Joseph P. Spracale Elementary School

1325 East Malibu Drive

School District

Tempe
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
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 April 05, 2024

Spracale Elementary School is a treasure to the Tempe community and among the best in the district! Our family made the choice to open enroll (we live in the Mesa School District) and it was absolutely the best decision we could make for your children. Every teacher and staff member is welcoming, professional, and truly understands what it takes to enrich students both academically and socially. As a parent, I have always appreciated the open lines of communication that teachers have established and the memorable activities that are planned. The office staff and administration team are incredibly helpful and kind. They run a tight ship but always with a smile! Spracale also values the importance of hands-on and project based learning as well as meeting the strengths of all children. They have a flourishing music program, top notch PACE teacher, access to a school garden, many opportunities for physical activities, and really...I could go on. But in a nutshell, Spracale is best if experienced first hand!
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2024

We love Spracale. This school has a small town feel. The teachers and staff really care about the kids. There are so many programs offered, (we are very pleased with the PACE program). My son has a passion for reading and math because they do a great job making learning fun.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2024

My daughter has gone here since 1st grade and the dedication to her success is unmatched by any schools I had gone to with her older siblings. The communication with families is wonderful. The teachers and staff know her and get to know our family. The dedication to not only academics but really helping students learn in the best way they can is exceptional. You really feel the care from teachers, staff, admin, just everyone. Throughly exceptional.
Submitted by parent on February 25, 2024

My daughter is in 3rd grade and has loved her teachers and classes each year at Spracale! It's such a great community and a true hidden gem in Tempe!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2024

I love Spracale Elementary. They offer amazing programs and the teachers are amazing!!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2024

Two of my children are open enrolled at Spracale and this is a parenting choice that I continue to feel good about! The school has a very positive and welcoming environment for students, parents, and families. The teachers are pro-active about sharing when students have success on the parent/teacher app the school provides. When one of my children was struggling earlier this year with feeling overwhelmed his classroom teacher and the school counselor partnered with our family to help him work through his feelings. I feel like my kids are learning what they need academically, but are also in a environment where kindness is reinforced and students who are struggling with negative behavior are given supports to be more positive members of the school community. 10/10 would recommend!
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2023

Our experience with Spracale Elementary has been great! Any potential issues have been dealt with in a straightforward manner. My children have loved all their teachers and I believe that the teachers truly care about their students. The PTA works hard to offer equitable events and opportunities to all families at Free or Low Cost.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2023

We are so happy with the Pace Program, it keeps our child challenged. The teachers and staff are amazing at Spracale.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2022

We feel known and loved at Spracale.
Submitted by parent on July 19, 2018

My son has gone here since Kindergarten. Due to a split household, I'm unable to move my son to a better suited school. My son is performing, at best, on a second to third grade level, passing with all As. The expectations of this school are extremely low. As a soon to be fourth grader, my son does not understand proper handwriting, such as keeping his letter legible or even the same size. He doesn't have a clear understanding of punctuation, capitalization, or general sentence structure. When this was brought up to his teacher, I was told that it didn't matter because they type most things and it auto corrects for them. My son spends more time logged in to a "learning" website playing a game where he taps a single button to make a character jump than he does on actual learning. By the end of third grade, he has never done a single book report or project. He spends a majority of his time bored because he finishes his work quickly and has nothing to do. This is only the tip of the iceberg of complaints I have about this school. I cannot wait until my son reaches sixth grade and ages out of this school.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2017

Both our girls are currently enrolled at Hudson and love it!!! The staff is amazing! My girls are excelling at every subject.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2017

Hudson Elementary is a fantastic school. My children are in their third year here and love the school, their teachers and staff. The school is “A” rated and it is clear that academic success is important to the teachers and students alike. The amount of homework given is reasonable per grade level. The student to teacher ratios are lower than many other elementary schools in the area, which allows teachers to give personalized attention to students who need it. Dr. Shores, the principal, is absolutely phenomenal and the most dedicated administrator I have ever seen. I visited a number of schools before deciding on Hudson and did so with confidence after meeting him. I think great leadership is critical to a school’s success. Dr. Shores inspires the children to want to be successful and the teachers to do their best. He is great with parents and during meetings is responsive, considerate and thoughtful. I have seen him direct traffic in the parking lot, help with playground duty, run in the annual Turkey Trot, and allow students to Velcro him to a wall as an end of year reward for their hard work.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2017

I have 3 kids that have and currently attend this school. The staff and teachers are amazing. They care about the success of their of the students and make sure they get help when needed. They have great reward programs that the kids love!
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2016

My kids feel safe, they're learning, they're thriving and they feel an overall sense pride in their school, the teachers and the principal. They love it here!
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2016

My son has special needs he is on the spectrim. He was treated like a problem child instead of a child. I believe Dr. Shores should not be a principal at any school. One time he made the coment to me that it was unexceptable for my son to not be on medication when I was waiting for an apoitment with a psychiatrist after a reaction to medication. He also blamed my son's behavior on bad parenting. The school did not go out of its way to find a placement that better suited my son instead they just let it go. At one point when my son got pulled out of class I was even told he doesn't have time for my son he has things he needs to do. My son has sense left the school and is at another school that is going out of its way for my son. The assistant principal at the new school always has time to help him. And they are going out of there way to help him and find a placement for him. If your child is on the spectrim stay away from this school.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2015

The teachers and administration truly care about the students and their success. My kids love going to school here.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2015

Dr. Shores has a genuine concern for each individual student. He caught quickly that my son needed some additional help in order to help him succeed. He provided those services and now my son is keeping up with his class. His teacher, Miss. Garcia, is one of the nicest people I have met and shows much patience with her students. Dr. Shores and Miss. Garcia ensure that no child is left behind.
Submitted by other on August 29, 2014

I am an educational consultant and have been in 100's of schools working with students. I was so impressed by the staff and students at Hudson. The environment is warming and caring from the minute you walk in. This school seems to be flying under the radar, but is doing AMAZING things!
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2014

My school is great. They have activities throughout the year for kids and they are an A school which is fantastic. My kids also enjoy attending the school. My only complaint is that I feel like an outsider when visiting the school. Parents aren't allowed to take their kids to their classes on the first day (which is a HUGE DEAL for both parent/child). They don't invite parents to any assemblies to see their children get honored. I may be mistaken on this, but I haven't ever been told about any. The front office tone is condescending at times and they make you feel like a child rather than a parent. I'm riding out the year and hoping some things change. I have never heard of a school that doesn't allow any parents to come and help in the classroom. Especially when those parents are fingerprint clearanced by the School District. I was a school secretary for 9 years in an Elementary School and we welcomed parents as long as they signed in, in the front office. Each parent understood that they couldn't disrupt class time and they didn't, but they came and copied for teachers, cut papers, helped in the classroom, etc. The current policy in this school is baffling to me.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

We love Hudson Elementary! The teachers and staff are fabulous and I send my kids to school with confidence. I know they are being genuinely cared for and that they are getting a great education.