Manitou Park Elementary School

Posted: June 13, 2025

There is a reason that Google reviews of this school are disabled. If I had to guess, the principal or administration of the building somehow got them turned off because of the overwhelming negative feedback the school was getting.

I was a substitute here in a 3rd grade class for one day. The negative energy radiated the second I stepped into the office. The secretaries looked at me like I had done something wrong. I was treated dismissively at first, and then when I later asked about an issue with the attendance software (my class didn't load up) I was glared at. I was also not given the password to sign in so I came back and asked for it and the distain was palpable. All the secretary had to do was print a new sheet for me but she was so annoyed while doing it. So, before class even began I was already wanting to leave. Also, a teacher in the staff room also asked who I was there for and when I told her, she rolled her eyes and said, "good luck!" Great first impression....

Class began and immediately there were major issues. Students cursing (F, S, B, MF, etc.), aggravating each other, fighting, not listening, having to ask students five times to get lined up, and the list goes on. One major issue I have with this school and others like it is that it provides students with an unlimited amount of trips to an alternative room where they can "calm down". Essentially these rooms, in this school's case the "Den", let students come in whenever they want and let them play and eat snacks. Students learn quickly that they do little to no work in there so they return often. The purpose for these rooms is good in theory but in reality they are a place for students to escape responsibilities. The students here wouldn't ask to go there either, they would TELL me that they were leaving, which to me points to a bigger problem of students having too much sway and power in the school.

The phone was constantly ringing all day with questions from the rude office staff about things I didn't know. "Do you have masks in you room?" (How would I know?), "After (student name) left the counselor did he go to gym?" (How would I know?!) All day with questions like that. The principal came by a few times and it was obvious to me that she was in way over he head and not a strong disciplinarian which was clearly needed in a place like this.

Anyways, this place was a nightmare. Terrible office staff, terrible administration, and terrible student behavior. Don't go here!

Posted: June 13, 2025

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Posted: February 5, 2024

My son just graded from Manitou. He had a wonderful experience with quality teachers and great peers. Highly recommend.

Posted: February 5, 2024

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Posted: January 9, 2023

Rude staff, no support for teachers. Consequently the children are misbehaved and it is unfair to students who are on task. NO CONSEQUENCES for mistreatment of staff either.

Posted: January 9, 2023

Posted: November 17, 2018

Posted: November 17, 2018

my child started here at 3 years old she did 2 years of head start and k-5

Posted: November 17, 2018

Posted: November 17, 2018

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Posted: November 17, 2018

Posted: November 17, 2018

Posted: February 15, 2018

Posted: February 15, 2018

Posted: February 15, 2018

Posted: February 15, 2018

Worst school ever!! I would never recommend this school to anyone for their children

Posted: February 15, 2018

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Posted: February 15, 2018

Posted: May 12, 2017

No. My son was bullied for 3 years before I had to threaten them and they finally talk to the student.

Posted: May 12, 2017

Posted: May 12, 2017

The leadership LACKS at this school!! They need to get someone in there who knows what they are doing.

Posted: May 12, 2017

Posted: May 12, 2017

Posted: May 12, 2017

Posted: May 12, 2017

My son has been here since Kinder, the school used to be good when Mrs. Wilson was the Principle but it has done down hill since she left. My son has been bullied, he's had a horrible 1st year teacher who didn't know what she was doing. The staff is rude, the Principal and Vice are rude and don't listen to the parents at all. And the most recent even has pushed me over the edge. There are better schools in nicer neighborhoods, DO NOT let your child go here!

Posted: January 19, 2017

My son is being persistently bullied and we have brought it to the attention of the recess staff, his teacher, and the principle. Like many of the other comments from the past, all they have done is make the kid say "i am sorry". Now they are talking about moving MY SON from his classroom to avoid the bully, when it should be the other way around. The school shoukd be disciplining the bully better. There have been at least 3 known and properly documented incidents between my son and this same kid this year and it's only 1st semester. This is supposed to be a "zero tolerance" school according to its own student handbook... But they sure have a lot of tolerance... I am about to take legal action against the school for their neglect of my sons education and well being because he has been CONSISTENTLY sexually harassed as well as now physically assaulted by this stupid and NOTHING has been done about it yet. I'll be calling the super intendant today.

Posted: January 19, 2017

Not at all. I will be contacting the super intendant, and Tacoma police department to handle my son's safety since the principal won't do anything to protect my kids.

Posted: January 19, 2017

Posted: January 19, 2017

They allow bullies to rule the school. My son is afraid to go to class.

Posted: January 19, 2017

Posted: January 19, 2017

Posted: December 6, 2016

Bad learning environment.
Classes are not organized or set up well to adequately learn.
Children are loud, disrespectful and slow learners.
These children hold back other, brighter children from growing academically.

