Woodlawn Elementary School

Posted: January 26, 2023

I am raising my developmentally delayed grandson. This school was his saving grace. The whole staff knows him and are dedicated to his learning and development. He learns differently and this school and this staff have given him a better life. When he came to Woodlawn from Southdowns PreK center in 2018, he was non-verbal, not potty trained and hurting from three years of neglect. Southdowns PreK center gave him no assistance and basically no real education the time he was there. They stuck him in a bare classroom and labeled him a behavior problem. When I took custody, I called the school board office almost every day until they finally transferred him to Woodlawn. Kathy Kapoulas gave my grandson a new start and a new life, and for that I am eternally grateful to this school. The staff is wonderful! He is in a self-contained class but visits other ancillary and regular classrooms for his individual needs. He also has OT and ST weekly. They make him feel so special. I saw another review that said that if your child is disabled steer clear of this school, so that is why I wrote this review. The staff a Woodlawn do not shy away from children with disabilities, they embrace them!

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: August 10, 2018

I'm very upset with the transportation. On her first day of school the card in the mail said 7:39. We were out the at the exact moment we were supposed to be but the bus never showed..Later I find out the bus was 20 minutes early !! I sat in the insane carpool line for 45 minutes because the bus was early. A bus should never be early !! The second day of school I was out there for 720 (20 minutes early) then I get a phone call from the bus driver saying the bus broke down. So I left to sit in that horrendous car pool line for another 45 minutes ! Then I find out that the bus never broke down at all and he was only gonna be 10 minutes late ! I am a single mother of two that has to work to provide for my kids. When I have to plan to get my daughter on the bus at a certain time to get my 2 year old to daycare

Posted: June 11, 2018

Posted: June 11, 2018

Posted: June 11, 2018

Posted: June 11, 2018

Posted: June 11, 2018

Posted: June 11, 2018

Posted: June 11, 2018

My daughter has been going to Woodlawn since kindergarten and will be going into 5th grade this year. She absolutely loves it!!! She has ADHD so there are times when she struggles, but her teachers always communicate with me and keep me updated on her behavior and grades. Thankfully she’s managed to do well and keep herself on the honor roll! The staff there is wonderful, everybody always remembers her year after year, which is very heartwarming!

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

My son has attended for the past 4 years. He has severe ADHD and Dyslexia as well as an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), to assist in his development due to his disabilities. Children like my son with this disability are prone to impulsive outbursts. This doesn’t make them dangerous or bad children any more than cancer would make a child a bad child. He is a sweet and good natured child but he does struggle at times with his disabilities. As a result of a recent impulsive outburst, my son was questioned by medical experts to ensure he was not a danger to himself after he made a statement to the effect of “I want to kill myself” when he was exhausted and didn’t want to comply with a request to do homework. Although I recognize my son was misbehaving, the incident was treated like an active shooter situation or a real plan to actually kill himself, which was literally absurd. The medical staff interviewed him and they determined he was mentally healthy and was simply acting out in frustration as children often do, especially impulsive children. My son was later disenrolled from this school, not due to his behavior but after the principal discovered that our residence had changed as a result of the Great Flood of 2016. This was a targeted punishment of my son and was deliberate discrimination against his disability because had he not acted out due to his disability, there would have been no reason to dis-enroll him. Please refer to my comments regarding the school’s leadership for a more detailed explanation of how this principal treated me after this incident took place.

