St. Patrick School

9040 HUTCHINS ST

White Lake Charter Township, MI 48386

33 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 07, 2024

I would strongly advise parents to look elsewhere for their child’s education. Our experience with St. Patrick’s School has been overwhelmingly disappointing, and it’s a sentiment shared by many parents in the community. The school suffers from poor communication, outdated academic approaches, and a lack of enrichment opportunities. But the most troubling issue is the toxic culture fostered by the administration, led by Principal Charles Hoying.Mr. Hoying has shown himself to be a judgmental and unapproachable leader, more interested in maintaining his authority and reputation than genuinely supporting the students and their families. He comes across as a fake Christian, prioritizing profit and appearances over genuine faith-based values. There is a clear pattern of favoritism and politics at the school, with certain families and students given preferential treatment while others are overlooked or even discriminated against. This culture of favoritism has left many parents feeling alienated and unheard, with valid concerns dismissed or ignored.Many families are dissatisfied with the direction the school has taken under Mr. Hoying’s leadership, and it’s clear that this is not a supportive or inclusive environment for children. If you’re looking for a Christian or Catholic school that truly lives up to its values, I would urge you to explore other options. There are many other schools that provide a nurturing, faith-centered, and high-quality education without the unnecessary drama, politics, and judgmental leadership you’ll find here. Don’t settle for less when it comes to your child’s education.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2019

I feel so blessed that this school is my kids school. I talk to parents all over that are struggling with their children's schools on various topics and we are just so happy here. It feels very much like a big extended family. We've only been there a few years but we know many other families already. In just the last week I was at the school several days and I saw amazing things each time. The first day the principal had set up a table in the hall and was checking in with students and staff for quick 5 min meetings to see what their thoughts were. The next day I was in the office for morning announcements and a few middle school students were there. To see the respect they had for prayer and pledge time was inspiring. Lastly I volunteered in a kindergarten room and if you want to feel like a rock star go help out in your child's kindergarten class. The kids are so happy and polite. If this is a school you're considering I urge you to visit. It's an amazing place to be, and you'll see that right away.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2019

Our experience has been amazing. I will also say that like anything you get in what you put in- and the more involved you become the more you get out and appreciate this community of family.
Submitted by other on March 22, 2019

St. Patrick's is the best around. I'm a National Catholic Youth Speaker & have spoken to hundreds of private schools across this country & I truly cannot say enough about the staff, students & overall community. Their family mentality & unwavering commitment to their faith definitely sets them apart, as the light of Christ shining from everyone there is glaringly apparent. God bless all of you!
Submitted by principal on January 07, 2019

I work at St. Pat's and absolutely love it! I have worked in public schools, private schools and in private practices.. and am so impressed with the high caliber of teaching and leadership. Nothing but good things to say.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2018

I completely agree with the past reviews regarding favoritism and special privileges afforded to certain students and parents in the middle school. It doesn't seem to be happening with the newer teachers, but it is blatantly obvious with the "senior" teachers. The same families who are quick to inform you as to how long they've been at the school, are the same families who are, given free rein to roam the school taking pictures and videos while others are prohibited from doing the same, chat with teachers in the hallways, invited to participate in events that don't even involve their children, allowed to have their children participate in academic teams earlier than the rest of the student body, given priority over more qualified students, receive funding for repeated family missionary trips, allowed to attend every field trip while the other parents are subjected to a lottery system, and chosen for every 8th grade Washington D.C. trip while other parents with multiple children have yet to be chosen once! All the while, the rest of the parents and students are held to a completely different set of standards. In the middle school, how much the parents cater to, and are liked by the "senior" teachers, has a direct effect on how your child is treated on a daily basis. It's very, very sad. The newer teachers are the only ones who seem to have the integrity to hold all students and parents to the same Christian and academic standards. The new teachers truly appear to value fairness and equality. There seems to be a disconnect between the Principal and what is REALLY happening in the middle school with the "senior" teachers, parents and favoritism.Honestly, it's enough to make you want to walk away even after all of these years! I wish I could write a better review, I really do, but the Christian in me only allows for truth and honesty. I hope things change for the benefit of ALL the children and parents who work and sacrifice so diligently to provide their children with a solid Catholic education!
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2017

Our principal and staff here at St Patrick are go beyond their call of duty. So happy I made the decision to send my child to St. Patrick this year. Coming from a public school, this was the change my child needed. Faith based teaching, a great student body...this school is like one big family! I made my decision by making a visit to the school and meeting the principal, and a few teachers and students in passing. Great manners from the children and a smile from the staff.
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2017

Best school with great Principal teachers and staff. The families and students are all very nice! My kids love to go to school everyday! We are all family here at St. Patrick
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2017

