Sarasota Suncoast Academy, Sarasota | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

We almost made it 6 years at Suncoast. I think more because we kept our heads down, based on other parent feedback/warnings about the principal. We never had issues, so I thought the warnings were just gossip until it happened to us. If one parent is not allowed to pick up their child during a family emergency, due to safety policy, but another child is put on the bus because a note from the parent and a reminder from the child, who is begging not to be put on the bus is disregarded and that child is left at a bus stop alone, where is the safety? They are not concerned with what happens after the rush your child onto the bus. Bullying needs to be taken much more seriously. My daughter was bullied on more than one occasion. As soon as we became aware, we notified the principal. A comment was made that he urges all parents to notify immediately. We had found out 3 weeks after it happened and that is when we made him aware. Then, I was told “it’s just teasing.” You have to be kidding me. I was not allowed to know if the offending child’s parents had even been notified. I was told to trust him. Well, the outcome was that my daughter had to move her seat. Not the offending child. Again, you have to be kidding me. Where are the victim’s rights in all of this? Why is the principal not taking it seriously and if he is, why is the child in question not being moved. Lastly, the attitudes of some of the staff could use a major adjustment. They have a “better than” or arrogant undertone. Mrs. Mills and a handful of the teachers were very kind, I will say. Some teachers have no business teaching, based on feedback from several students, but I am told the principal backs all teachers 100% right or wrong because he selects them. There are many clicks, not just between the children, but between the staff and the parents they really like. The principal feels he is always right, there is no room to improve processes, or consider changes because all of his processes are perfect. Scary! We had just had it. The writing was on the wall 2 weeks into 5th grade. Our child is now a student at Ashton and let me tell you, from the first day we met the school staff and learned of their policies and who they were as people, to today, it is night and day. Wish we had changed sooner.

This school finds it more important to play into politics and popularity than to do what’s in the best interest of a struggling student/child. To allow a teacher to discriminate and damage the development of a student is shameful. To allow mothers with pitchforks to dictate how situations are handled is reckless and unsafe. Where is the it takes a village mentality? If you don’t fit in a box, you will be failed here. To make a child a point of ridicule says so much more about the adults involved than it does a young child trying to learn how to human. Especially when every resource is being exhausted in the home to support and remediate. Suncoast is ill equipped to say the very least. When there is no sense of obligation to a child’s education, a whole new generation of problems arise. Save your time and your child the abuse; any other school in the county would be a better choice. Every child should have the right to an education.

Heard so many great things about this school, so when we moved school districts and lived close to the school it was a no brainer. The orientation was okay, the principal seemed to take a direct approach (which I appreciate) although it was a little too brash overall. We have 2 kids (2nd & 6th) enrolled. The front “office” staff (at the elementary school) was generally uncaring, I never saw anyone make a point to make you feel welcome upon entering the school. My youngest son told me about an incident when he was made to wait outside the class until he could tie his shoe. He asked to have another student help him but was denied, honestly it sounded like the teacher was bullying him. My oldest child, in middle school, would talk about kids being bullied. The pick up and drop off was frustrating. The supporters of the school REALLY love the school, but for us it was far more inferior to other public schools in the area.