River Bend Elementary

Posted: March 6, 2025

It’s a good school. Great in communication.

Posted: March 6, 2025

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Posted: November 2, 2024

This is our second year at River Bend (now 1st grader) and we love the school and the principal. It is very evident that the administration and teachers love and care about their students. After reading past reviews and observing actions at the school, there have evidently been changes made based on feedback. Carpool pickup is smooth and quick! Front office administration staff are friendly and helpful. If considering Ri we Bend, go for it. Your experience may different than someone else!

Posted: November 2, 2024

Posted: November 2, 2024

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Posted: June 16, 2024

After 3 years at this school, we have had enough with the disorganization. Teachers don’t stay long, which speaks volumes, and the administration seems to micro-manage the staff.
Along with this, poor processes are in place for the students. The first week of kindergarten, my son (who is a walker) went into the wrong line and got on a bus. For 20-30 min the school had no idea where he was while he rode this bus around Raleigh. After that situation, they put tags on the kids to indicate transportation and created a walker pick-up process (which had never been in place), but it was clearly upsetting at the time and should have been an indicator on how the next couple years would go. My son liked his teachers so we stayed. All 3 of his teachers (k-2) have since left the school.
And the lack of support from the spec ed team is disgraceful. My son should have received speech every week but does not. He barely knows the SLP, whom I only hear from at the end of the year when the annual review needs to be scheduled.
This school is horribly managed, which can be seen by how events are organized and how teachers appear micromanaged. We really wanted to make this school work but unfortunately we’ve had enough and I suggest you reconsider as well. If you decide to give it a try, be prepared for disorganized school pick-ups, your child’s recess being canceled for unknown reasons due to administration, inability to go into the office (you must wait outside for pick-ups), spending 20-30 min waiting when you need to pick-up your child early, and very poor communication and planning for any school wide events.

Posted: June 16, 2024

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Posted: September 7, 2023

THIS SCHOOL RECEIVED MY DAUGHTER WHO ONLY SPEAKS SPANISH AT THE BEGINNING, SHE HAS BEEN THERE FOR TWO YEARS AND HAS LEARNED A LOT ACADEMICALLY AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, I LIKE THE DIVERSITY THERE IS IN THE SCHOOL, AND WHAT I LIKE THE MOST IS THE LOVE OF THE TEACHERS, THEY ARE VERY ATTENTION. THE ONLY THING THAT I STILL DIDN'T FEEL SATISFIED IS THAT THEY DON'T CELEBRATE GRADUATIONS.

Posted: September 7, 2023

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Posted: September 7, 2023

Posted: July 9, 2018

Posted: July 9, 2018

Posted: July 9, 2018

Posted: July 9, 2018

Just finished up with our son's kindergarten year. He was part of a very diverse group of students, several learning English as a second language and yet he STILL achieved a mid-first grade reading level by the end of the year. This child was really not interested in reading/writing before kindergarten started, but his AWESOME teacher turned him around 180 degrees! We were impressed with how well disciplined the students are expected to be, almost boarding-school like, but in a loving way. Behavioral issues and bullying are NOT tolerated. Students are expected to respect one another and their teacher. If anything needs to be improved it is what is being taught/happening in the students' homes. I see no issues with the school itself. Kudos to the amazing teachers and principal for all their hard work, it SHOWS!

Posted: July 9, 2018

Posted: July 9, 2018

Posted: July 9, 2018

Posted: August 20, 2017

Posted: August 20, 2017

My daughter attends River Bend and loves it. I think most of the earlier negative reviews came from problems with the principal. The new principal is awesome. I like the changes he's made and the new school events he has hosted. The school has a lot of students from low income families, and many who know English as a second language, so consider that when looking at test scores and performance. I would love for the school to receive more funding to help these students succeed despite the obstacles set before them. Overall the school is doing as good a job.

Posted: August 20, 2017

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Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

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Posted: July 11, 2017

Posted: July 11, 2017

Great so far!! Very nice teachers and adm staff is very helpful

Posted: October 5, 2015

Posted: October 5, 2015

Posted: October 5, 2015

Posted: October 5, 2015

I worked at this school for a number of years. The teachers are great and incredibly hard workers. They truly care about the students and their colleagues.

However, administration is a different story. The new principal, who has been in his position for about two years now, should not be a principal. He was decent as a VP, but it was obvious that the transition to Principal was difficult. There were THREE different secretaries in less than two years. Does that not speak volumes? Being RUDE, micro-managing, and not setting a good example for children or colleagues is NOT acceptable!

