St Joseph Elementary School

2675 3rd Street

Trenton, MI 48183

29 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on March 05, 2017

Our family has been a part of the St. Joe's community for the past two years. After meeting with the 3 year old preschool teacher, our decision to send our daughter to St. Joe's was solidified. Both the 3 and 4 year old preschool teachers are amazing! Our daughter has grown so much, both academically and socially, in this faith- based education. This is more than just a school community; St. Joe's is like a second family. We couldn't imagine sending our daughter anywhere else!
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2017

The preschool program at St. Joes Is awesome! The 3 and 4y/o preschool teachers really do a great job in preparing the students for kindergarten. They give each child the individualized attention that they need to learn and they make learning fun. This is our second year here and we plan on sending both of our children on into kindergarten and hopefully 8th grade. There is a sense of community and compassion at St. Joes. I also like the incorporation of God and the catholic faith into the preschool curriculum. I feel that it is so important in shaping the kind of people I would like my children to become. The teachers take pride in being their teacher and mentor!
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2017

This is our second year with St Joe's and I can say with certainty we love this school and plan to continue on to kindergarten. The preschool teachers are exemplary. They are both incredibly caring and educated. My child wakes up each school day excited to learn something new. My family and I also feel very welcome. Other parents and children seem to truly care about my family. It just feels like we have found a second home where my child is safe and nutured.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2016

This is our 7th year at St. Joseph's. The school is fantastic. The class sizes are small. The teachers are attentive and genuinely love the kids. The new principal is fantastic. The choice in extracurriculars is better than any nearby public school. The twice-weekly gym class, music, Spanish and Art really are impactive on my child. The facilities are well maintained. We have many choices in education and I CHOOSE year-after-year to send my child here because of the excellent education.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2015

St. Joes has suffered a great deal in the past 3 years! With new leadership coming in, the school became something it had never been in the past. It is unorganized and inconsistent. There is no structure or discipline. The previous family-like environment turned into a cliquey environment where the rules only apply to certain students and families. Some of the most experienced, long-time teachers have been pushed out (and/or fired). They've been replaced with new, young, inexperienced teachers. It had gotten so bad that, sadly, several families and teachers left the school. St Joes is definitely not what it used to be. This 2015-2016 school year started out with some of the best news when the principal announced her departure from this school!!!! Hopefully St. Joes can recover from this decline and be on the road to recovery in the months and years ahead.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2015

St. Joseph school is a school based on education, faith, commitment, perseverance, values & family. I am very pleased to have brought my children into the St. Joseph School & Parish community. The growth I have seen in their academic abilities, social skills & faith commitment is remarkable. I applaud the principle & teachers for their valiant effort & success in implementing technological based teaching while maintaining the traditional paper & pencil. Families are encouraged to participate in any capacity that they can, whether it be to volunteer in the lunch room, assist with various after school programs, serve as a homeroom parent or school commission member or assist in the planning of community activities (Carnival, Lenten Drives, Fish Fry, etc.). Every volunteer experience that I have participated in I have truly enjoyed. The parents are welcoming & your efforts & hard work are appreciated. Continued (see above)
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2015

Most importantly, my children feel welcomed, appreciated, important, comfortable & safe within the St. Joseph School Community. One of the most impressive things when I first entered the St. Joseph School Community was the respectfulness, compassion, concern & warmth among the student body demonstrated towards parents & the incoming children. All of the children, irregardless of age, show such an interest in the betterment of their peers .
Submitted by other on February 28, 2015

I was so fortunate to send my oldest daughter to St. Joes until she was in 4th grade. At that point I had given birth to my twins which now made us a family of 6. With such sadness I had to pull her out and enroll her in Trenton Public Schools. It was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do as parents but there was no way we could afford tuition for 4 children. Even though my kids were not attending school at St. Joes we still participated in all the parish activities from catechism ( where I am a teacher) to the CYO sports that are second to none. I am so excited that they are offering help with tuition now and we have already started working with the staff to see if I can send my kids back. There is no comparison to the St. Joes family!!
Submitted by other on February 26, 2015

Pointing out that 7th grade test scores have not increased above the high school level, is ridiculous! Did you notice how high the test scores were? They have eighth graders taking high school math! I love hearing all of the accomplishments of this school and seeing all they do to involve the community in their faith based, family centered activities. It is very sad that a Catholic school has to resort to special tuition offers in order to increase enrollment. But, since the cost of everything has increased so much in relation to increased minimum wage, rising gas prices, housing and grocery costs, who would pay to send their child to school when you can choose any public school you want and go there? I am impressed that St Joseph has served my community for so long and that their standards have not decreased to the point of giving a free education at the cost of allowing anyone in just to fill the school. We need more Catholic schools and more community support of them....and what was it that was "missing"? Maybe it was your faith?
Submitted by other on February 05, 2015

