I came to pick up my daughter for a Drs appointment and was told I was not allowed to pick her up…read moreafter 2:45. It was 2:47! Not only that, is it even legal to hold a child over a parents wishes? I should be able to pick up my child at any time without being treated like crap. Also the front desk receptionist was extremely rude and argumentative. Are they going to reimburse me for the cancellation fee I am now incurring at her drs office? I'm appalled!

Like always there is a pros and cons to the school. There are great teachers who actually care…read moreabout their students and work with them if they have a need to help better understand the curriculum. Teachers like Ms.Anderson, Ms. Katz, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Tarter, Mr. T, and Ms. Esper, they are the best teachers that I have seen by far since 2019. The biggest issue in the school is the cliche got money type of attitude. This is what tends to be detrimental to the kids or the experience at the school. However they do have some programs that actually show that they do care about the community and their students. The biggest complaint I've had at the school by far has been the parking lot. I have seen multiple accidents in the parking lot because parents are not paying attention when pulling out of parking spaces or trying to get out of the parking lot in general. The school has had it observed several times and it's the best flow that they have had in the district but they're still issues that need to be addressed. It does help that they have officers who are here throughout the day during that time to actually direct the traffic as well as the school resource officers.

Fantastic staff! So helpful! Thank you Lauren Brown for all the help and support. You are truly…read moreamazing.

Most awesome K-4 school on the planet.read more

Parents of girls, please be aware…read more In our experience, our daughter reported behavior by a teacher that made her uncomfortable and that we believed was inappropriate. We brought these concerns to the school administration. We were deeply disappointed by how the situation was handled. Shawn Bell did not take action in a way we felt protected our daughter or addressed similar concerns raised by other students. To our knowledge, the teacher remained employed at the time we withdrew our children. Because of this experience and the school's response, our family chose not to continue enrollment.

Only one of my sons went here for middle school. I absolutely loved the seventh grade program. Mrs…read more Olsen is incredible with her social studies program! The Gettysburg and White House Dinner reenactment were fabulous! It's the 8th grade program that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Maybe it's the fact that Mrs. Kendrick the school principal retired and the school's feel changed. But I don't feel my son had any growth during the second year. I knew once Mr. Shappee left that there was no way my other son would go here. I saw major bullying at this school as well, among other issues. My son enjoyed seventh grade here, went to Costa Rica for 10 days which he will cherish forever but I really feel that PVUSD just isn't what it could be or has been in years past. Sad really.

I'm very saddened that Desert Canyon isn't better. There are the little things like the school…read moregrounds area always messy with dirt from monsoons still on the walkways weeks after the monsoon, weeds everywhere, etc. It makes the school feel old and dirty, which I expected much better for a city like Scottsdale. Then there are the big things like the very rude lady that works the front office, they work off a reactive model for education instead of proactive waiting around for your child to start failing before they step in to helping bullying my kids from day 1 in the classroom, bus and on the playground, giving kindergarteners homework almost every night. The kids are mean and lye. My kindergartener has started lying and saying mean things on a daily basis. When I brought it up to him today, he said "my friends at school lie and say mean things so I do too to fit in". I am thoroughly disgusted by the culture at this school.

We moved to Scottsdale from the Midwest and I was worried about the public schools in AZ. Desert…read moreCanyon has been impressed me in so many ways. From the wonderful teachers and support staff to the curriculum and high expectations. The grounds are lovely and everyone was/is very welcoming. I am so thankful we chose Desert Canyon Elementary School.

It's the third week of school, and every interaction I have had with the office staff thus far has…read morebeen far below standard. I know it takes a great office staff to make a school great, and this office staff is unhelpful, unfriendly, unable to think outside the box, or work around issues to solve problems. The burden is consistently on the parent and they have done nothing to make our transition an easy or pleasant one. This is my third interaction in the office for various, yet very simple reasons, and once again, I am left dissatisfied as a parent of children in this highly respected school.

Best Elementary School Ever. I love the staff, my kids love it! It's a great community, a Family!read more

