Orvis Risner Elementary School

Posted: August 22, 2026

I had such a wonderful experience enrolling my child in this school. Mr. Haley made the registration process for the before-school program very easy and straightforward. Mrs. Little helped me with my son’s enrollment, and she made the entire transition so smooth, easy, and stress-free. Everything moved quickly, and I was very impressed with how fast the approval process was.

Ms. Woods, my son’s teacher, has been absolutely wonderful. She is so sweet, caring, and welcoming, and she has made this experience so amazing for my son. When he first started, he had a lot of anxiety about going to school, so seeing the change in him has meant so much to me. Now he loves going to school, feels comfortable there, and comes home happy and excited about his day.

I also absolutely loved the clap-in on the first day of school! That was such an amazing and special way to welcome the students. Seeing everyone cheering and clapping for the kids as they came in made the first day feel exciting and positive, especially for a child who was nervous about starting school. It was such a thoughtful touch and definitely something I’ll remember.

As his mom, I absolutely love this for him. Knowing that he feels safe, comfortable, welcomed, and excited to go to school gives me such peace of mind. I’m extremely thankful for Ms. Woods, Mr. Haley, Mrs. Little, and everyone who has helped make this transition such a positive and memorable experience for my son and our family.

Posted: August 22, 2026

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Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

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Posted: January 26, 2023

Posted: January 26, 2023

We love Orvis so much! We have had nothing but great experiences with the teachers and staff. Our kids love going here and I am really glad we transferred to this district!

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

Posted: November 7, 2022

My son absolutely hates this school. He’s getting bullied and begs me not to take him to school everyday and nobody is doing anything about it. He’s not learning well, his scores are well below average, he never has homework, his backpack has been empty the whole school year. There will be letters or notes I send with my son in his backpack and they’re never taken out or acknowledged. For the school popcorn fundraiser, we had $300 worth of popcorn ordered and his teacher never even took the money form out of his backpack or anything so I had to give all the money back from everyone that ordered popcorn from us. His class probably could’ve won the contest, but once again, his backpack was not acknowledged. The office staff is also very rude, I dread having to go in to talk to them about anything. I’m trying to move as soon as possible just to get my kids out of this school district. 0/0 would recommend.

Posted: January 13, 2020

My children would be more safe in a juvenile detention facility.

Posted: January 13, 2020

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Posted: December 30, 2018

Posted: December 30, 2018

Posted: December 30, 2018

Posted: December 30, 2018

Posted: December 30, 2018

Posted: December 30, 2018

Posted: December 30, 2018

My kids, 2 boys and 2 girls, loved this school. Good balance.

Posted: August 24, 2018

DO A COMPLETE MAKEOVER ..... THE TEACHERS ..... FIND OUT WHO THE GOOD ONES ARE ..... AND PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE GET RID OF THE PRINCIPALS....!! THEY ARE RUDE..!

Posted: August 24, 2018

Posted: August 24, 2018

The teachers are rude and talk behind the parents' backs making comments and laughing.

Posted: August 24, 2018

Does not handle bullying. Takes forever to get something handled.

Posted: August 24, 2018

BOTH PRINCIPALS ARE RUDE AND DO NOT RETURN CALLS. I heard the principal ask a mom why she didn't take her ID with her to drive.? (she didn't have it with her). ...... She walked to the school and didn't need it. They're fake. They're nice to your face and talk behind your back.

Posted: August 24, 2018

The school has a very small learning disability department.

Posted: August 24, 2018

NEVER helps with the bullying. The vice principal only helps those she wants to help

Posted: August 6, 2018

The principal is rude. She never says hi when you walk into the office. If you email or call her with a concern, she will never return emails or phone calls.

The principal made a lot of changes when she came to Orvis. One change was she got rid of the SWAG (student will achieve greatness) program. The 4th grade used to be broken up into different Math classes according to skill levels. She decided in the middle of the school year, to get rid of it. She would not listen to parents when we tried to voice our concerns.

Posted: August 6, 2018

My son went through speech at Orvis. It was a positive experience for me and him. They gave him the tools he needed to be in class and to learn, even when he was nonverbal.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Posted: August 6, 2018

Over the 8 years we have been at Orvis, it has been hit or miss. We have had amazing years and others I couldn’t wait for it to end.

The PTA at that school is a joke. The people who run it, complain they can’t get help but they are also very snobbish. They have their clique and don’t want anyone else involved. I did the PTA for one year and felt like it was high school all over again.

The office staff is very rude. You are lucky if they even acknowledge you when you walk in. They are also incompetent and lazy. The lack of communication coming from the school is not acceptable. You never know when there are events happening at the school. Some teachers do a great job keeping you informed on classroom activities.

We only have a year left at Orvis and I won’t shed any tears leaving that school.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Posted: August 6, 2018

We have been at Orvis for about 8 years. We have had amazing teachers there but we have also had to endure some bad teachers as well.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Depends on the teacher. Some teachers are great, other not so much. But the school as a whole, no. The principal wants everyone to be treated the same. If your child excels at something, they will not get recognized from the principal.