I attended the recent open house as I'm looking for a school for my young child. Upon walking in the doors, I felt very unwelcome here. Although the few teachers I spoke with seemed very nice and were wonderful with my child, there was something missing. I was sadden to see the enrollment has dropped drastically over the past few years and we were informed they are running specials on tuition to try to boost their enrollment next year (sad they have to resort to that). There was also a graph for test scores over the past 4 years for the 7th grade that I saw and although 2 subject areas have improved slightly over the past few years, 3 subject areas have dropped. That is a concern for me. Overall, I was not impressed with this school at all.
Submitted by other on January 20, 2015

The Leadership at St. Joes has helped the children have a positive impact on the community. Karen Johnson makes a difference in the lives of the children, teachers and community. She leads with integrity and charisma.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2015

It saddens me to read the review about the Principal. Since she came to St. Joe's she has improved the technology and academics. I don't want to make a general statement, but some teachers were not on board for this and left. In those cases, hurray for our children and the school. This Principal cares about all of the children. I heard from a reliable source that the negative review was written by a parent who became angered when the Principal followed the school discipline policy with her child. I have never written on one of these sites, but I choose to speak up when I see this kind of malicious behavior. Keep up the standard for excellence, St. Joe's!
Submitted by parent on September 03, 2014

Excellent School with great lunches and teachers who care about the student. We've had some wonderful years at St. Joe's and a stellar education for our children! The technology has improved immensley, but also very satisfied with good old academic challenge for our kids! Not Common Core and happy about that!
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2014

I have been a parent at St Joseph for many years and am dismayed to see the negative reviews posted about the school. I have never been on the school commission nor was I considered part of the "principal's clique". When I have wanted to be involved with my child's education in any way, I have not been turned away. I was welcomed with open arms when I volunteered to help in the classroom or even with things around the school. The new principal even developed an allergy plan to teach volunteers what to do if a child has an allergic reaction in school. My friends in other schools were surprised to hear that such a thing existed. When we first came to the school, the enrollment was near two hundred students and declined as tuition increased to accommodate increasing teacher salaries, which were still very low. Maybe that's why some of these teachers and families have left? Why pay for education when there is school of choice everywhere now?The CATHOLIC school we chose to send our kids to has become even more catholic under our new principal and I'm excited to see what changes lie ahead as she encourages even more parental involvement.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2014

We could not be more happy with the education our child is receiving from St. Joe's. St. Joe's has assisted in building a foundation of solid morals, understanding of our Catholic faith, and a love of learning for our son. His teachers have worked along with us, every year, to ensure we understand the areas in which he is strong academically, as well as the areas he needs more assistance in. They have all been willing to do what is necessary, and offer any advice, in order to make sure he is where he needed (needs) to be. He has enjoyed every one of his teaches so far. Yes, there has been a change in leadership. As with any change of leadership they will be growing pains. Our Principal has not been afraid to make changes, and try new ideas. We are happy when we learned there will be a preschool opening in the fall! This is a nice addition to our school. We would not have thought twice about sending our son to the preschool at St. Joe's. What a great start that would have been! All in all, we are very pleased with St. Joseph School on Trenton, and consider the community of parents and student our family.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2014

St. Joseph School is a wonderful school. We have two children currently enrolled and one that graduated a few years ago. The school has so much to offer academically,and our oldest will tell you he was so prepared for high school in ways a number of his high school classmates were not. The school community is fabulous. I was new to the area and had no problem getting involved and making life long friends. I highly recommend St. Joseph School for a strong Catholic education. No school is perfect but I have never second guess our decision for this elemenatry school.
Submitted by other on April 11, 2014

Unfortunately St. Joseph is not the school it used to be. With a new principal in place things are going downhill at an alarming rate. Sadly, the principal is inconsistent, unprofessional, does not answer questions honestly or thoroughly, and lacks the skills necessary to run a school. The school has lost more staff and students since the change of principal in the last year than we have over the past several years. The first grade teacher, the secretary, the gym teacher, the computer teacher, the sixth grade teacher, and two music teachers, not to mention the many families that have pulled their children from St Joes. That alone speaks for itself. If you're looking to commit to catholic school and enroll your child here I'd suggest being very thorough in asking tough questions more than once. You will see the answer you get will be different every time, IF you get one at all. The answer will vary depending on who you are or who your child is. If you are not part of the principal's clique, your opinions, comments, and concerns are not valued. It's very difficult to pay for an education at a school with a less than mediocre leader with no consistent or well-planned path ahead.
Submitted by other on April 10, 2014

I am an 8th grade student here at St. Joseph's, and it is a magnificent school.
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2014

Love, love, love this school because of the outstanding academic and Catholic education. The teachers and principal work tirelessly to constantly improve our school. My high school child is currently looking at ivy league schools as a result of the solid foundation received at St. Joe.
Submitted by parent on April 07, 2014

St. Joseph school is an excellent school. The staff is highly qualified and dedicated to the education of the students. Technology is an integral part of the education program. The religious education has helped to reinforce the values taught in our home. Best decision we made for our children was to send them to St. Joseph School.