Smart's Mill Middle School

Posted: June 3, 2026

I am a current student and will write tons of reviews about this school but I’m first starting with problems addressing 504 plans, I have anxiety, and OCD, very mild but at moments can be hard to manage, in my accommodations it says “student is allowed a fidget toy or something to fiddle with to manage anxiety.” Other people have brought fidgets to school and continue to misuse them, not everyone, but some, I find it annoying as someone who consistently uses them for stress when someone gets it banned for everyone, though it still says I can have them ,and you would think I would be allowed to, RIGHT? Nope, this school proceeded to make an announcement before SOL’s saying “no fidgets during testing environment,” you would think I wouldn’t be included in that as hopefully the school made teachers aware of these accommodations, but no the teacher proceeds to take my fidget, and as you may know you can’t speak during SOL’s so I sat there not being able to say anything, along with that it caused me to pick at my skin, I came home and my cuticle’s were ripped and bleeding. I guess this school doesn’t want people writing stuff on fidgets or it being a distraction but I specifically pick silent, dark squishy’s, when entering a testing environment so they don’t make noise nor stamp answers. As a 504 anxiety student this school will make you feel hopeless as accommodations are rarely followed appropriately. There are more stories about my 504 being violated btw.

Posted: June 3, 2026

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Posted: June 4, 2025

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L SCHOOL PLEASE B HOMESCHOOLED INSTEAD PLEASE I BEG YOU ;-;

Posted: November 6, 2022

Amazing principal and staff! My kids have thrived here.

Posted: November 6, 2022

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Posted: March 10, 2020

Horrible. I removed my child from the school after the first year.
This school is a disgrace to LCPS.

Posted: March 10, 2020

Teachers are not monitored for what they put into Google Classroom. In some cases, there are years of material in there and it is impossible for students to filter what applies to them for the current year.

Posted: March 10, 2020

My child was bullied by a teacher, administration did nothing about the situation. Teachers are not sensitive to individual child needs. No one on the team has any understanding of children with anxiety problems. My child (as well as two of her friends) left middle school as an advanced student in math but ended up requiring a tutor for math in 6th grade due to the terrible teaching.

Posted: March 10, 2020

I ultimately had to remove my child from this school because teachers and administration damaged her emotionally. She is now thriving at another middle school.

Posted: March 10, 2020

Administration recommended problem solutions that actually made the problem worse. My child was forced to spend her free periods with a teacher who bullied her in an attempt to repair the relationship.

Posted: March 10, 2020

My child's began attending this school with minimal anxiety problems. She left the school and now requires weekly therapy and a 504 for anxiety that was created by a teacher and administration.

Posted: March 10, 2020

We did not have any problems with student bullying. But my student was severely bullied by a teacher and nothing was done to correct the issue.

Posted: October 2, 2019

I have no idea how the principal at this school was promoted to lead. I found him to be rude and unprofessional. LCPS is one of the finest school divisions in the country. With so much talent out there I have no idea how he made it to principal. Hopefully he will go no further.

Posted: October 2, 2019

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Posted: October 2, 2019

I had two experiences with this administrator. The principal is rude and unprofessional. SMMS can do better.

Posted: October 17, 2018

Posted: October 17, 2018

Posted: October 17, 2018

Overall both my daughter and my son have done well at SMMS. It is a decent middle school and has been voted A SCHOOL TO WATCH. They are integrating technology there with Chromebooks this year. There are teachers who care. The PTA seems fairly active. There are many activities to take advantage of. And the kids seem pretty happy when I've volunteered.

Posted: October 17, 2018

There is a reasonable amount of homework to support what is being learned in class. There is some time during Resource block to complete assignments, so there is a limited amount that must be completed at home.

Posted: October 17, 2018

Most teachers at Smarts Mill care about their students. The teachers seem to be fair in their expectations and in their pacing.

Posted: October 17, 2018

There is a strong presence of good leadership coming directly from the principal at SMMS. He is visible, gets to know the kids, cares deeply, and is passionate about making his school stand out. And the rest of the administration, from what I can tell, follows in his lead. They have RIDE (which is a way to honor the kids) as well.

