Good Shepherd Catholic School in Denver

Posted: June 18, 2025

An incompetent nightmare since day 1 - keep your children away!!!

Posted: June 18, 2025

Posted: August 16, 2024

They are hardcore cleaning reviews. This school is a mess and they are cleaning the worst of it.

Posted: August 16, 2024

Posted: March 17, 2024

I have had two children at Good Shepherd over the past 7 years and I can say without a doubt it is the best environment for our family. We tried public school two separate times, once for kindergarten in a very affluent neighborhood and once for middle school. Both of our public school experiences were awful. Unfortunately, teachers and administrators of public schools have no control over their students.

We appreciate the discipline and respect that is taught at Good Shepherd. Some may find it to be too strict, but we personally prefer the controlled environment for learning vs. the Lord of the Flies environment.

My only criticism of Good Shepherd over the years is, I do believe there is room for expanding the curriculum especially for the middle school students. I think having Literature and English as two separate classes seems a bit redundant. I think these could easily be combined to offer kids some other specials that focus more on technology or other subjects.

Posted: March 17, 2024

Posted: October 12, 2023

I am a parent of a child that went to Good Shepherd for middle school. It is such a lovely community, I wish I had known about it for preschool and elementary school. I was a little nervous bringing my child in for middle school because he didn't know many kids and isn't Catholic. But we all felt so welcome and included. I am now a substitute teacher at Good Shepherd and I love it. The students are bright and engaged. They are earnest and caring. The families value education and support the school in so many ways. It is my first choice in places to substitute teach because the students are so well behaved. They are kind to each other and to me. The teachers are well prepared and effective in their teaching methods. The hot lunches are delicious. The playground is newly renovated and fun for the kids. The athletics are strong. There is very little I can think of that could be better about Good Shepherd.

Posted: October 12, 2023

Posted: October 7, 2023

This school seriously messed me up... The few people I talk to still that came from this school have been messed up by this school... Not good for your kids. You might like it. You might love it! It is not good for your kids.

20 years later and one of my biggest regrets is not doing more to get out of this school.

Your kids will be worse off if you send them here.

Posted: October 7, 2023

Posted: August 13, 2023

I went to school here and it was a terrible experience. This school seemed so crazy to me. The religion teacher would kick kids out for asking questions that in any way questioned the story of the bible or the catholic way. The principle gave way too harsh punishments creating a fearful environment for pre-teens. There was no sense of diversity and the Spanish teacher taught the same lessons every year it seemed. Not to mention that when I was struggling in math they made no effort to help me and would've just let me fail math that year as a 12-year-old because the teacher wasn't teaching well enough, many other kids were failing math tests and struggling as well. We missed out on so much learning for religious purposes and were forced to pray or our grade would go down. It seemed like families were favored for being there a long time and the dress code is crazy. On dress-out days you can only wear non-ripped jeans, sweat pants, and no tank tops or anything of the sort, which in my eyes is wrong, why are we making 11 and 12-year-olds worry about showing off too much of their body, they are LITTLE kids let them wear (to an extent) what they want! Basically, if you send you're kid here they will get a decent education that they could get anywhere else and it's simply not worth it here. Especially after going to and starting high school, many kids from other schools that were public knew more about math, social studies, and science. I really think after graduating high school going anywhere else would've helped me more in my high school career.

Posted: August 13, 2023

Posted: May 25, 2022

This is not a preschool program--it is poorly administered babysitting. Preschoolers watch TV all day, rarely have consistent teachers, are disciplined inappropriately, and when parents express concerns or ask questions they are told to trust their gut, rather than heard or conversed with. There is no curriculum, no routine, no academics. The bathrooms aren't even age appropriate.

Posted: May 25, 2022

Posted: March 29, 2022

This is a wonderful school. Having been part of the community as a parent and parishioner for over 15 years, I would highly recommend Good Shepherd to any parent wanting a Catholic education. As a current middle school parent, my children have been well educated made wonderful friends and been part of a great community.

The academic are strong. The structure and size is great for middle schoolers.

School sports are super fun. My children are able to participate in all the teams.

We children started in Pre-School and we couldnt be happier.