The community is amazing, teachers always respond and make time for parents if have any questions. Principle is a great model and very involved! Very well organized, faith based, and great academics!
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2017

I have two kids who have gone to St. Patrick school . One from Y5-8th grade and the other has been there from Y5 and is currently in middle school there. I would do it all over again. Best educational decision we ever made so far. The elementary school is filled with mostly excellent teachers. Recently some staff changes occurred in the middle school which is a good thing even though my kids were good with the previous teachers some seemed a little burned out. The addition of a few male teachers has been good too. The new principal (who was VP prior to that) is Excellent and cares about the kids, staff and parents. Nothing is perfect but we have never had any issues. Both my kids looked forward to school most days.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2017

We have attended st Patrick's schoolsince pre school. I now have both my children in here. Words can not describe how happy we are coming here. We visited schools around the area before choosing this school and so happy we made this decision. The new principle mr. Clark is abousoutly wonderful! He is everthing you would want in a principle for your children! I see a wonderful future for this school with mr. Clark. Wouldn't consider any other private school.
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2017

Excellent so far!. My son is in fifth grade and has been at St. Pats since young 5's. We (and he) love it so far and we've been very happy with his teachers. Parents and kids are great. Our experience has been all positive.
Submitted by other on January 11, 2017

St. Patrick has been a wonderful experience for all of our children. We have two who have graduated from St. Patrick's and were so well-prepared for High School. From every perspective, they were heads and tails above the other students from other schools in high school. The academics are top notch, in all grades. But, beyond that, the social skill sets these kids develop are outstanding. They have a tremendous focus on character development (manners, treating others with respect, caring about those less fortunate, the list goes on!) - St Patrick's truly "talks the talk and walks the walk"!!! This is a major reason I chose this school! We are blessed to be a part of this great community!!!
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2017

St. Patrick School is rich in the Catholic faith, Christian service, character development and academics. My boy’s favorite teachers are their religion teacher and math teachers!! Can you imagine!?! The principal is in the halls, the classroom, and on the playground forming positive relationships with the kids every day. There are lots of opportunities for parental involvement and input…it is a real Catholic community. We joined St. Patrick’s in the third and fourth grade and it has been a blessing to our family ever since.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2016

St. Patrick School provides a small school community that shares the same Catholic values as our family. It provides strong academics which is providing our kids a solid base for being independently successful in high school. We are thrilled at how each of kids have developed academically through various opportunities offered by St. Patrick's school. They have each gained strong leadership skills and being at a Catholic school has enhanced their Catholic values and given them a strong sense of belonging to a great school community.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2016

Discipline and accountability for parents and kids. Fun atmosphere with clubs, activities, athletics and meaningful projects that bring awareness of world events and culture. Kindess is clear throughout the school, a true "community". Academically challenging and prepares students for advanced subjects in high school and university - students are above average academically, driven in part by the smal class sizes and high talent of the teachers.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2016

St. Pats has been academically challenging for our two children. We have found the academics, faith, teachers, discipline, athletics, and after school programs to be excellent. The IOWA test is administered every October, and the students of St. Pat's are, on average, well above grade level in the tested areas. The faith-based curriculum is instilling strong values, that is being further reinforced with this year's theme of "Choose Kind". As parents, we find there is a strong sense of community, and sending our children to St. Pats has been an outstanding choice for our family!
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2015

I think St. Patrick has been a great school for my kids. They completed kindergarten through eighth grade. My high school children were well prepared for high school and clearly have respect for adults (parents included). Is it perfect? Well probably not. The things that I do love are the continuation of cursive writing and I especially love the public speaking they do through all of their years.
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2015

This school is NOT one I would recommend for middle school. Very good for grades K-5 BUT once you get into Middle school, forget it! This is probably the most UNCHRISTIAN environment you can be in which is quite sad for a CHRISTIAN school! The middle school teachers are negative and look at the kids as bad seeds. They see nothing good about the kids, which btw is a great group of kids. I agree with the previous comment, the middle school teachers are angry, unhappy and need to find new jobs! The principal is very nice but very ineffective!
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2014

Saint Patrick's School is fine until you hit year 6,7, and 8 then it is all down hill. The teachers are burned out, unmotivated and not interested in teaching the kids in an interesting and motivating way. The new principal is better than the one that just exited so far, but still much to early to tell for sure. The middle school teachers play favorites. Those students who are straight A students get to do everything fun, those who might need extra help are demoralised. I read a few other posts, one about its unchristian environment. I absolutely agree, especially in the middle school, not very Christian even though they have a nun part of the middle school! I would NOT recommend this school at all. There are so many better schools for your child to attend. When I removed my kids - they were all unprepared for the other schools, basically they were behind in science, math and English - which I believe are the weakest links at SPS. Go elsewhere!!