Posted: August 7, 2018

Posted: August 7, 2018

Our experience at this school was horrendous. The Salvadorian gang issues at the school eventually prompted us to move to Ashburn so our kids could not only thrive, but just survive. Our oldest son was bullied to the point of being beaten up on a school bus while waiting at Tuscarora high school to be taken home. The principal did nothing! The principal seemed more concerned with collecting a paycheck than the students! The troubled students were all that mattered. Who are all these community members giving this school 5 stars? Kind of suspicious, don't you think? Trust a parent!

Posted: August 7, 2018

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Posted: February 23, 2018

The amount of homework given by teachers is very stressful and overbearing

Posted: February 23, 2018

Posted: February 23, 2018

The students in my grade are rude insensitive and disrespectful to teachers students and other staff, they swear in class, back talk teachers, vape and do other drugs, and constantly bully and put down students that differ from them.

Posted: February 23, 2018

Most of our administration are extremely rude and unhelpful especially Mrs. Smythe they often give suspensions and lunch detentions over nothing and dress code way to often

Posted: February 23, 2018

Posted: February 23, 2018

This school has caused me a great deal of anxiety over my years of being here students are so rude I can’t even express it we have a major clique and bullying problem and incompetent administrators I have a great deal of hatred for a good 75% percent of students who go here it’s just unbelievable

Posted: January 18, 2016

Posted: January 18, 2016

Posted: January 18, 2016

Posted: January 18, 2016

Great school with impressive students, teachers and staff. Can't say enough about the good things I see there.

Posted: April 12, 2015

This is a great school and the principle is great even though some people say he's not. The teachers are unlike any other teacher and I should know I've been to three different schools so far. The teachers are very supportive and even give up their lunch times sometimes to help students. The school has a TON of awesome events and field trips for the students. The students are very kind and I have seen very little bullying because of all the bullying and kindness videos, speeches, etc. this schools rating should be 10/10 not 6/10 it's way worth more then that!

Posted: February 12, 2014

This school is OK if you get what i mean, its not the best, the dean is sort of mean according to 10 students that i asked, but the principle is up to date, this school is great the standards are nice but the teachers may move too fast and get kids stressed out and may not always be on subject the spanish teacher right now is a teacher who can teach but very arrogant and mean, ask any one of the studenst who take spanish and ask who is the worst teacher you have they might have a little bit of peer presure but they all will say the teacher's name

Posted: November 1, 2013

The TEACHERS and ADMINISTRATION want the best for all the students. They are all very supportive, and the Prinicipal has been very open to speaking to me directly every time I have contacted him. Personally, I want a principal with high expectations for his teachers. The last two years at Smart's Mill have been great. We love it!

Posted: October 12, 2013

i agree with the other review about the school's principal. He is indeed very egocentric. He conducts lots of meetings and speeches wasting the time of teachers and the meetings and lectures never directly or indirectly improve the quality of education for the students. I feel bad for the teachers as they have no say in the amount of time he makes them spend in meetings and lectures. The teachers could instead use their time for the kids who needs individual attention. On one occasion, he requested teachers to volunteer to be cafeteria servers during their only 30 min lunch break in the whole day? Why not ask for volunteer parents and use teachers' time for helping kids learn? Is this the kind of leadership we want our schools to have?

Posted: August 30, 2013

The principal of this school is more about his ego than fostering a positive learning environment. His dictatorial demeanor and attitude is not conducive to being a role model and motivator to students and staff. According to his bio on the school's website, he has a background in political science. Maybe he should re-visit that career choice and leave educational leadership to the real professionals. I feel for the teachers.

Posted: May 28, 2013

This school puts up a great big facade. I've sat in meetings with deans, counselors, and teachers from this school where I was told C's and D's are passing. Told by a dean that the spanish class was easy and all students had to due was show up. We should be embarrased that a school like this is how our tax payer money is wasted