School Review: Burke Elementary School in West Peabody, MA

All three of my children are either attending or have attended the Burke School. As most families who live in the West Peabody area, my children were originally slated to attend the West Elementary school which was the school closest to us. Without getting into too much detail, the West is a snooty school with an overly controlling PTO with a highly cliquey attitude. Administration was so poor at the West to the point where the senior administration was openly judgemental towards parents and would often take out personal differences with parents on the kids. My kids schoolwork was slipping badly as the staffs behavior towards them and others got increasingly odd. My kids hated going to school. The final straw came when my son was accosted on the school bus by a much older child without provocation and somehow got in trouble even though he was he one assaulted and hurt and senior staff tried to withhold the incident from us, the parents. We promptly removed them from the roles of the West. Parents throughout the neighborhood could hardly believe our decision. The West had a long list of first-come-first-served open enrollees so here we were taking our kids out when people were fighting to get their kids in. Hah! They can have the West. Our salvation came from the Burke Elementary.

The Burke Elementary is a nice, cozy elementary school nestled into the woods of a quite, sleepy neighborhood of West Peabody, Massachusetts. The school was built in the 60's with a clear attempt to blend it into the wooded scenery rather than stand out. The school is a bi-level with all the early grades, k - 3 on the first floor and 4th and 5th on the second. Upon our first interview with the current Principal prior to our children's attendance we got a sense that this school would not only offer better teachers and staff but an overall better environment. There is very little available parking but most parents pickup their children via the schools very unique, one-way pickup route. The route is gated and the gate in is monitored by PTO members. People picking up children are verified to be on the pickup list ( a very good security measure) and their order in line is kept. People show up early for pickup and drop-off to get to the head of the line. The pickup route runs around the side and past the back of the school between the schools main play area and the outer baseball diamond. The route is actually quiet scenic as most of the surrounding woods have been maintained. In an effort to preserve the environments appeal and foster alternative recess activities, jungle gyms are not installed but since city recess is quite short, it really doesn't matter anyway. The route winds around to the other side of the building (watch out for the crosswalk at the back of the route when kids are being let out to walk home) where parking slots, numbered 1 through 6 allow six cars to pickup their children at the end of the day. Parents will find their children waiting precisely at the spot where they end up stopping since the PTO keeps track of the order of cars at the entrance. Its a very unique system and works quite well. Drop-off doesn't require the ordered system but takes the same lovely route. The love of the environment extends from the buildings chosen locale right into the halls. The Principal and staff maintain an almost overwhelming collection of fresh and saltwater fishtanks. As you first walk into the main lobby area, you are greeted by a large floor-level barrel-like tank full of slider-like aquatic turtles. This tank is flanked on either side by other fresh and saltwater tanks. They seem to be around every corner. Nature-themed projects from all grade levels adorn the walls.

The school is somewhat small but most find that appealing compared with the much larger middle schools they face down the road where their layouts can be quite confusing. The school auditorium such that it is, is also the lunchroom. While this makes for quaint performances, it does get uncomfortable since it cannot hold all the parents at the larger performances covering several grade levels but one does learn to get there early to get a seat to avoid having to stand. Classrooms are typical size and all have windows to the outside. The school gym is small but is regulation sized for basketball. There are two fair sized banks of bleachers. The school grounds themselves as mentioned are quite lovely and well maintained but the very sparse playground is a bit of a downer. The only play equipment to speak of is a very antiquated set of basketball hoops and a bucket on a 8-foot pole that when a ball is thrown into it, will drop it out in one of four directions. Whoo-hoo! Beyond that there is only the baseball diamond which is adequate but small.

Teaching staff at the Burke like all schools varies but is overall quite good. With some exceptions, teachers are friendly and generally concerned with their students and plan out lessons and activities quite well. The current Principal is younger than most and has a very likable nature and keeps his staff operating efficiently. He is quite friendly and receptive to parents input. The PTO here, unlike at the West is far less controlling and cliquey but favoritism towards members, like most schools, does occur but is not overbearing.

My oldest daughter has now left the Burke to go onto middle school but it was quite amazing to see her attitude toward schoolwork and learning in general once she left the negative environment of the West. It was night and day. I applaud the current staffs efforts and highly recommend this school to anyone living in the area, even if means transferring.