Nickajack Elementary School

4555 Mavell Road

School District

Cobb County
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Cobb 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 parent on August 22, 2024

Our family experience at Nickajack has by far surpassed expectations. We initially went back and forth over whether to send our kids to private school or attend public school. I'm so glad we chose to attend public school. When we first looked at the school ratings, we weren't exactly thrilled about what our child's experience might look like. However, after attending a couple of meetings and meeting the school's administration, we were put at ease and eventually decided to enroll our child. The administration is totally bought into the community and ensuring the education of our children is not something that is taken lightly. All the faculty and staff really do push the kids to make them more 'Respectable, Responsible, Role Models'. We have seen how NES has become more reflective of this community and education is placed high on the pedestal. You fill have to search far and wide to find a school that has more involvement from the administration, staff, families and community than what Nickajack has. We are confident that our kids will be ready to compete academically with any students out there.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2024

I have nothing buy love for this school, and my experience is much better than the 5/10 ranking I see here. Nickajack is a very diverse school with some families whose first language is not English, and I wonder how much that affects the rating. But I believe the leadership celebrates that diversity, using it as a vehicle for engagement and opportunities that may not always be reflected in scores and ratings. The teachers care and are engaged and have regularly gone beyond what's required to help my special needs student. The DLI program is fantastic and Nickajack routinely ranks near the top for parental involvement. This is a culture of family.
Submitted by parent on August 18, 2024

Both of my children are currently enrolled at Nickajack. We have had great experiences with teachers, admin and parent involvement.
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2024

Our family has had a fantastic experience at Nickajack! The teachers are welcoming and diligent! The administrators are dedicated to creating the best possible school environment. There are so many great parents involved in all aspects of their children’s education! It truly is a wonderful place to learn!!
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2024

3 of my children attend this school and we absolutely love it. The parent engagement is outstanding, with numerous avenues for all parents to get involved. The teachers truly love the students and make learning fun. The administration is very responsive to any need. Nickajack provides an outstanding education and is a great place for children to learn.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2024

We love Nickajack! The involvement between teachers, administration and parents is off the charts. Our child is in DLI and the ability to learn about different cultures, shared experiences and language has been so amazing. Nickajack offers lots of supports including social/emotional awareness, specials, after school clubs and celebrations. Dr. Cline and her team have implemented great new programs and initiatives which shows in the data and learning outcomes. The Foundation and PTA are very involved and help make Nickajack a special place.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2023

We love Nickajack! Our teachers treat our kids like family. The leadership is very supportive. Our family engagement is off the charts between the PTA and Foundation and other volunteer opportunities!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2021

What started as a great year of communication from principal Meyer with introduction videos of the new assistant principal, what the building looked like when school started virtually for all students and being on the morning announcements is now nonexistent. Now more than ever our students and parents need to see our administration team, especially since we have four administrators in the building.It seems as though the only time we see or hear from principal Meyer is when there is a fundraising event. This is very disheartening, especially seeing and hearing about what other local school administrators are doing at their schools.What happened to the weekly call outs or daily morning announcements?Our students feel disconnected as well as parents. Hopefully NES staff and teachers do not feel the same way as they are pouring into our children during this difficult school year.Thankful for the PTA that keeps us informed of school wide events.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2020

We were devastated to lose the final quarter of 5th grade to c19, as this class and teacher have been the inching on the cake for our six years at NES. Our overall experience has been amazing and I could never have guessed that the final year would be the best. I highly recommend NES and am so proud of our school and the amazing evolution of the past six years.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2020

We have been extremely pleased with Nickajack and could not imagine having our son anywhere else. The Nickajack Foundation raised over $100,000 for our school and teachers this school year. That shows clarity in involvement and the passion the parents have with being involved and keeping our children in the public school system, despite what Great School scores show. Our kiddo has been a student at Nickajack since K and is now in 3rd grade. He has flourished in the environment! I have been blown away by their response to the virus outbreak and how supportive and prepared the teachers have been with home schooling our children during this very challenging time. I recommend all parents to tour the school and ask locals about how they like it. This scoring is skewed and should never drive your decision on what's best for your child.
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2020

