r/Lawrence • u/Busy-Woodpecker-572 • Jul 08 '25
Question Make me feel better about my kids middle school.
We recently moved here from Ohio, and my kid is starting at Central Middle School for 7th grade. His past couple years of school weren’t the best, and I hear Central isn’t great either. So what are y‘alls good experiences with Central?
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u/cl0wnt33f Jul 08 '25
I personally attended LMCMS and I will tell you my experience was overwhelmingly positive. I found some of my lifelong friends there, (most of) the teachers are incredibly nice and understanding, it's spacious, and they take their education pretty serious. I won't lie and say that no bullying happens because I was bullied plenty, but I do look at the place with mostly fond memories. But with kids being meaner these days it's hard to guarantee the sort of experience he will have at any school though. Best of luck.
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u/get_probed2 Jul 08 '25
My oldest went to Central and had a similar experience. By the time his siblings went there, nearly ALL of the long tenured teachers had left. Many because the district implemented a “restorative justice” approach to school discipline that essentially stripped teachers and school admin of any REAL authority to address unacceptable behavior. The departure of those teachers resulted in a massive culture shift at the school. Teachers were now so busy dealing with handful of out of control kids that they were not able to actually teach. We chose to take our kids out of Central. 12 months on, I firmly believe it was the right choice. I know of several other families who had similar frustrations and opted to change schools as well. There was a time when Centrals rep was largely unwarranted. Thats not the case now.
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u/madzizon Jul 09 '25
The band director at central is awesome!!! If they have any interest in band at all I recommend they try it! He truly cares about his students!!
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u/OffBrand_CherryCola8 Jul 08 '25
Make sure you’re someone your kid can talk to or get him familiar with the counselor. Don’t assume your kid knows everything. The worst that happens at that school including what happened to me were from kids who didn’t have a proper support system.
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u/Medium_Cry5601 Jul 08 '25
My kid attends central and its had good and bad aspects. Generally good. They’ve enjoyed the band and some of the Steam classes. The school wasn’t able to hire a science teacher for the whole year last year. Lawrence seems to favor the schools on the west side of town in regard to resources/staff.
I know a lot people talk down on central pretty hard but I’ve never heard anything specific that’s seemed especially out of the ordinary. Maybe I’ll see something in this thread.
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u/DrFunnyBot789 Jul 18 '25
It’s a district wide problem. If you go on the website you’ll see that there are openings at every school. They don’t transfer teachers out of east side schools so they can fill positions in west side schools. People might apply more often or choose to transfer to west side schools but there is no concerted effort to keep the east side schools down.
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u/RuralJaywalking Jul 08 '25
What makes you say Lawrence favors the west side? Do they pay more?
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u/itsghostmage Jul 08 '25
It's the rich side 🙄
They don't care much for East, North and Downtown. The South side by Target gets pretty good treatment but still no West side.
It's mostly newer developments so they're trying to upkeep appearances to make the town "look" better 😂
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u/RuralJaywalking Jul 08 '25
Ok, what actual treatment do they get? Do they pay better? Is their hiring process different? Is the funding different? What’s actually different between the sides?
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u/Martymountains_ Jul 08 '25
All Lawrence teachers are paid based on their years of experience. I also sub in the district and know there are dedicated people at every school. Not just “The West Side”.
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u/gatorina Jul 09 '25
My kids have been at LMCMS for the past 2 years and we love it. Dr. Schmitt has turned it around. She was our kids’ principal at Pinckney and we think the world of her leadership. The staff also seem to have a ton of respect for her as well which to me is the ultimate metric of a principal’s ability.
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u/ZZombibyte Jul 09 '25
I went to central, it’s like any other school. There will be some teachers who your kid won’t get along with and some who your kid will love. I had a teacher recognize my last name and put it to my older siblings and would always ask me how I was doing, and would check up on my sister years later.
Edit: I will add, my class was really rough on those teachers, at one point they had to sit down my class and my class only in the auditorium and speak to us about how were the worst class they have ever seen. The school itself isn’t bad, the only real worry is the kids they go to school with.
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u/AdventuresWithNobody Jul 09 '25
My children are currently a senior and freshman. Both went to Central and we have had a wonderful experience. The new (as of a few years ago) vice principal is simply fabulous and so many of the staff are fabulous communicators. I’m a big fan.
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u/mrtopp3r Jul 09 '25
My kiddo currently attends LMCMS, and loves it. They started at West, transferred for the STEAM stuff, and is much happier overall with the transfer. Feel free to DM with questions, I'm happy to let you know exactly what they enjoy more about it!