He would expect his employees to set a "good" and "positive" example for colleagues and students, yet he was NOT leading by example. His priorities were incredibly out of order. There were times when he would not even greet a teacher or a student. There were times when a negative and unhappy look was upon his face, and let me change "times," to "MANY times."

A true LEADER, leads by example. He or she absolutely requires exceptional work, but they do that by setting an example of how it should be done, NOT the opposite.

Over 30 teachers/employees have LEFT the school in the year and a half that he has been the "leader."

I hate to leave this review, but it is necessary that it be in the open for individuals to know the truth.

Posted: November 5, 2014

I used to work at this school, and it pains me to give it a one star review. The other teachers (except those who have been sucked into the politics) are some of the hardest working and nicest that I've ever worked with. The students are lovely. However, there is a huge problem with the leadership of this school. The leadership is totally unprofessional and inappropriate. I would caution anyone who is thinking of working here to reconsider. If you are experiencing problems from that area, just know that there have been concerns that have been expressed before and that these have not been heeded. A former poster claimed that this was the result of them being connected, but I don't think it is. I think, in Wake County, they let principals do whatever they want to staff.

Posted: April 28, 2014

my girls love the school.and the teacher.and i am so happy.my girls doing great. i just wishthe school have spanish class.

Posted: April 27, 2014

Riverbend Elementary, my daughter loves her school, the school is very structured ( besides the cafeteria&buses)

Posted: March 18, 2014

This is my son's first year in the school and it will be his last. The new principle is rude and uncaring. My son had a hard time transitioning from pre-k at hodge rd elementary to here and his teacher isn't very helpful. She had him feel like he was a problem child and he never wanted to go to school. I asked for my son to be removed from the class and the princ refused ... WORST SCHOOL EVER!

Posted: March 10, 2014

I have a 1st grader and a 4th grader at Riverbend. We almost changed schools because the old principle was so hard to deal with. The new principle at this school is great.

Posted: February 28, 2014

I have two children in River Bend, (1) in 3rd (5) grade. My children have attended River Bend for several years. (I'm not surprised) and I absolutely agree with several parents regarding the principals interaction. This is their last year attending and I couldn't be happier.

Posted: February 12, 2014

I have two children at RBES and our family couldn't be more pleased with this school. Both of my children's teachers are caring, enthusiastic, and professional. My kids come home happy and are always excited to go to school the next day. Whenever I've interacted with the principal, he's been nothing but courteous, respectful, and eager to offer his help. We love River Bend and wouldn't consider sending our kids anywhere else!

Posted: February 4, 2014

This is my child's first year at this school and I must say that his teacher is great, however, if you need ANY accomidations this isn't the school for you. Even after speaking to the principal on several occasion, he will not approve any request. The principal is very closed minded and will NOT work with you.

Posted: June 29, 2013

My child just completed their first year at River Bend and so far we have nothing but positive things to say about the school, the teachers and the new principal. I've spoken to several parents who feel the same way. Not sure what other negative reviewers have dealt with but the teachers in the lower grades have been fantastic to work with. And the new principal is very involved and personable. We are looking forward to the new school year at RB and seeing what's in store for the students.

Posted: April 17, 2013

Staff is very unprofessional and emotionally immature and creates a negative atmosphere in the school. Mainly teachers in the lower grades. New principal can perhaps improve school quality.

Posted: April 13, 2013

This school's rating might improve dramatically now that Lois Hart has retired. Discipline in the school was good, but She was a very cool character and didn't allow any thing that might have disrupted the school's plan to 'teach the test'. As a result, there was minimal parent involvement---any good ideas presented by the PTA were shot down. She may have had a warm side, but we certainly never saw it. My kids were afraid of her. There was such a high turnover in new teachers. Most new teachers only stayed one year, although there are a few who have been there along time. My son had a great teacher last year, but she seemed to have received very little in the way of orientation to the building's many strict mandates (for teachers, not students!) and was often getting bashed for things she didn't know she wasn't supposed to do. And watch out for that secretary...I once saw her chew out a teacher in front of a group of students for a very minor issue (and since when does the secretary discipline teachers for anything?) If River Bend is Lucky, the new principal will take a different direction, but my youngest got a magnet seat so we are out of there!