St Patrick Elementary School

284 East Main Street

Smithtown, NY 11787

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

Our daughter attends St Patrick and in the time she’s been here it’s been the most amazing experience. We’ve had some amazing teachers and we are consistently given opportunities to be involved. The curriculum is a tad slower versus public however we supplement with help from a tutor to keep things challenging. The students are so respectful, we’ve met some amazing families and friendships she’s made have been great. Teachers are responsive and keeps us very up to date on progress. We are even told lunch is quite good and she likes the food. We understand that education, how much school needs to do but also as parents we need to be involved. Her iready scores since leaving public school have improved, they are average and this year above average. Again, we spend time teaching her and also using music, art and the summer to keep things moving so that each year she’s back at school with confidence and a boost. Highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a great place for their child.
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2024

I I absolutely love this school. I read some of the negative reviews and find them misleading. First of all there are not numerous halls days a month. There is one half day a month which includes a mass. My family lives next door and go to public school and the amount of days my nieces are home is excessive. The curriculum : The school follows the same curriculum as Smithtown school district. My child does her homework with our family friends which are in the same grade. Both my daughter and my friends son do their homework together since they are on the same lessons. The other bad review is not hard to guess who wrote it. There is one mom in the school whom for the past 3 years have complained about everything from the kids, teachers and the way it's run. She also keeps her kids in the school for unknown reasons. Her one child has had behavioral issues and been reprimanded. I would never pout my child in any other school. There is a reason this school gets new children in during the school year and is thriving. I do realize not all children will handle small graduating classes , uniform and religion. My nieces need some extra help in their schooling and have sensory issues so this is why they need to stay in public school. Regular parent involvement is also a common practice in this school. I love seeing my children during their school day, from seeing interactions with other children and their friends. Some parents prefer to stay out of the school activities. That's fine but then this is another amazing thing about this school. Parents are truly involved. The principal is hands on and will handle behavioral issues. This school is wonderful. If anyone has any doubts ask the parents that continue to send their children here.
Submitted by parent on June 27, 2023

Sadly, this school has taken a turn for the worse. Academically, most of the classroom assignments are dittos and some teachers instruct lessons while others model a problem or two and tell the students, "Now, you do the work." The younger grades have stronger teachers, but as your child progresses up to the middle school, the quality of the educators diminishes significantly, specifically in the math department. My child's scores on the TACHs test and iReady were abysmal in math, and that performance is a product of a lack luster math department. Socially the school is fine. My child made some amazing friends along the way, but I know that was not the case for many other children. The worst aspect of this school is how discipline is handled both in the classroom and at the administrative level. Consequences are doled out and sometimes taken away because parents push back or because administration failed to do its job of investigating situations prudently and thoroughly. My advice is to look elsewhere if you want a true Catholic education, one that is academically robust and spiritually fulfilling.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2022

This is a wonderful school. The new principal is very caring and went and above and beyond for my daughter. She gets more services here than my public school offered. The resource room teachers are amazing.
Submitted by parent on June 25, 2022

my son attends this school 2 years ago after it closed family is very. good school we are very happy
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2021

My daughter attended this school for 2 years and her state scores plummeted. I released that the teachers were not equipped with the tools to educate with the current curriculum and up to date requirements for a well rounded education. They had several half days a month and those days were not spent on fundamentals but in church. The amount of hours missed lead to to decline in learning and put the children behind, especially in math and science. I pulled child mid year and after 6 months in the Smithtown School district my child was again back in the 90th percentile. The education was far superior. I did love the parents and community though. Lovely families. Gladly my child made many new friends.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2018

I love this school I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a catholic education
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2018

I would Rate this Disgrace of a School- " 0 " ! Even That id Too Much!!! Find Another School Before You Regret it!!
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2016

As a parent of two children in St. Patrick School, I can not be happier with the choice in sending them there. St. Patrick School teachers and administrators truly care about our children. All the teachers are NYS certified, all have Masters degrees so they are highly qualified. The class sizes are smaller than in public schools so the children get more personalized attention. The children receive first rate, faith based education.The school events are wonderful and everyone is treated like family. My kids love the various extracurricular activities too.St. Patrick School of Smithtown is a very special place and the best school for my children to attend.
Submitted by student on February 05, 2016

I go to the school and it is the best choice my parents ever made. The teachers are amazing and help you with following your dreams.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2014