The accommodate Learning Differences amazing, working with the student and teaching the students to advocate for themselves.

The teachers, staff and parents continue to build a strong community.

Posted: March 29, 2022

Posted: February 20, 2022

Most teachers are amazing! However, something needs to be done about how this school disciplines students and a safer place for students needs to be established. The counseling that I experienced in middle school was disappointingly unhelpful. From my recollection, intense disciplinary structure at this school increased anxiety and general bad mouthing between my peers. In all of the years I went to this school, I noticed that most teachers punished boys misbehaving far more than girls. Unintentionally, an idea that these boys were bad kids was reinforced frequently. Additionally, this school has a problem with homophobia and othering. Have they implemented any mental health resources for students since the pandemic started? Going from online school back to in person school is jarring enough, I imagine it to be horrific for younger kids.

Posted: February 20, 2022

Posted: February 16, 2022

Well considering the teachers are paid worse than public school teachers Im not surprised they act highly unprofessional at times. They are not able to form a union because clearly god would never want such a sin as equal pay. The school is the least diverse place I have ever heard of. You learn false information about how the world was created and false information about abortions. Somehow in the year 2022 we still allow places like this to charge thousands of dollars of year to attend. It is a gross place that has impacted and still impacts people I know.

Posted: February 16, 2022

Posted: December 13, 2021

If you want a great, caring Catholic education, do not choose this school. The bullying begins with the principal, pastor, some teachers and many students.. The archdiocese needs to come in and totally change the leadership of this parish and school. It is an embarrassment to Catholic education.

Posted: December 13, 2021

Posted: November 18, 2021

Agree with the recent reviews. Favoritism shown towards families based on lineage and donations. Behavior expectations and discipline inconsistently enforced based on whether the offender belongs to a favored family. Administration is shockingly unaccountable. Unless you are well connected, look elsewhere.

Posted: November 18, 2021

Posted: September 15, 2021

I know what this school is like from the inside, as I worked there for years. Abusive administrators!
Some faculty were harsh on the children. Socioeconomic of the parents got special treatment from administration and some teachers. I saw the abusive administrator(1) get worse in the past few years. Shockingly so.

Posted: September 15, 2021

Posted: April 15, 2020

1 out of 10mand thats purely based on curriculum. The families are not welcoming unless you live with in a certain proximity of the school
And the administration cares more about money than values despite the fact that this is supposed to be a catholic school.

Posted: April 15, 2020

Bullys are not dealt with and the more money a family has donated allowed for poor behavior from both parents and students.

Posted: April 15, 2020

Bullying is not taken Seriously and donations and family lineage at the school is more important than anything else.

Posted: April 15, 2020

We moved to Denver from out of state and enrolled both out children here from a private catholic school
Out of state. The curriculum was challenging and excellent but bullying was prevalent and excused all the way up the ladder of the child/children bullying had been there since pre-k and the families had multiple children attending and have more in donations. Principal is a clueless puppet.

Posted: July 12, 2019

One of the toughest elements they need to work on. Theyve given lectures to students saying dont tell your parents if theres bullying; tell a teacher. Because otherwise you have sad moms and sad kids. Recognizing they were attempting to mitigate what had become a tough bullying environment, this approach Probably should have been pressure tested first.

Posted: July 12, 2019

Drill and grill.
Not creative.
Has gotten better.

Posted: July 12, 2019

There is not equal support for all kids. Misbehavior is allowed by certain kids. Needs to be more inclusive of varying learning types and building true character in children. Needs to give kids more creative thinking. New AP is excellent and should weave in more of her background of holistic learning pedagogies. Principal is a few years in and hes good... cant tell whether he truly has a pulse on students dynamic nature aside from a few families with really loud and bossy moms.

Socially, the school has not sought to encourage families to be inclusive. And to encourage their children to be kind to one another.

There are some very lovely families, I have just been so surprised at the dynamics overall that are not positive.

