Pinehurst Elementary School

Posted: May 1, 2021

In an effort to provide an open and honest review, I'll start with the good... The school is safe and clean, the new building opening next school year is massive and state-of-the-art, the majority of the teachers are great, and Principal communication is good (robocalls daily).

Now the not-so-good... Our children spent several years at this school, made many friends and great memories. As the years progressed, we noticed changes in regards to the education and discipline approaches. Discipline issues ruled the classrooms each year (with little/no consequences for bad behavior). Kids who are middle or high performing are left completely unchallenged. The teachers are overwhelmed with nonstop digital assessments and teaching just to meet the EOG testing requirements to pass the students at the end of the year. As we started to pay more attention to what our children were (not) learning, we realized they weren't being challenged at all and decided to move to a local charter school.

Many of the teachers are amazing and loving, but they are not empowered with the ability to effectively discipline or provide any structured curriculum to help the students advance beyond the status quo, or even get to grade level in many cases.

Additionally, the school focuses heavily on social-emotional learning in order to guide student emotions in a certain way psychologically. It's nonstop... What color of emotion are you feeling today? Take an emotion survey today that will go to a 3rd party for analysis. Tell the school counselor how you feel today. It started to seem like assessing and documenting student feelings was more important than student academics/learning.

MCS needs an overhaul, because it's not just PES but other district schools too. Perhaps MCS should get back to focusing on academic excellence, or more children will leave the traditional public school system and go to charter or private.

Posted: May 1, 2021

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Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: January 27, 2021

The principal at this school clearly shows favoritism to her friends' children.
Teachers are unreasonably pushed to achieve scores on 1 test which ruins the whole year.
Teachers aren't allowed to discipline kids and the teachers get zero support from the front office.
Students can't learn because of all of the discipline issues. My kids felt like the education here is a joke.

Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: January 27, 2021

Posted: October 14, 2014

PES is a great public elementary school. Mamy faculty have advanced degrees and cetifications along with some who have 20+ years of experience. The cohesiveness between staff and faculty is demonstrated in their performance as a finely tuned team. There is care and concern for every child. Children are individually tested and enabled to work at their own reading level, but math seems to be a one-level-fits-all. I supplement math, vocabulary and spelling, foreign language, and music (theory and piano) at home. This keeps my child moving ahead where public school common core has children doing one thing over and over using a variety of methods. My child will be well rounded ac ross all subject matter between all our efforts. I wish there was a Spanish immersion program and that year round was offered through 5th grade at PES. There is a wonderful, positive approach to growing independent, respectful children - bucket filling and S.W.I.M.; learn more about this in the school handbook. We are grateful to have this quality public education available to us. We love supporting our school.

Posted: September 7, 2014

PES and Moore County is a solid choice for your child(ren) and family. I am a military parent and I had three kids graduate from PES to middle school. The leadership has rotated during our time and the school has expanded to traditional and year round students. The quality of education and support remains consistent. We have experienced challenges at certain grade levels however our children has excelled as the curriculum and student support has changed. Parent involvement is encouraged and recommended. Technology is a concern but the county has a new program in place. Remember this is a growing family community in a resort-vacation town. We loved it and I recommend all new elementary school age families join a great community and education team at PES.

Posted: June 19, 2013

PES is an excellent school. We have been here for three years and we love it. The principal, teachers, staff, and PTA all work so week together to provide the best for our children. I wish we could stay here, but we are moving and they have definitely set the bar very high.

Posted: May 13, 2013

We have had three children attend this school and I have nothing but good things and experiences to report. We have three different children with three different interests and learning concerns and they were all satisfied. We would highly recommend it.

Posted: June 27, 2011

PES is a fabulous school all around! We have three children enrolled at PES and have been quite pleased with their academic rigor as well as the extracirricular activies.The principal and staff have been very welcoming to our family. The principal is highly visble in the school as well as the assistant principal. I have had several conversations with our administration and they have been every responsive to me. The teachers are some of the most caring teachers I have ever seen!

Posted: January 17, 2011

PES is a wonderful school filled with caring, dedicated teachers. Both of our children have had a very positive experience at the school. They are challenged in their classrooms and through the AIG program. The extra curricular activities range from arts and crafts to cross country. Parent involvement is very high. The principal has been much more visible this year. She has attended many school functions and has run the school assemblies. We are thrilled to be part of this school!

Posted: December 6, 2010

Have 2 kids in this school and have been happy with the teachers and sense of community among the other families. Have to agree with other reviewers about the leadership though, principal is unfriendly and doesn't even come to many school functions. Also very difficult to get in touch with and unresponsive to parent concerns- a problem we and at least 2 other families we know of have had. Teachers and community good, administration bad.