Posted: October 8, 2017

I had a horrible experience with the principal after my son, who has a learning disability, acted out as a result of his disability. Please refer to my comment regarding children with learning differences for the details of that incident. The principal acted very disrespectfully to me the day following that incident. In a conversation we had, the principal verbally scolded me and insulted my child. She stated that my son was likely to “kill his siblings, that myself and my fiancée would end up divorcing, and that my son should be institutionalized.” She further insulted my son’s doctor, a specialist in the field of disabilities my son suffers, by attacking the treatment plan the doctor recommended. At times over the past year, she has also singled out my son as a target for his disability. I understand that people who don’t have experience with these disabilities may be ignorant of the appropriate way to foster an inclusive educational environment for all children including those with such disabilities. But that’s why experts and medical professionals provide guidance for these scenarios. This principal ignored and insulted the medical advice and treatment plan for my son. Although I can’t speak to her motives with certainty, I feel like she was more concerned with the academic reputation of her school and would rather not do the necessary tasks to be inclusive of all children. The day after the incident, the principal started looking into our housing situation and realized that as a result of the Great Flood of 2016 we had moved out of the district into the adjacent district. We didn’t change enrollment to the other school in our new district because I have invested 4 years of my time working with the teachers and administrators at Woodlawn Elementary to formulate his IEP which is good for his development and continues a consistent environment for my son. Consistency is critical to helping him excel and overcome his disabilities. This principal acted unprofessionally and not in the interest of my son by looking for a legal justification to remove him in the final year at his school. As a result she has potentially irreparably damaged the progress my son has made. We are now in the process of trying to find a new educational environment for my son and are starting over from scratch. The principal’s statements left me in tears and distraught over the past couple weeks. She will give a great first impression and if your child does not have disabilities you may never experience any sort of targeting. But if not, I recommend you be prepared for a school whose leadership has acted in retribution and retaliation to children who don’t fit the traditional perfect mold of what they are trying to represent.

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

Initially and for a few years, matters seemed fine. My son’s teachers have generally been respectful and good with my son. However, I have had a very poor experience with the school’s leadership, primarily the principal.

Posted: October 8, 2017

Very poor for children with disabilities. I advise that you steer clear of this school and find a different public school or private alternative if you can afford it.

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: October 8, 2017

The administration is more concerned with image then with helping vulnerable children. I have had personal experience with my step child who has been targeted by the leadership.

Posted: October 8, 2017

Very poor attitude from leadership for children with disabilities.

Posted: October 8, 2017

Posted: February 19, 2016

I never have problems with that I asked my kids everyday and the love there teachers.

Posted: February 19, 2016

Well I don't know about other but for a first grade it ok not to much!

Posted: February 19, 2016

Yes I think the school dose but I think that's more our responsibility to encourage our kids to be honest

Posted: February 19, 2016

My little one love the school the teacher are doing a very good job she love all the activities I appreciate all you'll do with the kids.

Posted: November 18, 2015

Posted: November 18, 2015

Posted: November 18, 2015

Posted: November 18, 2015

My experience at Woodlawn has been excellent! From the office staff Mrs Weeks and Mrs Jackson to the Principal and Vice Principal past and present to the teachers from Kindergarten to Fifth grade, Caring, Understanding, Professional, proficient, thorough, and loving! Three of my grandchildren have come through Woodlawn and the experience has been, must I say again....Excellent!

Posted: February 22, 2014

I'm not from br. And I moved here when my daughter was 2. ALWAYS heard bad things about EBR schools. But I didn't want the extra drive a Prairieville or the traffic of Denham. And I refuse to pay for school (I already do with my taxes). Before she started school I did a lot of research and picked either Woodlawn or Shenandoah for her to go to. (Hey if it was bad they couldn't mess her up THAT bad in Kindergarten.) SO glad I did! The teachers are amazing, the office staff is loving and familiar, and the principal is great too. They even have an extended day program! They care. We have been here a few years now and I really believe I made the right decision. I did sign the petition to make this school district independent, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen. Sad bc that means I'm going to buy a house in Prairieville now....I don't want her in Woodlawn high. And not going to change schools in middle school given the awkward age and how hard that would be.

Posted: September 22, 2013

This is such a great school. My twins Ashley and Alexis really learned and enjoyed attending Woodlawn. Unfortunately we moved back to California. But we truly miss Woodlawn......

Posted: September 1, 2013

My daughter is attending her second year at Woodlawn Elementary. We LOVE it! She has a board certified teacher this year for first grade, and had a fantastic Kindergarten teacher last year. The staff is absolutely wonderful! They are always so helpful and really care about each of the students. The school itself is still fairly new and is very well equipped with technology to aid the students. In conclusion, the teachers, the staff, and the facility are all top notch, and I am proud to have my daughter attend this school!

Posted: April 29, 2011

Considering the school is fairly new, I love the environment. The 2 teachers that my daughters have are great. They have learned quite a bit, not as much as I think they should have but it is public schooling. The staff in the office are generally helpful and all smiles, except one always has a horrible attitude. The ladies that greet the kids in the morning who are being dropped off by parents are so friendly and always have a smile on their face. This is my daughters first year there, so we'll see the outcome. They however are happy at their school and that is important to me.