Liberty Pines Academy

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

Posted: December 9, 2024

The teachers are respectful, thew principal is available when families need and friendly to families even outside of school. The curriculum is excellent. I like the school philosophy as I notice that its applicable day by day, is not only something that is written in a wall or piece of paper. The school is clean and I feel safe when my child is at school.

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

Posted: April 4, 2024

We are very happy with our children at school. The teachers care about the students, and the atmosphere is very good.

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

Posted: April 3, 2023

I went to this school from 6th grade to 8th grade, after quarantine. They made me feel welcome and at home. The academics are great and the teachers were amazing. I think I’ve only had one bad teacher and her teaching style just wasn’t for me. But everything else was absolutely wonderful! The councilors, activities, ect!

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: May 3, 2021

I've been a student at Liberty Pines Academy for almost a year and I have to say that this school is completely useless. There is so much to say about this school that I could write a book about it. The teachers are extremely inexperienced. I have personally been told to shut up and shut my mouth by a teacher. Some teachers do not even wear their masks at all but yell at students when they don't wear their masks correctly. I cant remember one thing that I have learned this whole year, because the teachers rely on notes and packets to teach us. But personally, I have had a teacher question me about my religious beliefs, which is not professional at all.
I have personally witnessed during lunch the Dean and the Officer, being a little too comfortable with some of the female 8th graders. They always hang around the female students like they are students themselves. There's even times when the Dean calls student (mainly girls) out of their class to his office just so they are hang out with him. But the students willing go because they think they are friends with the Dean.
To add onto the staff being lazy, I've gone to the guidance office to complain before. I spoke to her about how a male student was making me extremely uncomfortable and calling me extremely rude names. I waited weeks, almost months and I have not heard anything back from her.
Then, the school dress code, the biggest joke at this school. I myself have broken dress code by wearing ripped jeans with holes above the knee. But there are many girls in all grades, that wear extremely short skirts. They also wear crop tops that show their cleavage and stomach. But the school doesn't do anything about it even though they talk about how strict they are.
Im very sorry to anyone reading this, but there is so much wrong with this school. That I would never wish for any child to go here like I had too.

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: May 3, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

This school is a joke. Some teachers are good and some are not qualified bodies they just shoved into a classroom. The education is subpar, the behaviors are not dealt with, the Dean and security guard flirt with students( oh and he follows them on Instagram). Not a place I would recommending you send your student. Oh, and if you have Special Ed or ELL student forget about them getting adequate support.

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: April 28, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Excellent school. I feel confident in my children’s safety here. Teachers have been awesome. Started in kindergarten and have 8th grade graduates who loved their time here. From the teachers to the coaches and everyone in between, this has been a great elementary and middle school experience.

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: March 1, 2021

Posted: January 12, 2020

Posted: January 12, 2020

Posted: January 12, 2020

Posted: January 12, 2020

This is supposed to be one of the best schools in the State. We moved out of Florida to find a better environment for our son if that tells you how our experience went.

Posted: January 12, 2020

Posted: January 12, 2020

Our son would shut down with the “color chart” approach used the classroom for behavior. They would “bump up” or “bump down” if they were “good” or “bad”. It was public shaming and classmates would make fun of one another when someone would be told to “bump down”. How is this effective or good for self esteem at 5yrs old? He would come home saying he was bad and horrible. We would email the teacher and would not get responses. I don’t know how this school is so highly ranked.

Posted: July 20, 2018

Posted: July 20, 2018

Our son received a referral in first grade, which was unnecessary and was a illogical consequence.

Posted: July 20, 2018

Posted: July 20, 2018

Posted: July 20, 2018

With LPA being an A school, we thought our son would be challenged at school. Our son was above grade level as a reader and he left kindergarten writing four paragraph papers. Our son digressed as a writer and was not challenged while he attended LPA as a first grader. I am an educator myself and I saw the curriculum is subpar with limited rigor. Not only did our son digress, he had incidents of getttkng into trouble and he even gotten a referral during the school year as a first grader. I visited his classroom and saw poor classroom management. Our son will not be attending LPA, fortunately he will be back at my school.