Posted: July 12, 2019

Overall its a lovely community. There are a number of areas where they have received extensive feedback, but there are no visible changes yet

Posted: January 16, 2018

The decision to part with Montessori was difficult for the school but ultimately a good decision to keeping with their core strengths of achieving academics/test scores in a very inclusive environment that supports Catholic values. Our class size has become smaller since this change and I believe the teachers carry less stress due to the smaller classroom size. The children clearly benefit from this change. Mr. Strawbridge has been an effective leader and has succeeded in ways his predecessor was challenged. As we have yet to experience middle school, I can't speak on how peer issues are addressed at that level, although I have seen children transfer in and enjoy it. I would highly recommend the school to anyone looking for a Catholic education with a feeling of community, not only among the students but among the parents as well. Not having to engage in a middle school switch is something that is attractive to most students and parents. Once they leave for high school the 8th graders seem excited and ready for what awaits them. The younger children get to see the older children washing cars, selling merchandise, etc. to prepare for their trip. The Mass Buddy program is also a way the older kids have had the opportunity to lead the younger children. The school can seem large and intimidating to children who are new to preschool. Those with particularly shy preschool age children may wish to send their child to an environment more ECE focused. Our children were not exceedingly outgoing yet were able to learn and make friends while sharing a school with older children, so we were lucky. We favor that parent volunteering is a requirement as it helps us get to know the other parents and ties us in with our community.

Posted: October 1, 2017

Amazing! I have amazing friends, and my knowledge has increased with the new principal Mr.Strawbridge I love GS and all of the students and teachers, as they help my needs in learning and spiritual growth.

Posted: October 1, 2017

Posted: December 8, 2016

It is an academically rigorous, caring, and respectful school that encourages creativity and leadership. And our daughter is having fun while learning. We moved her here after becoming frustrated by behaviors and the slow pace of another school. We really could not be more pleased.

Posted: December 5, 2016

Both my children attend Good Shepherd and we couldn't be happier. We considered a couple of other private schools in the area (Greyland, Colorado Academy, St. Anne's). Ultimately, we decided to go with Good Shepherd because not only is the school top notch academically (top 2% nationally), but everything else it has to offer. Such as an unbelievably great community of families that are all very involved with the school and their children, families that have become great friends in and out of school and families that are trying to instill the same values (family, faith, education, confidence, etc.) and goals in their kids as us. Additionally, many of the top private schools focus 100% on test scores. Good Shepherd clearly does that as well, but also provides my children with a more well-rounded education also focused on religion, arts, self-esteem, etc., which helps us as parents to raise well-rounded, good people that will help make this world a better place for everyone. Finally, it does also help that the cost is ~$6K / year versus $25K / year for those other schools.

Posted: December 5, 2016

My child has attended DS 2 years. The experience has been great. That emphasis on Catholicism centers on mercy and helping those less fortunate. The church history is also emphasized which more than I received in the 1970's. The staff is smart and generally young with a very positive vibe. I like the administration. Overall, a very committed set of educators. I have absolute confidence that my child will be ready for High School. I find the kids that attend are well mannered and polite, at least to me as a parent. Great School.

Posted: November 16, 2016

We have been at Good Shepherd for 13 years--it has been an incredible experience for our family. Our two children have completely different learning styles and both flourished with support, creativity and leadership we found at Good Shepherd. Our older son was extremely well prepared for high school-- not only in the classroom, but as a young man that was comfortable communicating with teachers and coaches. New Principal Strawbridge is taking it to the next level for future students! Love the vision for GS as it continues to grow!

Posted: November 14, 2016

We love it so far! Really is a community with teachers that care. From my experience, the kids that come out of GS are exceptionally prepared for High School.

Posted: November 14, 2016

The new Principal, Mark Strawbridge who came in the Fall of 2015 is EXCELLENT - He is a great leader and mentor and along with the Pastor, they are revamping much of what needs improvement. The community of families and sense of love of learning and of one another is exceptionally strong and has been in place for a long time. My family needs and shares with this loving community so that our kids can better do well in life and specifically, in relationships. The academics are good enough to excellent, depending on how good of a student and learner your child is, because what happens in the home environment greatly impacts a child's success. Good Shepherd actively teaches to higher and higher standards of excellence and that teaching is well rooted in character building. With Good Shepherd, our kids are becoming successful people in our society, not just successful academics.

