Brentfield Elementary School

Posted: June 3, 2025

We have been disappointed in this school for our preK student. Way too much low-quality screen time without prior notice to the parents. On a weekly basis (sometimes more frequently than that), our student was shown cartoons during lunch and naptime (including Spidey, Super Kitties, and other similar shows). On at least one occasion, a full length PG rated movie was shown to the class of 4 and 5 year olds without prior notice to (or consent from) the parents. (On another occasion, parents received prior notice about a "movie day" but, again, a full length PG rated movie was shown without prior disclosure of that fact.)

The school does a great job hosting the fun events and parents are very involved - the field day is great, as are various class parties and other events throughout the year. The theme days are fun as well. However, we have been extremely disappointed with the amount and type of screen time that has been shown and the lack of learning that goes on during class.

Posted: June 3, 2025

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Posted: June 20, 2023

Every family will have varying experiences based on several factors, however ours has been positive so far. As a transplant from another state, I knew we needed to be involved in order to stay up to date with school news and build a school/community network. With that said, the vast number of social media platforms allows for just that. Also, asking questions on said platforms also helped with getting answers quickly. Are there opportunities for improvement…always, but that’s where being assertive can lead to change.

Learning: The ISDs approach to homework is different than what I’ve known but the school has been rated an “A” amongst all RISD schools, so I believe the scores reflect true learning and retention of information.

Teaching: The teachers really care for their students. I have been impressed with their ability to find creative ways to teach kiddos in the classroom.

Social-emotional support: The counselors make it a point to let families know who they are and that they are always available. Teachers are also equipped to provide kids with support they need in the classrooms.

Special Education: The SPED teachers are the real MVPs of this school. I have never attended a school event where the teachers weren’t including their students in all the fun activities, just like everyone else.

Safety: This will always be a top priority for any parent, regardless of school ranking. As the school expansion comes to a close, the school will continuously need to reassess entry/exit levels and be cognizant of potential threats, however I believe they have the right amount of safety measures in place.

Family Engagement: This really depends on how involved a family wants to be. The school makes every effort to communicate events happening on/off campus and I’ve found that families are more than willing to volunteer. This can sometimes lead to missing out on events that require a time sensitive sign-up but getting involved with their parent network (PTA, sports, activities) has been key to staying connected.

Posted: June 20, 2023

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Posted: May 27, 2023

Teacher was excellent and inclusive but the school overall is very isolating for minority families. Don't expect to be in the know about campus events! I knew events were happening but details on how to order and be apart were often missing or last minute. Very frustrating experience at such a great school!

Posted: May 27, 2023

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Posted: March 6, 2022

Excellent school Great teachers
Volunteered multiple times
Kids seemed happy there

Posted: March 6, 2022

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Posted: July 21, 2020

We highly recommend this school. Teachers are very friendly and know how to trigger kids' study interests. The school regularly organized many activity to let parents and student attend.

Posted: July 21, 2020

No and few homework since 2 years ago.

Posted: July 21, 2020

Teachers are very professional. I think most of teachers are experienced in children education.

Posted: July 21, 2020

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Posted: July 21, 2020

My kid did not experienced until now. Occasionally, some mean girls let him feel a little bit upset, but he always can find more interesting boys and girls.

Posted: October 29, 2019

Overall, we have been very pleased with the school and our children's experience. The school truly professes a culture of excellence and the strength and involvement of the PTA is one of the finest. The school strongly encourages parental involvement in the classroom and this is absolutely necessary - Join the PTA once enrolled as as all information on the school is distributed with membership. We have seen diversity improve marginally within the last several years since we first started attending, which was our only lament once our eldest started Kinder. We highly recommend this school.

Posted: October 29, 2019

Our children are in the lower grades and do not receive much homework.

Posted: October 29, 2019

Teachers show they genuinely care and are intent on nurturing the child to reach their full potential. They are very accountable to you when you present yourself as a parent interested in doing the same.