Posted: July 20, 2018

My son did not have assigned homework.

Posted: July 20, 2018

My son’s teacher was nice, however my son digressed in writing. He did not show a lot of growth.

Posted: November 16, 2017

Posted: November 16, 2017

Posted: November 16, 2017

Posted: November 16, 2017

Posted: November 16, 2017

Posted: November 16, 2017

Posted: November 16, 2017

Very positive experiences as a parent and for my children

Posted: July 15, 2017

Posted: July 15, 2017

Posted: July 15, 2017

Posted: July 15, 2017

Posted: July 15, 2017

Liberty Pines Academy is the best school I have been too. My first year at this school was in third grade, and it was difficult for me because I had just arrived from South America. I knew very little English, but the teachers there are the best. My teacher specifically was very nice and understanding to me considering how I couldn't speak English. She pushed me hard enough and in fourth grade I was fluently speaking English. Over the years I have literally made friends with all my teachers. I am doing more that well at this school, the learning process is up to you and how well you are doing. I will be taking algebra , physics, and all advanced courses, in eight grade. I have achieved so much and come so far at this school. I would recommend this school to anybody. If you are a parent and want your child to succeed in academics this is the place to do it.

Posted: July 15, 2017

Posted: July 15, 2017

Posted: April 6, 2017

They, the teachers and administration, won't do anything. They don't care. Your child will be the one punished if he/she tries to fight back.

Posted: April 6, 2017

My children are gifted and I was told that they cater the classroom learning experience to each child's ability. What a joke! It's almost the end of the school year and I was told that since the time left is review the teacher should have some time now to teach to my son a little. We've only got a few weeks left!
This school is ok if your child is average.

Posted: April 6, 2017

Leadership does not care about the students, at all. And forget trying to talk to any of them. That is beneath them and they will let you know that. No use talking to them, they are only concerned with their own interests, not the children.

Posted: April 6, 2017

You can't build character and respect when the teachers and administration have no respect for the students and parents.

Posted: April 6, 2017

Neutral because a few of the teachers care about the children but quite a few that don't, at all. Good luck on which type you get!

Posted: April 6, 2017

Too much homework. Homework every day that takes 30-45 min.

Posted: April 6, 2017

The administration at the school, as well as at the county level, care more about protecting their own interests than protecting the children. My child has been targetted and bullied repeatedly and nothing is done! The principal literally does not care about the kids. Many of the teachers will do nothing when the bullying is reported to them. This school lets bullies get away with behaviors that will end up seriously injuring a child someday, but then will punish a child for defending himself. Your child is expected to allow the bully to do whatever they want to. This administration is dangerous and does not look out for our children's safety. When Liberty Pines ends up all over the news for gross negligence in a bullying case they might make some changes. Until then you just have to hope that it's not your child that it happens to.

Posted: February 13, 2017

My children have attended LPA since Kindergarten. I have seen them be questioned, challenged, hugged, disciplined, cheered on, featured, pushed, and put into their place.

A school is no more defined by the principal than a city mayor dictates your household routine. Quit evaluating LPA on anything other than what matters - the children's daily experience and learning.

I thank LPA teachers for their solid character-building and high academic expectations. If you expect anything different from a top-rated school in the #1 county in Florida, you should try elsewhere.

Posted: December 18, 2016

Posted: December 18, 2016

Posted: December 18, 2016

Posted: December 7, 2016

My son comes home crying at least once a week because someone in the classroom is bullying him. I asked the teacher about it and her reply was, "Hmm. I haven't noticed anything."

Posted: December 7, 2016

Posted: December 7, 2016

It is an authoritarian regime. Never question leadership.

Posted: December 7, 2016

This is an "AVID" school. There is no compassion or respect. Their student motto is "That's why I am here to dominate, to conquer!" Yes. It is grammatically incorrect too, but that's their motto!! Enough said.