Posted: October 22, 2015

It is the most expensive Catholic school in Denver and not worth it. There is racism and bullying that is ignored by teachers. We got a letter from middle school math teacher that we need to teacher new math concepts and they are tested on them daily without instruction from the math teacher. Why am I paying when I am homeschooling?

Posted: October 22, 2015

Teachers look to get students in trouble. They thrive on intimidation tactics of building mutual respect, especially in middle school. For younger kids, yelling is a common practice.

Posted: April 30, 2015

Disappointed with low quality of education. There is very little creativity in the classroom and teachers with either lack of experience or don't care to teach to every student. There is not much effort to make learning exciting or stimulating. It's a bunch of worksheets, textbooks, and lectures. Poor leadership that will also take years to rebuild and change. Too bad. Used to be a strong school.

Posted: March 8, 2015

I couldn't be happier with Good Shepherd. My children love it. The staff is highly qualified, the community is strong, and the academics are excellent. Not sure how the bad reviews came about, but if you surveyed all parents, I'm sure this would be a very different outcome. I know very few parents who are unhappy here, and most feel that their children are thriving. Good Shepherd kids have something like a 99-100% acceptance rate to the private high schools to which they apply and test scores are very high to show the academic strength here.

Posted: February 1, 2015

Good Shepherd is a wonderful school! It is filled with happy kids who are excited to come to school and learn. The parents are involved and supportive and many, many of the teachers have taught at Good Shepherd for over a decade. Just one visit inside the school and you can feel the warm sense of community and loving environment.

Posted: February 1, 2015

We have only good things to say about Good Shepherd after more than a decade of being there. Our children have been more than prepared for high school with exceptional grades and standardized test scores. More importantly, we have been told several times at high school conferences that students from Good Shepherd are consistently excellent -- intelligent, respectful, well behaved and very prepared academically. Socially, the school has been like family and has provided a wonderful community for our family for many years.

Posted: January 21, 2015

I agree with all the comments made already. This school gets worse by the year - academically & socially. My high schooler went into high school ill-prepared and well behind her peers. She scored two years behind in math and really behind in language arts. We did not know because she had always gotten good grades in middle school. The principle and vice principle ignore concerns. We have another child in middle school that we need to switch schools so we aren't playing catch up in high school again. We have brought up serious concerns of bullying that have also gone ignored. It is the way the principle and vice principle operate and just do not care.

Posted: January 10, 2015

I love this school for my children! The academics are superb, wonderful teachers and friendly families! I Highly recommend this school!

Posted: December 29, 2014

This school has gone downhill since the principle started over 6 years ago. She doesn't have any principle experience before this and it shows. She has very poor leadership skills: poor management of curriculum, poor training and management of staff especially on new programs, and no vision to move the school into future and keep good teachers. She rarely interacts with parents and students and when she does it's painfully awkward. My son graduated from here and was not prepared well for high school. We had to hire a math tutor because he was a full grade behind. I was surprised since received all As throughout middle school. He was also far behind his peers in grammar and writing skills. There is very low teacher moral and as a result very high teacher turnover. The principle hires poor teachers with very little experience. Some of the teachers don't even have their teaching certifications. There are some good teachers, but that number is decreasing quickly. The principle and vice principle only work 4 days a week which shows their lack of commitment to the school and its future. Parent involvement is great but a school is only as strong as its leader.

Posted: November 16, 2014

I must say I agree with many points made below concerning the lack of leadership an "unfriendly" attitude of the Principal. We were one of the many families who left GS after 10years. Not a call, a letter, a phone call or email asking us about our experience or opinions on the direction of the school. They could care less and it showed. The administration just this year started kicking out families who had concerns with the administration. Even after the school year started the admin kicked a family out for no real infraction other than disagreement. There are a few great teachers at GS who did truly appreciate our kids Apathy to those who spent countless hours volunteering to help our kids grow academically and athletically was apparent everyday. Trying to move outside the box was met with road blocks. Now that they have resorted to kicking people out of school who have concerns and are unhappy I would reccomend not sending your child here. The mass exodus speaks volumes although with the same Principal, Vice Principal, and hand picked student moms who worked themselves into jobs at the school, that used to be done as volunteer positions, the school will not change.