Amazing! The parents are highly involved and it has a strong PTA. The teachers are amazing and really go to great lengths to support the kids of varying needs.
Submitted by other on January 19, 2020

9 for potential and zero for execution. The school is supposed to protect our children not find ways to throw additional curves and roadblock at them.
Submitted by parent on January 02, 2020

Love the DLI program! Our teacher, Ms. Kordel, is FANTASTIC!
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2018

I love this school, the Admin, the Teachers, the PTA and the Foundation!
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2018

I love the principal and administration, but they’re in over their heads. Student/Faculty wise it’s hit and miss... LOTS of work needs to be done, but in all honesty, I think the problem lies within the boundaries at which school your child must attend.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2018

I am beyond proud to say that my daughter attends Nickajack. The sense of community, teacher/staff/parent involvement and overall experience has been amazing. We look forward to completing the next three years being a proud Nickajack Brave!
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2018

I have two sons that attended NES and our experience has been amazing!!!! The teachers and administrators go above and beyond to provide a positive and empowering environment! A+++ Experience
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2018

We're into our 2nd year with Nickajack & love the environment. Let me start with this: NES is a public school & many people get put off by the label of 'public school'. But I'm here to tell anyone: This School is a great place for kids. Also, Parent involvement is EXCELLENT. Staff & Administration are the Cream of the Crop for Cobb Schools. Indeed, Nichkajack has been a 'Diamond in the Rough', but under the leadership of Principal Hill & the Incredible Faculty, NES has gone to a level beyond that. It is equal to any of the best Elementary Schools in Cobb County, Georgia & I would assert, the Nation. I will back that comment up with this: 1) The Level of Care for Students is Wonderful, 2) The Expectations of Students is Very High & the Progress is Quite Tangible, 3) The Vibe is really laid-back, but focused on the importantaspects of learning, 4) Nickajack is just plain positive, and yes, Fun. My 6yr old enjoys going to NES & takes pride in his school, as do many more of the kids & parents that we know. If you live in this area & have a child of Elementary School age, you are fortunate to have this school as yours. When our son started Elementary School as a 'K', we looked around to the Smyrna Charter school (very good), King Springs (also very good) & wanted to get him into the 'best rated' school. We have friends in Cobb & in Buckhead who send their kids to priate schools. The ones in Buckhead really like their school, but we get the sense that they would like to have an option like Nickajack or King Springs. Our friends who have sent their kids to the Cobb private schools nearby have expressed that they are not too impressed. Indeeed, one has had kids in both NES and private: Her opinion is that she will enroll her daughter in NES next year as opposed to private. This is jsut what I've heard.Once we let the dust settle in our 'due dilligence', we realized that the ABSOLUTE BEST option was less than 1/2 mile away at Nickajack. Anyway, to cut the long-winded comment short: This is a Great School!
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2017

I truly can't say enough about Nickajack and how pleased we are with the school, teachers, and overall administration. Understand this school has well over a 1000 students that are from a wide diverse background, yet produces quality outcomes and respectful young people. Daughter is currently in the 2nd grade and youngest will be in Kindergarten next year. With the option and ability to either do private or this public school, my choice is Nickajack 100%. They have a great School Foundation that raises substantial dollars, a PTA that constantly keeps families and students engaged, and a school Counsel that closely works with external Smyrna and Cobb County issues. I'm very happy my children are a Nickajack Brave!
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2017

My daughter has been at Nickajack since 1st grade and is now in 4th. I can't say enough awesome things about the teachers we've encountered. However, I've found the current principal to be a bit unresponsive although he does appear pleasant. Which is loads better than the school psychologist that I found to be lacking in knowledge and unpleasant. My gut is telling me that the overall quality of this school is deteriorating, which is bearing out with this GS rating, as it appears to be falling. My hope was for my child to finish elementary at Nickajack, but I'm unsure at this point. I wish I could give this school 3.5 stars, but I can't so 4 it is... because I do feel they are better than a 3.