Dakota Valley Elementary School

Posted: October 18, 2025

Most of the staff is amazing. Sadly, there are people who try to run things when they have no right or experience (ex. ILC paras-not all, just some). They leave the room disgusting while they sit and do nothing but gossip, backstab, and gaslight other adults. Only a few of them actually support how they are asked to suport. Several good teachers have left because of this. They need to be removed before more lives are negatively affected.

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: October 18, 2025

Posted: April 5, 2023

It is a great school I would recommend it to someone else and people have a lot of fun there with there teachers and friends the teachers are great teacher and Dakota is just a great school.

Posted: April 5, 2023

Posted: April 5, 2023

Posted: April 5, 2023

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Posted: April 5, 2023

Posted: December 10, 2015

I do not agree with punishment as a motivator for children, adults, or even animals. The following 7 examples contradict Dakota Valley's (Stephen Covey's) 7 Habits:

1) First communication regarding tardiness to school (due to dental/orthodontic appointments) included threat of legal action. Did not ask why tardiness of a few minutes first - only sent threatening template letter. **Contradicts: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood**
2) Teacher expects 6 year-old's to be responsible to consistently complete all class work by themselves or get negative feedback and punishment. **Contradicts: Synergize**
3) Punishment includes having children sit by watching other six year-old's having fun while they are kept on the sidelines publicly punished for non-performance **Contradicts: Put First Things First**
4) Six year-old's are expected to choose correctly to wear coats outside or suffer being cold and not allowed to go back inside to retrieve their coat. If being punished, children sit on concrete outside in cloudy 60 degree breezy weather. **Contradicts: Begin with the end in mind**
5) Office staff are not friendly. **Contradicts: Think Win-Win**
6) Teachers blame children for poor choices. Adults take no responsibility; have no empathy; and play to class favoritism. **Contradicts: Be Proactive**
7) It took multiple reminders to get the next level class work - otherwise too easy, not being challenged, and bored with class. **Contradicts: Sharpen the Saw**

Posted: September 18, 2015

Posted: September 18, 2015

Posted: September 18, 2015

Posted: September 18, 2015

My daughter loves attending Dakota Valley! They challenge their students and give them tons of opportunities to volunteer and make a difference in their community and school. Every day my daughter comes home and impresses me with how quickly she is learning at this school. I've never experienced anything that people in the negative reviews are writing about, nor have any other Dakota Valley parents I've spoken with.

Posted: September 11, 2015

Posted: September 11, 2015

Posted: September 11, 2015

Posted: September 11, 2015

My daughter was new to the school last year and I must tell you... It's a WONDERFUL school! Everyone is polite, helpful, and the overall atmosphere of the school is wonderful. Not sure why the reviews are so poor, but I will say .. This is a great school!

Posted: June 3, 2015

How can they claim to develop anything good when they cannot feed children or take care of them during the day for 5 hours?

Posted: June 3, 2015

The Principal and anyone else who made the decision to fire the Cafeteria Manager for feeding hungry kids needs to be fired and have their teaching credentials revoked. This person should never be allowed to work in schools again in any capacity. Clearly he/she lacks any empathy or reason when it comes to dealing with children. Both of my parents were teachers (my father for 33 years) and it is an absolute disgrace to all teachers and our children what school administrators and politicians have done to our education system.

Posted: June 3, 2015

The Cafeteria manager was fired for feeding hungry students who had no money for lunch. This is so wrong in so many ways. If they would acknowledge this poor administrative decision and give this caring woman her job back then maybe the poor lunch policies could be resolved.

Posted: January 11, 2015

Very unhappy with this school. The communication is non-existent, even when you ask for an answer you get a bunch of round-about answers. The excuse from the principal on why the test scores are so low is that "we are one of the first to take this test to we have nothing to compare it to" Really? I am sure we are not the ONLY ones to be taking these tests and no one else seems to have a problem. Bullying is an extreme issue at this school. Rather, the bullying itself is probably the same as it is at other schools but when it happens the principal turns a blind eye and says "it is just kids being kids". The victim is treated like the bully rather than the other way around. Kids are told to go back to class when they are ill, my daughter called me to come pick her up because she felt so sick and was told it was almost the end of the day. There is a new vice-principal this year, and she truly seems to care about the kids. I have seen her talk with the children, tell them good morning with a smile, and the kids always are glad to see her.

Posted: March 11, 2014

We are new students to the school and have never been shown or told anything unless we have asked. It is a shame my daughter dislikes it here so much. The communication from the principle to parents is awful. They are disorganized , do not listen to the request of parents and the lack of Parent involvement is because of the lack of communication. They PTCO cannot even get back to you and when they do they have to ask three other people for an answer. We weren't even told how the calendar works, the lunch schedule or even where to find it. It is by far the worst I have seen. Something needs to change

Posted: December 2, 2012

My daughter, now in 5th grade, has attended Dakota Valley since 1st grade. I could not be happier with this school, it is truely wonderful. Every single teach has been a star, I can not say how thankful that my daughter has had this school for her formative years. She is an excellent student, well rounded, and truely loves learning. I know I cannot capture in words how truely excellent this school is, but if you put a high priority on learning; challenging your student in a supportive environment, this is the school for you. My daughter has been involved in their Gifted and Talented program, the CLASS program (encouraging understanding of multiculturalism), the band, and Battle of the Books club. There are many ways for students to be engaged

Posted: November 28, 2011

Moved here in Sept. 2006, had to wait until my daughter's first grade class tracked back on in Oct. 2006. This school didn't take the time to identify my daughter as G&T until April. A long frustrating two trimesters that were a terrible repeat of Kindergarten. We couldn't get her out of there fast enough. I understand that you have to teach the kids who don't get it yet, but this school left many kids to sit and get super bored to the point of hating school. Quite a few of us left DV after that year and moved to other CCSD school where we were much happier. You may not agree with this, but this was our experience along with others in our class. The outside buildings really separate the kids from everyone. There was no parent involvement. Myself and one mom were the only volunteers all year. Sad.

Posted: August 14, 2011

To the parent that posted in 12/2010 that Dakota Valley did not offer children the learning foundation they needed to be life-long learners and successful citizens? All three of my children are attending, or have attended, Dakota Valley. All three have also tested in the 97% on the CSAPs, and have continually performed above and beyond in all of their classes. To say the school as a whole is failing our children is absolutely ridiculous, as my children thrive there. (One of which is now in Middle School and maintaining honor role status every semester, and looking at a scholarship for a High School program). Perhaps the fit was not well for you and your children, but to say you fear for our future, because these children are going to Dakota Valley? That is absolutely ludicrous.