Posted: October 29, 2019

Posted: October 29, 2019

I think teachers, counselors and the principal present strong personal and professional leadership

Posted: October 29, 2019

While this is not a concern for us, I have seen some parents make other selections for their children, while I'm sure others may have chosen Brentfield

Posted: October 29, 2019

The school enforces accountability on all sides, with the bully and the child being bullied, encouraging boundary setting and appropriate behaviors

Posted: October 26, 2014

I have 2 students at Brentfield and I do not agree with the negative comments about the parents, students or PTA. In over 4 years there, I have found it to be quite the opposite and would like to provide the facts... Brentfield is a public school who provides a private school level of education. We consistently have the highest rankings in RISD in all areas of measurement (testing, parent and teacher satisfaction, etc.) Our faculty and staff are awesome and the majority of the turnover has been due to retirement or parents becoming stay-at-home parents. The PTA is made up of extremely hard working and caring parents who volunteer over 11,000 hours in 9 months to support the teachers and students. All PTA's in Texas are required to hold fund-raisers to support their initiatives. Brentfield PTA is blessed to consistently raise thousands of dollars each school year that directly supports the students and teachers with classroom technology and school-wide events. If you want your child to attend a school who sets high academic standards and provides parents an opportunity to be involved in their child's education, Brentfield is the place for you.

Posted: September 30, 2014

While this school may have a good academic score, we ended up going elsewhere because the clicks were getting so bad that the children were becoming more and more like the mean-girl moms. No support from the principal or counselors on this, as the counselor had a child in the schoool and the principal seemed to either play favorirtes or ignore the situation. It's such a shame because it is a good "school" but part of the elementary experience should be carefree, silly and making friends. Your child will not be treated well if you are not a part of the click. Last, we did not realize this was primarily a Jewish neighborhood when we moved here, so that made it even more difficult for our non-jewish children to be accepted. Rather than watch our children sit on the sidelines and be excluded from everything, we opted to move to another school in RISD and could not be happier

Posted: March 24, 2014

I've read the notes below and there are some interesting comments. Seems like most either love the school or hate it. Here is what I've observed: The BEST thing about this school is parental involvement. The WORST thing about this school is parental involvement. With so many parents (usually moms) highly involved, there will ALWAYS be clicks of folks who know each other, and they may not always play nice with you. Regarding students outside the district, there are lots that live elsewhere and their parents are not all teachers. I have no idea why this happens, but it does. Oh well, it does not really bother me, but I'm sure it's unfair to those who tried to get in and could not. I've found the teachers to be pretty good... above average (although lots of turnover?) The principal seems a bit like a politician but he seems to know his job and do it well. Not thrilled with the PTA, as they are very disorganized and cant seem to get anything done (other than ask for $$ at fundraisers.)

Posted: March 5, 2013

As an elementary school teacher in another district, I know when my children are in an excellent school. As far as the class sizes, parents need to do their homework instead of blaming a school. Class sizes were changed to 23 with waivers for 24 by the state, not the school or district. Parents in this school do NOT "run" this school. In fact, I've been very impressed how they are great at keeping parents in check, and I'm a working mother. Yes, they have a high parent involvement, and that's why the school is so wonderful. The teachers are very consistent throughout the entire grade level. They have extremely high expectations, and that's why my children go there. The only students I've seen outside the district are teachers' children. I would pick Brentfield over almost every private school in the metroplex. Remember, this school has an extremely high percentage of gifted children, so some may feel this is too much pressure for their child. However, your child would not get the quality of this education at just any other DFW public school. This school is the reason our family has not moved to a larger home in fear of not finding one in Brentfield's boundaries.

Posted: August 14, 2012

Generally speaking, Brentfield is as good a school as you are going to find within the public school arena. They have very good teachers (some better than others though), outstanding leadership from the Principal, and lots of parental involvement compared to other public schools in DFW. If you are looking for a great public school, then I would definitely recommend Brentfield. However, because of the way our public school system is setup (which encourages teaching for passing the standardized tests only and focuses on improving the average kid s performance, but not necessarily the brightest ones ), neither Brentfield Elementary nor any other good public school will challenge or come close to using the full potential of an above-average, gifted, high achieving child. If your child fits this profile and you want to fully realize his/her potential, then you will need to look at a private school. Be careful with private schools though, as I can probably count with the fingers of my right hand the ones in Dallas which will truly make it worth paying their tuition instead of going to a very good public school like Brentfield.