John G Tower Elementary School

Posted: March 3, 2026

Lack of communication and intelligence from staff

Posted: March 3, 2026

Posted: March 3, 2026

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Posted: April 19, 2024

This is my first year as a teacher at John Tower Elementary. It is also my 29th year teaching.
The teaching staff is second to none. All are very passionate about teaching and each guard their time with their students, which is a good sign that they take their role as teacher seriously.
There are so many shout outs and "finding the good" in each student. It is a very positive atmosphere with a LOT of LOVE. I highly recommend!

Posted: April 19, 2024

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Posted: April 25, 2018

Posted: April 25, 2018

Posted: April 25, 2018

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Posted: April 25, 2018

Posted: April 25, 2018

I bet it’s a great school! My kids love the music program that’s available at this school and the guided math and reading instructors help students that are struggling come up to grade level. Not to mention the thought and care placed into their library. It wonderful

Posted: March 7, 2018

They only communicate when your child has done something wrong and are very slow to respond for any reason. They are also very biased and administrators do nothing to address the issue and retaliate against students of parents who speak out

Posted: March 7, 2018

This school tears children down and allows for no recovery

Posted: March 7, 2018

No one in this school cares about the students

Posted: March 7, 2018

Although the school does try to support students with learning differences, the assistance is only to check a box and not to truly help to assist the difficulty

Posted: March 7, 2018

I have personally experienced and been told of several instances with bullying and there is no consistency in how they deal with the problem

Posted: March 7, 2018

Several years ago, this was a good school with great teachers, but for some reason this has changed for the worse. I would never recommend this school to anyone and would suggest that military children attend Sheppard Elementary

Posted: March 7, 2018

No homework is given at this school, but Kids bring home IPAds to play on.

Posted: February 3, 2018

My child looks forward to attending school each day. She loves her teachers and classmates. Each day I check in with her, she tells me she loves everything about her day.

Posted: February 3, 2018

Class Dojo has been really helpful this year. During previous years, I felt pretty out of touch with what my child was doing or what was expected of her.

Posted: February 3, 2018

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Posted: May 23, 2016

Posted: May 23, 2016

Posted: May 23, 2016

Posted: May 23, 2016

Mrs. Ash and Mrs. Dillard are phenomenal. They have so much excitement for the students and their experiences at school. It is great.

Posted: March 25, 2016

I have a child in PreK and can only say amazing things about this school. The programs, friendlienss of staff, and family feeling are so wonderful. I love that I can easily approach my son's teacher, the office workers, ore even the principal and know I will get the help I need. This has been the best start ever for my son in regards to his education. We LOVE John Tower!

Posted: May 18, 2015

I can't say enough to convey how I feel about Tower Elementary! I was apprehensive at first, because the school seemed so large. However, there is a true family feel from the moment you walk in! The office staff is friendly, the teachers are beyond amazing, and the administration is always supportive. We are about to PCS this next school year, and I am so sad about my kids leaving this school. Both my students have grown so much here academically and socially and I pray that our next base will have a school as wonderful as Tower!

Posted: April 22, 2015

This school is fantastic if your child behaves fantastically. The principal and some teachers refuse to acknowledge parental suggestions. Formal complaints work. But it should never have to go that far. If you have a child with behavior problems, expect them to get worse. Discipline is either lacking completely or grossly overdone. If your child doesn't have behavior problems, this is a very good school. I've experienced both sides of the coin. I'm looking for a new school! But my kiddo is the exception not the rule! :)

Posted: July 15, 2014

We have experienced John Tower from their PK-3 program through the 5th Grade now. I can say that my children have received a great education while we have been here at Tower Elementary for the past 4 years. We have had great teachers that have really tried to help my children reach their full potential. My children have enjoyed the Fall Carnival that is held every Fall.

Posted: May 26, 2013

Love, love, love that my children get to attend John Tower Elementary. We are a military family and I am grateful that our transfer into Tower was easily accepted. I want my children HERE at TOWER!! I recently saw on the news where Tower was named as a State Title I Distinguished school, along with 6 others in this region of Texas. As always, the news was a bit limited so I did some investigating to find out just how big a deal this was. To my very pleasant surprise I learned that out of 3,674 Title I schools in Texas, ONLY 393 (just over 10%) of them earned the Distinguished Title I School Award - and 2 of those schools are in BISD - and one of them is our school - Tower Elementary! Way to go John Tower, Mrs. Darnall, ALL of the staff, and of course, OUR STUDENTS! All of your hard work is paying off and will always do so because we HAVE A GREAT SCHOOL! Thank you to everyone who helps make John Tower Elementary the great school it is.

Posted: May 22, 2013

This is one GREAT school. My kids have gone to Tower for 2 years and it is by far the best school I have ever been in contact with. The staff and administration are all about doing what is best for kids during this time of change with the Texas accountability system and curriculum issues. I can't think of anywhere else I would rather my own children to attend than right here at Tower Elementary! The family atmosphere on campus is so obvious and I am blessed that my children benefit from the wonderful instruction and loving environment they are provided with each and every day. Tower students & staff ROCK!!!!!