Posted: December 7, 2016

The elementary (K-3) teachers seem to be more effective. Past that, they are like robots, shoving common core curriculum down students' throats with no regard for individualism.

Posted: December 7, 2016

Their literature states homework should only take 10 minutes per grade level. For example, a 3rd grader should only have 30 minutes of homework per night. All of my children have well over twice that amount. It's absolutely absurd.

Posted: December 7, 2016

I have a teaching degree with Magna Cum Laude honors, and I am a former teacher. My husband is military, and we've moved around quite a bit. This is the 7th school with which we have been associated. I can honestly say that, BY FAR, this is the worst school our children have ever attended. It is indeed a very sterile place. Children are not important, only test scores. Communication is very weak. Assignments are vague. Students are only right when they agree with what their teachers think. When my child receives an assignment at the end of a quarter to write an essay summarizing everything they've learned, and my child works hours completing it, only for it to be glanced at and given a 100 because it was a participatory grade which counted as a summative (BIG) grade to pull up poor class averages, you know there's a problem. The school has a test retake policy which insures students will get at least a 70. With that policy, no student fails, so, consequently, scores are higher, but extremely misleading. I have three children here, and they are SMART. But now they HATE school, and they are ready to be finished!! Homework takes several hours every single night. Extracurricular activities have been dropped, because there's simply no time for them. IT IS A VERY TOXIC ENVIRONMENT. Run away as fast as you can!!!

Posted: July 18, 2016

My student attended LPA for 3 years and this school is the most sterile, unfriendly environment imaginable for young kids. The focus is on the older grades, as test scores rule all. The principal has a established a no fun zone and cast an atmosphere to which few teachers respect her leadership. My face to face interactions with the principal was the final straw and we have since moved to a different nearby elementary school. My student's fear of one of her teachers was met with the response, "well, she produces good test scores." Nope, sorry not what I want my child to be defined by... test scores. Our current K-5 school has been such a welcome change. It is what an elementary school should be, enriching and fun. They are being challenged to think outside the test bubble and are building character. Focus is on the kids developing a love of learning and not on the length of their shirt sleeve or shorts. Or calling the class party 'centers' or a field trip a 'field study.' It is really hard to believe we are in the same district. To LPA I say, get over yourself and your test scores and get back to the fundamentals.

Posted: June 21, 2016

My children have the unique distinction of having attended both Liberty Pines Academy and nearby Patriot Oaks Academy, due to a move from the Country Club neighborhood to a new development near PO two years ago. I can assure you there is a huge difference in how the schools are run and the overall atmosphere. Although I believe the principals at Liberty Pines and Patriot Oaks both micro-manage, Liberty Pines was by far a more negative experience for our family. I agree with many of the reviews before me that LPA is a toxic environment that breeds competition and pettiness. It's all about the numbers with LPA and obtaining high district scores in state testings and assessments. There are definitely great teachers at LPA, but they're continually driven out by a negative principal and a PDO filled with parents who seem to require more attention than their children. I wish I could give it a better review, but I feel as if I need to be honest to protect those moving into our area. Our time at Patriot Oaks has been a very positive experience filled with superior teachers and a caring environment. We're so happy to have moved out of the Liberty Pines Academy school zone and my children are now thriving because of it! Liberty Pines Academy and Patriot Oaks may be right down the street from one another, but they are worlds apart in supplying a loving and caring environment. If you want your kids to be in a warm nurturing environment without all the drama, avoid Liberty Pines at all costs!

Posted: June 16, 2016

There is no "fairness," only favoritism on the part of the principal and approximately half the staff. Hard to instill honesty and integrity into your children, when a good share of the LPA staff has none. I feel terribly sorry for the teachers who do a fabulous job, and there are many. Wish they were the majority, instead of the minority. We clung on to the good teachers during my children's six years there. But, as in any toxic environment, the bad teachers (and principal) have a way of over shadowing all the good done at LPA!