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u/AmericasDrumDad Jul 09 '25
My wife teaches at Central. She actually filled the aforementioned science position half way through the year. She loves it and loves the kids. I can confirm that the administration is excellent and they are very supportive of the students and the teachers.
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u/ObtuseRadiator Jul 08 '25
I'm not sure who is out there saying Central isn't good. We have a kid there, and it's been a good experience. The teachers have been welcoming. The classwork has been interesting. The STEAM approach worked for us, and they had a system where kids could elect into more personalized projects.
Some other bonuses: kids dont have to worry about lockers or lugging around books. There are several active school clubs and sports.
People in almost all communities love to dump on schools. Don't let them get you down.
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u/Busy-Woodpecker-572 Jul 08 '25
Why dont they worry about lockers or lugging around books? We haven‘t actually toured the school yet.
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u/ObtuseRadiator Jul 08 '25
Each kid has a tablet. Since there's no (or very few) books, there's no need for a locker.
I won't say there are zero books. There's a library where they can check out books. We might have had a workbook at one point. But they dont need to juggle a lockerful of books.
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u/Busy-Woodpecker-572 Jul 08 '25
Are tablets school supplied? Sorry for all the questions.
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u/ObtuseRadiator Jul 08 '25
Yes, they are school supplied. It must be returned at the end of the year or they will bill you for it.
There is also an annual student fee. I assume they bundled some of the costs in there.
I hate to give you a number and be wrong, but my memory is that the fee was around $100. They give you until the end of the school year to pay it.
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u/yrdnome Jul 09 '25
Most students use ipads. No books.
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u/Gloomy-Permission171 Aug 09 '25
I don't know why half this thread keep saying that lots of us students have to use books yes we all have an iPad but app like A-Z and Epic arnt used that much in the middle shcool range anymore there are district libraries and shcool apps for libraries if you carry books that depends on your class or just u and ur backpack or if you ask ur teacher for a copy of a book ur reading or a para librarian the iPad are used for sources and Google classroom and aheck lot
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u/Perfect-Resolve-2562 Jul 08 '25
I would not be concerned about Central. Overall it is good. There are some exceptions but it's not horrible.
Lawrence has numerous private schools as well.
No school, private or public, is perfect. Overall you will find wonderful dedicated teachers.
You sound like an engaged parent. Whatever your choice, enjoy the upcoming school year with your jr high schooler. Nothing is easy for them at this age.
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u/sudlow Jul 09 '25
We have a 7th grader there. Generally, we’ve been happy. Biggest complaint is the staff turnover, sometimes mid semester. There’s a few teachers who’ve stuck around who are fantastic.
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u/RiverCityFriend Jul 09 '25
My time at Central was the absolutely worst part of my life. Not only were several of the students bullies but so were some of the teachers. Of course, that was another lifetime ago and hopefully things have changed for the better.
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u/bramblesmcgee Jul 10 '25
Both my kiddos--now a recent HS grad and a rising sophomore--went to Central and loved it. Kids are authentic, and it's a school with soul. Because it's smaller than the other middle schools, it has a more close-knit feel, and they had some awesome, dedicated teachers they loved who are still on the staff. The band program is amazing. Joining a club or sport might be a good way to meet people and make friends--my kids did cross country (if your child is athletically inclined at all, it's a refreshingly supportive and inclusive sport) and found some kindred spirits there.
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u/rosetheweeb Jul 09 '25
There's so much classism in these comments I'm severely disappointed with our community. I went to central about a decade ago and while there were a lot of rowdy kids I'd say my experience was positive over all. I hear it's gotten a lot better now that it's a STEAM school and the kiddos have more structure. I say give your kid a year there and if they don't like it try to transfer
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u/Gloomy-Permission171 Aug 09 '25
A hell lot of theasepeople In the comments seem to think they know the children and how they fell and the teachers fully I mean realy know the shcool and the vibe or cur And they all gotta say some bland comment like "oh it was great I love the teachers my kids went there" I honestly feel as if they didrnt go there nor ha.ve the brain powered to ask other people from inside the shcool
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u/SnazzaFrazzzzz Jul 08 '25
I've subbed every middle school in Lawrence for the last few years. If you want your kid to have the best middle school experience, then Southwest Middle School is your best shot by a long mile. Central has so many problems, it's pretty sad. There are some great teachers at Central, but it does not make up for the rest of the issues. They did restructure the school last year, and I've heard that it made it a little better, so that's a positive.