Posted: May 21, 2013

My kids have gone to JT for 2 years now. When we first moved here I felt the school was mediocre. Two years later I'm writing a review bc this school has failed in every possible way, shape, and form! My kids will not be attending for the 2013-2014 year. The principal is a joke, she clearly only cares about test scores and not that the children are having difficultly with the new cirriculum. This is the first school that we have ever been in that has put so much pressure on my kids for state testing. My kids would come home stressed out and be so anxious in fear of failing the STAAR test bc of what the teachers and principal would tell them if they didn't pass. Until C-Scope my kids were both straight A students. Now failing math and getting B-C's in other subjects. I talked w/ their teachers on numerous attempts, w/ no help at all. It was suggested they receive tutoring, but there were just as many students in tutoring as there was during the day; no 1-on-1 could be given. I went to the principal and she avoided every question about the C-Scope cirriculum and would flat out ignore me for other questions. I left confirming my choice in taking my kids out of this school! BEWARE!

Posted: March 3, 2013

I agree, it is difficult to even give one star for this review. Most all of the staff is rude ( if you don't like children, find another job!), kids are treated like they are in boot camp, and are expected to be quiet during lunch, lunch menu is limited by the lunch staff, the lunch staff is extremely rude to the children, and every time I am the school, or see staff outside, the staff is either talking/ texting/ or on Facebook on their cell phones. You expect these kids to abide by rules, yet the staff doesn't do the same. Obviously the principal is unaware of what goes on with her staff!

Posted: January 23, 2013

For over four years my children have attended this school from the Pre-K 3 program up through second grade. The teachers at this school cannot be compaired to any other! They are hands down awesome! They take thier time with each child and care about the work that they do! The opportunity for parent involvement is huge and available for all parents to share in a partnership for education! This school is thinking ahead to the future and always trying to keep up with or surpass new ideas in education as well as staying ahead of the game in school safety! I would choose no where else to send my kids! We are very thankful for our John Tower experience!

Posted: January 4, 2013

John Tower is a fabulous, hidden gem! Unless you live in the neighborhood, you wouldn't know it was there and might think it was located in downtown Burkburnett. Situated just outside of Wichita Falls minutes from Sheppard AFB, it offers a good choice for families who live on Sheppard and for those looking to live outside of the base. The Administrative team at John Tower is very responsive to parents, students and the military families. The principal is connected with her teachers so she knows what is going on by doing regular observations and is a true leader supporting innovative teaching techniques, community building, and administrative best practice. The teachers are vested in the school, with many of them sending their own children to the school. Burkburnett ISD is very supportive of the local community and shows their commitment in both words and action. The PTO is organized and active! We moved our child from another school and have never looked back!

Posted: August 9, 2012

I have a hard time even giving this school one star. My son attended John Tower the past two years due to his father being stationed at SAFB. This school is a joke. I have yet to communicate with anyone that seems to care or know anything. I could go into detail, but I don't know where to begin. My son attended two years of private pre-school starting at the age of three. He has lost skills and regressed in the past two years while attending John Tower. The school refuses to acknowledge this even though his report cards clearly indicate he is not doing well. The office staff are very rude. The school is basically a military school and the children are treated like they are in bootcamp. Not a good place for a child who is going through a divorce and stuggling with learning disabilities. I have attempted to discuss my concerns with the teachers, nurse, counselor and principal. They are very rude and do not care. I would never recommend this school to anyone. I am sure there are good teachers at this school, but my son has learned nothing in the past two years and when I ask the teachers, they say, oh he is doing fine. Not true.

Posted: January 30, 2012

The teachers my kids have had are good. The staff has been good. The PTO could use a good boost it's to get it out of it's rut it's very clickish. I'll look around at other schools I would like my kids to be more than just a number in the school I would like a school that all parents can be involved in the class room not just the clickish few.

Posted: June 16, 2011

As a mother of two and an active parent in the school, I can honestly say that this school is not what it is hyped up to be. We researched many schools and chose Tower because of location and all the hype and good reviews. Needless to say, my children will not be returning to this school next year. First, I feel there is a false sense of security regarding the safety of the students in the school. The post of January 29, 2011 sums up the rest of how I feel including the positive comments about the teachers and the negative comment about the principle. I had problems with the office staff and principle s lack of professionalism and lack of parent communication. Also, parent involvement was poor and the PTO was almost non-existent. The PTO president lacked direction and was unorganized to say the least. As for the exemplary rating, that is due to the fact that so much emphasis is put into drilling the students with a curriculum focused primarily on English and Math and very little emphasis on other subjects. From the outside looking in Tower seems like the perfect school but after being actively involved the entire year, I was able to see the truth.

Posted: January 28, 2011

My children attended Tower Elementary and both received a phenomenal educational foundation. The teachers go above and beyond and make the school exceptional. Parents are always welcome in the classrooms and there is plenty of opportunity to volunteer at this school. The PTO is amazing! The counselor is very approachable if problems should arise. I took the rating below from June 2007 and thought it summed up the rest. In this school it is the teachers that make Tower so fantastic. I can't imagine how much better it would be if they had a leader that could change the morale of the employees. Interesting to see it's been low since 2007 until 2010. June 5, 2007 "As an active parent in the school, I can say from many experiences that this school's staff is amazing. Most are willing to give 100% to their students and it shows. But the lack of overall staff morale is lacking. The principal cares about no one but herself."