Posted: February 17, 2016

Inconsistent leadership, inconsistent rules, inconsistent discipline, combined with the fact, that in my experience.I had my kids moved to this school about 4 months and my older kid was on 3rd grade. In those 4 months he got into fights and it wasn't he faults. because he stand up for the bullies and got suspended the first times was one day and the second times two day. From his previous school never have any problems at all. but at this school I feel like they are not try to prevent the bullies from happening and if you stand up against the bullies by response with the self defense then you are wrong. Even know those kids put their hands on my kid first and my kid still got suspended, no wonder why in 5 years they've replaced 4 leaders.

Posted: February 17, 2016

Posted: February 17, 2016

Posted: February 17, 2016

Posted: July 6, 2015

Unstable leadership with a revolving door for principals and teachers alike. If I may be frank here, the outcome of student disciplinary problems is clearly biased. If the student your child has a problem with is on an IEP for behavior problems due to a disability. Your child will be receive some sort of discipline which does not appear to follow increasing steps of severity, whereas, the other student will simply be removed from the class setting back to a small class setting where an entirely different set of disciplinary standards are allowed. When you are called in to speak with the school regarding the issue the story is generally one of the students started it and the other reacted incorrectly but which one did what exactly is usually unknown (how convenient). In my experience, arguments, fights, injuries, bullying, etc. are rarely witnessed by an adult and this creates a huge flaw in fostering honesty, integrity, and fairness regarding students, in my opinion.

Posted: June 7, 2015

Just as in every school there are great teachers, as well as, those who are not so great. I do not believe it would be fair to lump them into one group so as a whole I would say "somewhat effective". Although, in my experience alone I would say "very ineffective".

Posted: June 7, 2015

This school overall does not give homework at all unless a parent insists and is persistent enough to physically appear to pick up the requested homework. However, there are a number of older, highly experienced teachers who did give homework but not a single one of them that I am aware of remained teaching at Orvis as of last year.

Posted: June 7, 2015

We have had a total of seven years experience, having children at Orvis Risner. During our time here we have seen four principals and countless teachers come and go, most for good reason but sadly also many of their most experienced, dedicated, and successful teachers have chosen to depart from Orvis Risner. New programs have come and go and some have reappeared under various names. While the written school policies remain consistent this is not generally apparent in regards to the actions taken by school officials from a parent's perspective. I believe this inconsistency is due to the high turnover rate of principals and teachers, consistency requires stable leadership. There is a small group of parents who are extremely involved in the PTA and their dedication is priceless. However, as a parent who once wanted to become extremely involved in the PTA at Orvis I must admit this parent group is run as an exclusive club and is difficult to earn the respect of the other moms. In their defense I am certain this fact is due to the overwhelming abundance of parents who are less than vigilante when it comes to their children. There are a great number of students at Orvis who have little respect for adults, authority, and fellow students.

If your child is a leader and not easily swayed by the other students or distracted by lacking classroom control or rules that remain consistent year after year then your child will do just fine attending Orvis. One of our children excelled wonderfully every year but our other child has also had many new or inexperienced teachers, as well as, a group of unruly students who are leaders that consistently keep the school, parents, and their peers on their toes. The past five years this school has been a nightmare for my family.

Posted: April 9, 2014

We have had a total of six years experience as two of my boys progress through school. My oldest never had a single problem, got along well with students and teachers, made fantastic grades and friends. However, my youngest has had a nightmare experience for 3 out of the 4 years he has attended Orvis. Last year he tested on grade level, behaved in class, and there were zero problems. Every other year he has had a teacher either new to teaching, new to the district, or little experience with children in general. Orvis Risner is going on the fourth principal in five years. Parent/Teacher communication is seriously lacking and from my perspective teachers are afraid to discipline students for fear it may negatively impact their reputation as a good teacher. DICIPLINE is an enormous issue at this school. Furthermore, every year except that perfect 2nd grade year my student has complained about other students being loud, out of their seats, and the teacher being too busy to answer questions. Teachers must have control of their classroom first and foremost and I am in the process of transferring my child.

Posted: November 21, 2013

This is an amazing school. The staff is wonderful and so focused on helping kids achieve.

Posted: November 17, 2013

Orvis Risner is a wonderful school and i'm so happy my children attend the same elementary school i and my siblings did. My daughter just loves Orvis and is working hard to become SWAG student again. My son is in pre-k and has a lot of fun learning. I do wish that the communication between the school and parents was like it was last year though, cause it's declined greatly but my children's teachers to some degree let me know what's going on. The principal is very nice and is at every assembly that the children have and i always see and talk to her when i pick my kids up. She encourages the children to learn and be the best they can be in all areas of life.

Posted: November 14, 2013

My son started here last year and we have seen a huge improvement in his social skills, academic achievements, and his attitude towards school. The principal is enthusiastic and that helps bring everyone else up as well! The energy is contagious!

Posted: December 13, 2012

This is our first year at Orvis, and we could not be happier. We recently moved here from another school district in another city, and although we struggle financially because of the move to Edmond for the schools, our children are much better off here. The teachers actually care. The principal and staff care. I am very happy with this school and would hope that anyone looking for a school for their children would considering moving to this school's district.

Posted: October 31, 2012

My daughter is in 1st grade this year and can read just about anything. She has excelled in all subjects and has had wonderful teachers. The office staff is very sweet and informative. She is in the afterschool program there as well and I feel like she is loved and taken care of there. I would recommend this school. And so far, the new principle this year has been amazing!

Posted: August 2, 2012

Sooo excited that Mrs. Perry is at Orvis! She is a Rockstar! We are in for an amazing year! My 3rd grader is excited!