I am a Grandmother, not a parent, so I hope it is alright that I am writing this review. My…read moreGranddaughter goes to Gateway and I just have to say something about it. When you are a grandparent you dont see them every single day like the parents do, so you notice the changes more. You go a few weeks and then you see them and you think my goodness, who is this young lady. She was named STUDENT OF THE WEEK not long ago. I dont think I have ever seen her so proud of herself. She is also taking college classes and she is still in middle school!! I still can not get over that one. When I was her age nobody was telling me I could do college work. Somebody at that school looked at her and said she could do it, and then they gave her the chance and she did it. But I will tell you the truth, the school work is not the part that gets me. Last week she had her first sleepover. Two other girls from school. Her very first one. We went to lunch this week and that is ALL she talked about. What they ate, what they watched, who said what, what they are going to do next time. I just sat there and listened to her. I am not sure I can explain to another grandparent what that is like to sit across the table from a child you love so much and listen to her go on and on about her friends. Not friends someday. Real friends, that came over to the house. That is the part that brought tears to my eyes. I am not ashamed to say it. Gateway did not just figure out how to teach her. They put her somewhere she could be herself, around other kids that understand her, and the confidence came, and then the friendships came. You can not put that on a lesson plan. You can only build the right kind of place and let it happen and that's what these folks have done. To Ms. Robin and all of the teachers and everybody in that building. Thank you. You are educating these children but you are also giving these families something we worry for years we may never get to see. My Granddaughter is proud of herself. She has friends. She talked my ear off at lunch about a sleep over. I am so proud of her I could just burst. If you are looking at Gateway for your child or grandchild, go and see it for yourself. I am only the Grandmother and even I can tell it is a special place. God Bless them all.

This review is long overdue, but I wanted to share our experience with Gateway Academy for other…read moreparents who may be searching for the right school for a child with high-functioning autism, or what Gateway refers to as twice-exceptional students. My son started at Gateway in 7th grade after attending public school since kindergarten. We were actually very fortunate to have had a pretty good experience in public school, especially with the other kids. He had attended the same school since kindergarten and had grown up with many of his classmates, most of whom were still with him in 6th grade. But as he got older, I could see the writing on the wall. Class sizes were getting larger, the kids were growing up, and there had been a few run-ins with bullies. I also didn't love the idea of moving him to a middle school for only two years and then making another major transition to high school. Kids on the spectrum often thrive on routine and familiarity, and my son is certainly no exception. When we found Gateway, it truly felt like a Godsend. The small class sizes were exactly what he needed, and one of the biggest advantages for us was that Gateway goes all the way through 12th grade. He could attend middle school and high school in the same familiar, supportive environment. Many of the teachers have special education backgrounds, but what makes Gateway so special goes far beyond academics. There is a genuinely loving, welcoming culture there. At Gateway, these kids aren't singled out for being different. They're surrounded by other students who understand them. They can be themselves. They have friends. They belong. The teachers are wonderful, as is the office staff. Ms. Robin, Gateway's founder and principal, truly cares about her students, and that caring is reflected throughout the school. Gateway gives students an environment where they can learn at their own pace while also developing friendships, confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging. As a parent, I cannot imagine my son having had the same high school experience in a large traditional high school surrounded primarily by neurotypical students. Those teenage years can be difficult enough, and Gateway gave him a safe place where he was accepted for exactly who he is. My son graduated from Gateway in 2025 and now attends community college. I asked him recently if he misses Gateway. He said yes. So I asked him what, specifically, he misses about it. His answer was simply, "Everything." That answer was both a little sad and incredibly heartwarming for me. More than anything I could write in this review, it confirmed what I had known all along: my son had a wonderful middle and high school experience. He made memories, built friendships, felt accepted, and genuinely enjoyed going to school. As a parent of a child on the spectrum, I don't think you can ask for much more than that. Gateway was also a tremendous resource for our entire family. Through the school, we learned about services and resources available to our son that we otherwise may never have known about. They even connected us with an excellent professional who helped us navigate guardianship and establish a special needs trust as he approached adulthood. Gateway didn't just educate our son--they helped us navigate the journey of raising and preparing a twice-exceptional child for adulthood. For any parent looking for a school for a child on the spectrum, I would recommend Gateway Academy without hesitation. Ms. Robin, Mr. Bloom, Mr. Curt, Mr. Anthony, Mr. Richard, and so many others have made Gateway the special place that it is. We will always be grateful that our son had the opportunity to grow up there. Thank you, Gateway, for giving our son a place where he wasn't simply accommodated, but truly belonged.

My son and daughter have been at Echo Canyon since Pre-K and now they're in 2nd and 4th grade…read more We've had such an amazing experience here. The staff is all so warm and welcoming. The principal and assistant principal are out greeting kids every morning and they know everyone's name, it's impressive! My kids have thrived here, with my daughter in the advanced Math and ELA and my son finding a love of reading. I'm a very involved parent and can say every single person who works at the school is amazing, thoughtful, and truly care about the students. We feel very lucky to have found this great community.

We have 2 kids in Echo Canyon and they both started out in their outstanding Pre-K program. As they…read morehave grown and continued on we have loved all of their teachers and their looping model as well! We live the small school feel, where the students are created by name every morning by the principal and assistant principal. Their beautiful gardens, tortoise habitat and monarch weigh station and some of the features that really set this school apart from the rest. We really couldn't be happier that we found Echo and that it's a part of our families story :)

Very unwelcoming. As an AA person with a BR daughter I wasn't pleased by the introduction I…read morereceived. We were treated like the elephants in the room and that was not kind or fair.

I loved being here. Cochise has the nicest students and staff! I definitely suggest coming here.read more