Posted: May 28, 2014

The education level is good and challenging for students, but the front office staff and principal lack respect and empathy for parent's concerns and at times act even pompass.

Posted: May 18, 2014

We are about to complete our fourth year at LPA. When my son began there, the atmosphere was entirely different. The former principal may have not been much of an authoritarian, but he was very much a people person, very approachable, and very well liked by the students. The teachers appeared happy. The current principal is slowly running this school into the ground. She is entirely data-driven and appears to see children in terms of whether or not they are making her look effective. There are some excellent teachers at LPA, but over the course of our time there, they are being driven out by this politically-motivated tyrant who "leads" the school, leaving behind teachers who, for the most part, do not have their heart in it. My son is certainly getting an education and the school is getting their FCAT numbers to boast about, but LPA is not developing children into well-rounded people. We had great expectations of the schools in St Johns County and are considering moving to one of the other high quality schools in the area so that our son will be seen for who he is and not just the numbers he generates.

Posted: May 8, 2014

This school has excellent teachers who really care about the students and learning. Most have excellent communication with parents too. I really have never had a problem with the administration or the front desk staff. They are doing their jobs and keeping the students safe. YES! Please be strict. It's my child you are protecting. . I feel it's easy to complain when you have never stood in their shoes and attempted to run a K-8 school with over 1300 Students! The problem at this school are the PARENTS. I have had past administration tell me is that the problem is the majority of the parents at this school believe their child is "advanced." They believe their child should be treated as such and if they don't get into the "advanced" classes then parents get really upset. It's almost sickening how some of them act. They are the ones complaining about the administration. Send your child to LPA without any hesitation. It's a safe, well run school.

Posted: January 25, 2014

I am so sorry to see the executive secretary has transferred to another school. She was by far the heart and soul of LPA. I wish her the best of luck in her new adventure of opening anther K8 within our district. To the new secretary, you have some mighty big shoes to fill.

Posted: November 2, 2013

Please be good to Woofie! Honor the L.P.A. staff & other professionals by not bullying them on this blog!They have feelings too.Do not use this blog to hurt their feelings! I worked several years with these fantastic people.However,I was not a staff member.Now,I'm retired.Your child's needs are very important.Please address your concerns to the proper officials at L.P.A..

Posted: August 19, 2013

A+ Teachers and staff are top notch. Children are all happy to be there and come home happy every day.

Posted: July 19, 2013

If you can make it past the cold and condescending administration the school is a great place to educate your child. I have had several negative experiences with the principal and the office. I often wonder if they treat me this way, how are the treating the children. I won't be surprised if the principal runs off the good teachers with the hostile environment she is creating. Education is the focus here, do not expect your child to get an opportunity for any extra curricular activities. I'd like to say there is a lack of support for sports, and the arts but in actually it is discouraged by school administration. I believe my children are getting a great education however.

Posted: June 29, 2013

I cannot express my disappointment in this school without using profane words so I will just say that we are very unhappy!! My husband and I moved from Duval County to St Johns County due to school ratings. We did not want to have to deal with the magnet lottery for our son. LPA was highly rated at the time and after a lot of research, we built our home off of 210. My son entered LPA in second grade. He started the year with a substitute teacher because his teacher was on maternity leave. She never came back. In the middle of the second quarter, LPA hired a new teacher to replace the sub. The new teacher was TERRIBLE. She bullied my child for the entire length of her stay. She was unprepared, unwilling to talk to parents, unprofessional, and cruel. Luckily, she became pregnant and left at the beginning of the fourth quarter. My son was tortured by this woman and we were livid. The principal was NO HELP. We are considering private school and have written complaints to the school board. The teacher that we had was AWFUL. It was the worst experience of our child's school career. I cannot in any way recommend this school. BEWARE!!!!

