on schools. The best thing a parent can do to help prepare a child for the real world is instill a love of learning. If children can learn to love reading early, or love to do math early, they will not be held back by any peers because they'll be able to drive themselves to learn at their own pace. Summerfield's scores are actually higher.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2010

This school spends such an inordinate amount of time doing remedial work for students who do not speak English as their first language, that on-level students are held back. This is completely unacceptable, and the administrators are completely unresponsive to these concerns. It's no surprise that this school scores only five out of ten based on standardized testing.
Submitted by student on August 16, 2008

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Submitted by parent on May 09, 2007

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