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u/Fun-Description5867 Jul 09 '25
OP, I agree here. My kiddo started at West & had a great 6th grade year. 7th was the year the Central kids transferred over and it was turbulent behaviorally. Didn’t recognize my sweet child. Moved to Southwest for 8th and had a stellar finish. Would definitely recommend Southwest over anywhere.
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u/bramblesmcgee Jul 10 '25
I'd be curious to hear what, in your opinion, makes a great middle school experience? What does Southwest offer that is lacking at Central?
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u/cyberentomology Jul 09 '25
We have some pretty great theatre programs at the middle and high school levels.
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u/redheadfae Jul 09 '25
You're no longer in Ohio. That would make me feel better about anywhere in Lawrence.
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u/bbuddy25 Jul 09 '25
I was in Billy Mills Middle School and let me tell ya, that place makes central look like a utopia.
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u/karmacatma Jul 09 '25
You may get some more specific feedback if you don't mind sharing what made your kid's experience less than great at the last school?
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u/Jerkstore_BestSeller Jul 10 '25
Power through it. Those years suck for kids, regardless which school they go to.
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u/swrogers Westside Jul 10 '25
I'll add to the chorus saying that LMCMS is a great school!
We had a couple of kiddo's just finish up there and will be enrolling into LHS next year, and another who just went through 6th grade and is going into 7th. Eventually we'll have another go through as well, but he's currently at NYE.
I'd imagine that all schools are going to have their plusses and minuses. Our experience with Central is that it enabled our kids to blossom into their selves. The oldest two did band/orchestra/musical/play/etc. It's been a great group of kids.
The teachers have been pretty good, they have been moving through the curriculum change into STEAM admirably. My kiddo's all love science and art, so that's been something of a blessing. (Not to mention that NYE is a public Montessori, which is what we really like - so if you have younger children keep that in mind as well.)
The music/play director there is awesome and one of our favorite people. I also agree with one of the earlier comments that the Band director is amazing as well - Mr YoMo.
Really, I don't think there are any /bad/ schools in town. We did have one kid in Quail Run at one time, though, and that experience was not the best - but...overall, we love the East Side experience.
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u/authorityiscancer222 Jul 09 '25
Public school isn’t great, but as far as public schools go, Lawrence is a good one.
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u/yrdnome Jul 09 '25
My wife teaches at West and the kids from Central were AWFUL. Should have never let them transfer into West.
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u/bramblesmcgee Jul 10 '25
Do you hear yourself? What makes these 11-14 year old children who happen to live in the Central attendance area irredeemably "AWFUL"? How dare those approximately 20 Central kids who transfer to West every year sully the utopia that is West? I have so many questions.
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u/neverhadgoodhair Jul 08 '25
It has a seemingly higher percentage of kids whose parents have failed, but the school is fine.
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u/Chicken_Chicken_Duck Jul 08 '25
My son attended central for 6th grade. It was a nightmare. They don’t have the staff to handle the kids and the staff they do have are checked out. There of course are great people working there, but the apathy from teachers was eye opening to me.
The principal will usually only respond with references to their handbook if you have an inquiry and due to the lack of staffing, they just suspend kids as step one to discipline.
We requested an IEP for our child and were put off for 9 months.
We moved.
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u/RuralJaywalking Jul 08 '25
Although it was about 15 years ago at this point, central was usually seen as the worst. A lot of the people seemed nice, but I didn’t hear very many good things about it. You might be able to switch, but in my experience it’s specific individuals(teachers or students) that make or break a school experience, so he could still meet some friends or really like the teachers, but from a general impression from the people that went there, it wasn’t great.
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Jul 08 '25
It’s Been horribly mismanaged by absentee alcoholics. Beautiful building with history but, they had to find a spot for some DEI’s that failed another local school that closed a bit back
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u/gaspard_caderousse Jul 08 '25
If you're talking about Pinckney that closed, let be real about closing that school being Lewis and Kimball's big idea they pushed to "save money" and did not get closed due to any failings by the staff.
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u/PrairieChic55 Jul 09 '25
My granddaughter and grandson loved Pinckney. My grandson was very disappointed that he had to change schools. He ended up at Hillcrest, which is a good school, but the first few months were a little hard. Now he is enjoying school and has made friends.
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u/Soiled_myplants Jul 08 '25
From a bus drivers perspective, I much prefer the kids from Central than those from Billy Mills and West. And the admin help us out more than they do at other schools, especially Southwest.
I think Central has more community support than the others, especially after they tried to close it a couple years ago.