Posted: October 28, 2014

This is the most un-Catholic Catholic school on the planet. Principal is stubborn and unresponsive to parent concerns...I wonder if she is even Catholic? Schedules a book fair with foods and treats on Ash Wednesday?, Teachers are unaware that confirmation is even happening, gets rid of great math teacher who inspires kids (especially girls) to be good at math, yet hires an ex-pro basketball player to teach technology (oh...and run the athletic program)? Have never even seen the music teacher at Back to school night or conferences...Academics and Catholic values are NOT the priority here....

Posted: September 1, 2014

We've been at GS for many years. The Montessori program is wonderful, the teachers have been wonderful & parents so involved. One of my children has a learning difference & the teachers were so accommodating & cooperative in working with her specialized tutor. The sports and extra programs are numerous and such fun.

Posted: April 28, 2014

Our family moved to CO in August from CA and were fortunate enough to be admitted to GS. We reviewed several top schools in Denver-private, public and religious. Immediately we were impressed with the admissions office, admin staff and leadership. The Good Shepherd community, parents, teachers and school welcomed our family with open arms. The teachers are very communicative, supportive and well qualified. Both the elementary and middle school faculty have worked to help develop the "whole child" for both our daughters. Good Shepherd also offers wonderful support in the learning specialist department, technology, counseling, PE and arts/religion. As a new family we could not be more impressed with Good Shepherd and the community. Obviously by some reviews listed not everyone shares my appreciation for the Good Shepherd faculty and administration...luckily for Denver residents you have other options for education which may in fact be a better fit. If you are looking to join a warm, faith based, parent involved, supportive & communicative school --- look no further. Good Shepherd has a long wait list for a reason...it's an outstanding school. E Stribley

Posted: April 27, 2014

We have been at Good Shepherd for 4 years. We have been extremely happy with all the aspects of our family's experience here. There is a strong academic program with amazing teachers, rigorous programs and consistent expectations from grade to grade. We are also extremely impressed at the involvement of the parents at this school and the amazing sense of community we have experienced at Good Shepherd since the first day we walked in.

Posted: December 8, 2013

I sadly agree with several comments below - which seems to boil down to a common thread: principal leadership or lack thereof. Dictatorial approach, deficit based thinking, no flexibility or creativity when it comes to providing students what they really need to engage in learning. Punitive and judgmental approach when students as young as four do not comply. Seem to overreact for unacceptable but age appropriate behaviors. No desire to listen to parent feedback - answers like : "There is always "that kid" and "i am a great educator" happen in the same conversation. Leadership seems more concerned about protecting staff than about ensuring that ALL kids are learning given their interests and talents. Teachers, office and counselor have good intentions, parents are highly involved, yet the sense of community is not there.

Posted: November 9, 2013

I went to Good Shepherd, and wish so much my parents had sent me somewhere else. The children are cliquey, and have a disdain for individuality. The parents are no better. They teach values, but exhibit the opposite. The leadership has zero interest in helping with any concerns the parents and students may have. Overall terrible experience.

Posted: May 12, 2013

A push by administration to maximize school capacity at 28 kids per class has resulted in what we feel is overcrowding in each small class room and has significantly effected the quality of education that the children are receiving. The level of teacher turnover and the principles lazy approach to recruiting new talented teachers is alarming. Further the principle is not approachable and is very defensive to parent input and feed back. The level of parent involvement is very high which is the saving grace of Good Shepherd. However there is not a great sense of community due to poor leadership and the numerous cliques that exist in the school. Sadly it is not the school it used to be.

Posted: March 4, 2013

Sadly the school has systematically disassembled/undermined its previous sense of community. Unfortunately the principal takes a dictatorial approach, becoming very defensive when approached for discussion.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Cherry Creek	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Denver	CO	0.4 mi
2	Sterling Hills West	Area of Town	Aurora	CO	10.8 mi
3	Forest Lakes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Monument	CO	45.9 mi
4	Flying Horse	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	49.7 mi

#	Name	City	State	Overall Rating	Distance
1	Loveland	Loveland	CO		46.3 mi
2	North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	CO		48.8 mi

Good Shepherd Catholic School

Denver, CO 80206

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Good Shepherd Catholic School

Denver, CO 80206

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