Posted: May 18, 2013

2012-2013 has brought very unpleasant changes to this once great school, all in the form of the "Principal". I am not sure if she understands that she is essentially employed by us, as parents and taxpayers and am concerned that if she is this rude, condescending, confrontational and completely unresponsive to us as adults and parents, I really worry how she is with our children, especially when we are not there to witness. I know several families who have lost all respect for this school because of this principal, in addition to a few of the teachers and substitutes that have worked with her this school year. I hope the school board is aware and if not, they will be soon as I am going to be one of the many writing letters and calling with my concerns.

Posted: May 5, 2013

I have to agree with the past posts. I am extremely upset with the way this administartion handles ESE children and the parents. My son has excellent teachers but they have no authority when it comes to the admin and pulling in the resources needed for these special needs kids. The response of admin is.... move them to a different school. The admin only cares about FCAT's. I love the teachers here at LPA, great nurse as well. The admin and psychologist here needs to refresh themselves on why they came into the education career again. There is a need to start to back the teachers by giving them more support and resources and giving the students the positive supports and much needed stimulation of the outside sources and help they deserve. I hope the Board brings in an admin staff that can get this school where it needs to be, stop farming the kids out to become some other schools problem. My family comes from special needs teachers and they have never seen such disregard for children from the "leaders" of the school and lack of knowledge of the resources that may prove beneficial to a children. I hope for a new admin by next year.

Posted: March 14, 2013

We bought a home in the 210 area because we heard its the best school district in north Florida. My daughter enrolled in kindergarten in the 2011-2012 school year. My daughter struggle all year but the principal at the time was very accommodating. When the new year start, we immediately had issues with the new principal. She would not work with us at all to meet the needs of our daughter. I agree with other parents that this principal is ruining the school and possible the high rating this school deserves. The school board really needs to replace the leadership and direction this school is going. After our troubles with her, we pulled our daughter out of the school and enrolled her in a private school. I'm not even going to deal with this school again until they remove the principal.

Posted: December 17, 2012

This is our 5th year at LPA. The school continues to do very well, great principal and teachers. My oldest child has moved on to high school and is doing great and my next child is ready to do the same next year. LPA is a wonderful school.

Posted: December 16, 2012

We moved to Saint Augustine this summer and I had very high expectations for my children's education based on the reputation of the SJC school district. The teachers have exceeded my expectations and the parent involvement at LPA is phenomenal as well. Unfortunately, the administration at LPA is ruining the reputation of this school and district as well for me. Other parents have told me how different this year is at LPA due to the new principal, that she is the reason things are changing for the worse. My experience with her has given me a lack of confidence in her ability to handle her responsibility to the teachers, parents, and students at LPA because of how defensive she is. The office staff are just as defensive as she is and I feel very unwelcome when I walk in the office door. I agree with others who say she is on a power trip, which I feel is a sign of one's own insecurities, and i don't like leaving my children under the responsibility of someone like that. I am taking my issues to the school board hoping that they will improve LPA, and I hope other parents will do the same. In the principal's own words, I have high expectations and I'm not apologizing for that.

Posted: August 21, 2012

Last year, I would have given LPA 5 stars, hands down. However, with the new principal, it is barely getting 4. She is rude, demeaning, cold, and completely on a power trip. I hope that LPA can sustain its excellence despite her. Parents and teachers alike are watching closely. She has already cancelled the Wolf Buck program which the students loved and taught them long term goals, positive behavior, and savings lessons. Also, PE is now cut to every other week, and my child reported they they have to learn vocab words instead of being active per her request to the PE teacher. I am all for strong vocabulary skills, but not in PE. There are appropriate times and places for everything. It has not gone unnoticed that upon the announcement of her new position as principal, we lost some VERY valuable teachers and staff. We LOVED our former principal, who started LPA from inception. He is the reason for its excellence. May it not be decimated. Teachers are TREMENDOUS! Education is 5 stars. Everything is 5 stars aside from the new principal. There are no negative stars available here for that rating.

