5 /5 Claudia Lopez: This is a FANTASTIC school! My kid transferred in from an A school, but ended up with a MUCH better education here. The letter grade is low because the school embraces diversity, especially kids with disabilities and special needs. (They may bring down the LEAP-based score, but they add their own contributions to the school-- every kid has something special about them, and it all contributes to a great atmosphere.) The thing is, while the school embraces kids with extra learning needs, they also really support kids on the other end of the spectrum -- with "gifted" education to do extra critical thinking and exploration, and an Advanced Math option that allows 8th graders to take algebra I and enter high school math at the 10th grade level. My son got into Ben Franklin High School easily, and got straight As on his first report card there-- no small feat at Ben Franklin!! This is how well Homer Plessy prepares its middle school students academically.
Of course, as an arts-based school, this is where they truly go above and beyond. Their music program is fantastic! Several students from Homer Plessy have gone on to excel at NOCCA. The strings program teacher is SO GOOD, and they have a connection with the LPO (a program called Music4Life) with LPO musicians giving them individual instruction. The band is also really, really good! The band and dance teams march in 3 parades each year, and the orchestra marches in Chewbacchus! I have heard that the beloved music teacher at the elementary school -- a classical singer -- is going to start a chorus program at the Middle School. Fingers crossed!