Posted: September 8, 2016

Posted: September 8, 2016

Posted: September 8, 2016

Posted: September 8, 2016

It is only the beginning of the year but this school is already leaps and bounds better than the last! This school is the third Tacoma school my son has attended in his young life. I feel like the other reviewers have nothing to compare it to like I do. First of all, the grounds are absolutely stunning as it sits in Manitou Park amongst century old trees. You can feel the warmth from the moment you walk in. The front office lady is specular and everyone from the principal, the the counselor, to the music teacher, to the librarian(s), to the bus drivers (our son doesn't even ride the bus!) And finally, his teacher. Everybody is so nice!!! Even if my first impression isn't completely accurate I know this school deserves a better rating than it has. We are very happy so far.

Posted: August 13, 2015

It was not safe for my son at all at this school. The principal is careless and the teachers are very abusive towards children with disabilities. Children can easily leave the school without anyone noticing during recess, because they only have one person there to watch all of them. My child also went missing and they hadn't contacted me, I had to find out from one of the other students at the school. They eventually found him in an empty classroom they "accidentally" left him in. Twice a week he would have a new injury from the teachers. They would eventually deny all the problems. I would never recommend this school to anyone.

Posted: August 13, 2015

Posted: August 13, 2015

Posted: August 13, 2015

Posted: June 12, 2013

My kids attended this school grades 2nd and 4th. They have no structure in this school and the children are bullies. And most staff dont do a thing about any of it. Both my daughter and son have gotten bullied and beat , both in classroom and on the bus. My son has always been excited to go to school and learn. After attending manitou he was afraid of being bullied and hurt he didn't want to go. My son has had accidents in class due to the teacher not letting him use the classroom. And he has told me they do it all the time. And I never got one single phone call that he had an accident . We had to move in order to get our children away from that environment. And hopefully it's early enough to erase that nitemare from their memories.

Posted: November 6, 2012

My children have attended for 3 years now and they love it. So far the teachers have been great although I have one questionable one this year. I however do not like how they are disiplined as a group when one child misbehaves, I do not see how punishing the whole group shows the one child not to misbehave again.

Posted: September 26, 2012

My 2 boys attended Manitou for only 5 days and it was horrible. There were too many issues with Safety at Manitou! It was ridiculous! The location is next to a Public Park, with easy access to the playground/lack of true separation/safety. The drop off/pick up of students has Zero structure! They open a door and let the kids out to wander off and find their parent/adult. No Lines, no verification of identity of the adult, no specific place to pick up your grade of student. I was told to tell my kids to pick a tree and meet me there. REALLY? Drop off, I was advised to Not drop in front of the school since it's such a busy road, but to either drop at the end of the public park and let them walk through it (no way, with sex offenders and teenagers everywhere?) OR to drive around the back, drop them behind the Chain link fence, watch them walk through the playground, then for me to exit through the private residence alley way. NO SYSTEM! One of the 3 days I put them on the bus, the office instructed them to change & get on a different #'d bus, incorectly, without informing me. They were eventually dropped over an hour late! I will do everything in my power to never attend again!

Posted: May 16, 2011

My sons have attended the school for 3 years and 1 year. I can't compare but I can share our experience. The building is new and beautiful. Staff is friendly. We have had one amazing teacher and 3 mediocre ones. Parent involvement is encouraged but it hasn't been clear how exactly I could be involved other than the PTA. You are welcome to eat lunch with your child which is neat. The classrooms are at capacity, very full. The one big problem we have had is the style of discipline. The class often gets punished as a group which is very frustrating when your kid is not the one making trouble yet is punished every day. In fact it's so frustrating that we are changing schools next year. They also let the kids talk at lunch but then when a mysterious, unknown to anybody level of loudness is reached suddenly everybody gets punished with missing recess time.It is ridiculous, not effective and hasn't been effective for years, yet they keep doing it! When I talked about this to the principal, my kid was put on the spot in front of the whole class, I was told that's how it is in life and we might as well get used to it and generally nobody cared I had a problem with it..

Posted: January 5, 2011

I do not recommend this school!! My Grandson is a 1st Grader and a 5th grader beat him up on the bus for talking too much.There were many witnesses, and then she threatened to hit him again with her instrument case!! The school only sent home a note with the 5th grader and only made her say sorry..This is supposed to be a non bullying school ?? The Principal was too busy to deal with it so had the Vice Principal handle it..She apparently doesn't care about the safety of the children as being important!!!

Posted: January 5, 2011

My daughter & son go to this school! My son is a 1st grader & my daughter kindergarten. I can agree with other comments that there are a couple good teachers there, like Ms Dorgan & Ms Clifford. But there is a lot of violence in the school. they say they have a "no bullying policy" but they dont enforce it well when it comes to punishing the bullies. Also if your child has any special needs:DO NOT take your child here! they do not have the time or patience to deal with it! My daughter who has a developmental delay, adhd & sensory processing disorder was having a bad day & they couldnt handle her so they sent her home! Also my son had told his teacher many times that he was being bullied & she always ignored it! Then a 5th grade girl punched him twice in the ribs & attempted to hit him with her instrument case. All the school made her do was say sorry & send a note home to her parents because this was the first time she had gotten in trouble before!