Posted: January 22, 2012

Liberty Pines Academy is wonderful!! The vision the administration has for the school is truely inspirational. The only problem that I have encountered at LPA is the parents! What a bunch of spoiled people. Everyone thinks their child is "gifted" and belongs in a gifted class and if their child does not perform well then who's fault is it?????.....well the teachers of course. I have never lived in a community with so many people who feel so entitled!! I rather have my kids play with kids from the city. I need more down to earth people that don't try to pass of responsibility for their children's actions on to thoes poor teachers that just want to teach children!!! Anyway, I feel sorry for the teachers constantly getting abused by thoes parents. I have seen it happen too much! Leave them alone so they can teach our kids instead of kissing your butts.

Posted: July 29, 2011

Beautiful new facility, in a nice neighborhood. Active parent volunteers. Principal is friendly, big on social aspects of school, interacts very nicely with the children, runs a smooth though highly regimented facility, and the school produces good FCAT scores. Overall the principal is great, except for any ESE segments. Some teachers are wonderful, some are not at all, and some are nasty. The front desk is awful--run like a prison camp. The middle grades AP is nasty to children and parents alike, undermines parental authority with children and disregards their insights. Needs for gifted students are not understood or addressed by this administration, grading practices are discriminatory and academic contests are popularity contests. Overall, this is a nice neighborhood school for average students whose parents can volunteer extensively, but no exceptionalities are handled well at all. Most ESE parents in our neighborhood have had to pull their children from this school, and go to private options, and have expressed very negative experiences particularly with the AP. This has been exasperated by the current state political regime's misappropriation of public funds.

Posted: July 29, 2011

Beautiful new facility. Principal is friendly, big on social aspects, interacts nicely with the children, runs a smooth though highly regimented facility, that produces good FCAT scores. Overall the principal is nice, and school is good except for all ESE segments. Some teachers are wonderful, some are not at all. Nurse's office is excellent. Front desk is awful--run like a prison camp and very unfriendly and not completely competent. The one AP is nasty to children and parents alike, like a truancy officer, undermines parental authority with children and disregards their insights. Needs for gifted students are not understood or addressed, and grading practices are discriminatory against them, in the interest of equality(??). No exceptionalities are handled well. Many parents of ESE students from the area have pulled their children from this school, and go to private options, which is just sad. Parents have expressed unusual levels of resentment toward this school, which leaves one wondering. It sounds like ESE students are grouped in separate classes like outcasts, while gifted students are treated like average students. One size fits all.

Posted: June 5, 2011

LPA is what you would expect from a larger public school. There are some wonderful teachers who communicate well with the parents and monitor their students progress. Then there are some very questionable teachers who I honestly think are just there to collect a paycheck .I truly have nothing positive to say about the VP. She is harsh and unfriendly both to parents and students alike. The P is very well liked by the students and is responsive to parent concerns. The regular receptionist is awful. I dread going into the school because she will give you a problem about everything! The school nurse is increadble!

Posted: April 13, 2011

This is the best school my child has been to. The teacher has been extremely easy to communicate with. The front office has always been professional and held to the standards. The curriculum in on par or ahead of national standards, cant help that fcat is holding everyone back, and the behavior of the children seems good. I havent heard of extreme or problematic children in the classrooms. The facilities are brand new. The only knock is the school lunches. Do not buy school lunches. They are horrible and wretched.The school lunches should be boycotted. I cannot believe we would ask children to eat that junk and request their parents to pay for it. Shame on the Supervisor. The school is great though, I highly recomend it.

Posted: January 11, 2011

I was extremely unhappy with the leadership at this school. The principal is a wimp who does not "lead the school" but is lead by a select few on the PTO and a VP that makes Cruella Deville look like Shirley Temple! The school is so big that if you need an answer to a question you need to "e-mail this person, or go on the school website." Parents are not made to feel welcome at all, at least if you have any input or understanding of what your child needs... or questions etc. Heaven forbid you have a complaint, they have no need for any improvement at LPA, Just ask them lol. I got my child out quickly.