There are better choices out there. St Patrick School used to be a cut above the rest. Now it is filled with kids being bused in from undesirable school districts . The parents of the kids bused in feel like they have something to prove to the Smithtown families and that leads to gossip and back stabbing. The only think remotely Christian about this school is the name. I feel like I wasted yens of thousands of dollars on tuition. After switching my child to public school I quickly realized how far behind he was, though at SPS he was top of the class. The education standards are lacking and most of the teachers do not have the education clout of public school teachers. They do not post their test scores because they are lower than the public and other Catholic schools in the area. Bullying is a major problem in this school and they are not mandated to report it to NY state. It is clear to me that the glowing reviews on this site must have been written by the board members or PTA moms, they all seem to have the same theme . This school is one to avoid !!!!!
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2014

This school is not worth the money. If you want to send your children to a school that will prepare them for HS and beyond, this is not the school. They do not post their test scores because they are very low. The math and science programs are a joke. The science teacher spends a lot of time teaching about aliens !!! The math program has been a disaster for years. The teachers are not prepared to implement the common core curriculum, so they fake their way through. One can get a better education in public school. Although the school is located in Smithtown most of the students are bused in from other districts. The school administration is lazy. Keep in mind this school is not mandated to report bullying issues to the state, bullying in this school is bad, especially with the female students. The worst bully in the school is a fifth grade teacher who has a divisive effect on the female students. There is a lot of yelling by the staff at the students. It is not a caring atmosphere. Do not believe the student /teacher ratios as reported on this site...it is more like 24:1
Submitted by parent on May 16, 2014

This school was terrible. Kids were bullied every single day. The old principle smoked every single lunch period. Plus all the kids that go here are rich families from the north shore. The tuition is way too much. This school was not good. Actually this school sucked.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2014

I have been a member of St Patrick Parish for 23 years. My three children have attended St Patrick School over a continuous span of fourteen years. St Patrick offers a well established curriculum and a faith based education. Families are given the privilege to work alongside a faculty who give selflessly to students. The new administration has brought even more spirit to the building. They are communicative to parents, friendly in nature and are visible each and every day. My children who have moved on to high school have transitioned well into competitive schools. I believe this is due to their reliance on the foundation St Patrick has given them. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly St Patrick is what it is because of the people who give of their time and talent to enhance all St Patrick has to offer. Children are able to see parents volunteer at events to make St Patrick School an exceptional experience. Families also donate their specific skills to keep the school well represented and informed From these donations of time and talent children may then lead by example and carry on a specific value system based on kindness, dedication and hard work.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2014

St. Patrick's is a WONDERFUL school that encourages and fosters the growth of your entire child - both academically & spiritually. The school is large enough to allow for two classes per grade, which creates smaller classes for more personalized instruction. The Principal has been at St. Pats for 20 years & is a wonderful educator who cares about every one of her students. The education the students receive is top notch as is evidenced by the large numbers of graduating 8th graders being accepted into honors programs at very competitive high schools as well as scholarship dollars. In fact, many public school teachers & administrators send their kids to St. Pats. I have found SPS students to be far ahead of their same grade public school counterparts in all subjects. Faculty & administration are very sensitive to situations that arise and deal with it appropriately and maintain an open line of communication with families. The vast and varied extra-curricular activities offer something for every child. The administration welcomes parent volunteers and truly appreciates any efforts to help the school. Best decision we ever made to send our children here.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2012

St. Patrick's has wonderful, devoted teachers and many kind children attending. I completely disagree with the last post. I left "meet the teacher" night feeling that the school is being revived and moving in a very positive direction. I was there and the board was NOT asking for more money! They were asking for EVERYONE to get involved! Not just one group, but the entire family community. St. Patrick's school has SmartBoards in every classroom and they have updated technology which allows instant communication with parents on what is going on and how to get involved. I have children in the middle school and lower grades and they are all very happy at St. Pat's. Test scores are always good and many students qualify for National Jr. Honor Society. I am somewhat shy, but have never felt slighted or left out ever by other parents...even the so called "in crowd". Some people are never happy and are bitter, but St. Patrick's has many more good aspects than bad. While there is no such thing as perfect, I do not have any regrets about sending my children to St. Pat's. The uniform, sacraments and school masses are beautiful. In this world, St. Pat's is a good, safe choice!