Davenport School of the Arts

This school... where do I begin? The first thing I have to point out is that kids with the highest grades and standards stay in this school. Yes, STAY in this school. Ive had one of my friends expelled because of something he didn't do, which they instantly removed him, not giving him a chance to explain himself or anything. While you could say this is driven by what he "did", he had failing grades. And I heard that schools get more funding based on kid education aka grade reports. Point and case: smarter or more academic kids get better treatment within the subject of serious things like being expelled or suspended. And these are where the GOOD reviews arise from. My second part will be the school system in general. They have the "lead" or "reap" books which indicate to parents both rules and violations of these rules. This concept is good, key word; concept, because in execution, usually teachers will use this as any excuse to take their anger on a student. Many people have gotten marks (or in trouble) for asking friends questions in class, and God forgive if you respond with an allaby, because yes, talking back can give you another mark. While some teachers and administrators are the saints of this school, using this idea only as a reminder and not a punishment, others abuse it to its fullest. Specific ones like Murkey or Westfall use a tactic of scouting out students and giving them an instant mark or other sinister intentions. Once I almost fell down the stairs, Westfall, instead of asking if I was ok, scolded me and said "not to run" (how do you run down stairs, you can only fall or slip.), and another time, she tells a student not to take paper off a teachers wall (it fell off) and when the teacher arrives, speaks to the class "why didn't you pick it up for her", and the absolute WORST part is that these teachers are friendly and kind to other teachers, making these statements feel like teens hating school. Its gotten to the point where I've heard other students PRAYING on the downfall and LITERAL DEATH on these teachers. Again, these are good ideas, but put into the hands of EVIL teachers i dare say; its executed poorly, and any kind of revision of these requires parent involvement. On top of that almost HALF of the good staff have retired already, where middle schoolers are left on their own to be absolutely perfect. 1 star.

This school is terrible. There is no morals in the rules, and everything is meant to HURT you. Stopping Bullying is not the main priority, it’s to make your youth life a living hell. I have absolutely no nice things to say about this pathetic excuse for a school. I needed to use the bathroom during 3rd period, and I got a referral from the teacher for "interrupting." I have witnessed too many of my friends getting suspended for quite literally NOTHING. This school is corrupt and only wishes for your harm. It destroys your mental health and makes you realize life can actually be terrible, and that death is mercy. You and I don’t matter in schools like this one. My friend got a referral for stealing milk, even though it’s free. This school is legitimately corrupt. The front desk ladies need to be FIRED. All they do is yell at you, and puts on a front for how bad this school already is.

As a parent, I expected Davenport School of the Arts to be a place that nurtures creativity and encourages students to express themselves through various artistic disciplines—drawing, painting, music, performance, and digital media. Unfortunately, our experience has been the opposite. From the start, the school environment feels restrictive rather than inspiring. Students are required to wear neutral colors such as gray and black, which seems to stifle the artistic and expressive atmosphere one would expect at an arts-focused school. The school’s approach feels overly rigid—more "military style" than creative. Minor behaviors, such as looking the wrong way or not responding exactly as expected, often result in disciplinary write-ups. It’s also disheartening to see how differently students are treated based on how they were admitted. Those who auditioned to attend seem to face stricter scrutiny than those selected through the lottery system. Teachers appear to struggle with classroom management and leadership, often resorting to excessive discipline rather than positive engagement. In one case, my child was written up for using common teenage slang, which was deemed inappropriate, even though similar language has always been a part of youth culture. We were initially very excited about this opportunity, but the daily reality has been stressful for our children. They come home feeling anxious, confused, and disheartened. The mixed messages they receive—being told they are "loved" while simultaneously being threatened with removal from the program—create an unhealthy environment that feels emotionally damaging. We are now considering transferring our children to another school where their creativity and individuality will be supported, not suppressed. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend Davenport School of the Arts, particularly for students who are truly passionate and hopeful about developing their artistic talents. Sadly, this environment may do more to break their spirit than build it. Edit: After reading many other reviews, it appears our experience is not unique. The tone of frustration and resignation expressed by other parents and students suggests a broader problem with leadership and staff engagement. It’s disappointing to see such potential for a thriving arts program overshadowed by a lack of care and understanding.

The teachers are nice and staff are nice but the principal is very strict banned NUMBERS and also expelled my fellow classmate for getting into a fight and NO JOKE I heard when they had a meeting there was a TRANSLATOR because they didn’t know if his mother would speak English. These are very racial remarks. Teachers mostly aren’t glad to be there and discriminate, I was wearing my cross necklace and an art teacher gave me a stank look. I think the school needs more student involvement and teacher involvement because they can help us create a fun and proactive learning environment. So I propose we make a school president I heard that Eduardo Gallegos is very smart and very cool I think he should be school president. Also we should change the lunch. No body eats fish and chips where the flip is the pizza.

This school does not care about the learning of your children DO NOT COME HERE they care more about what your wearing and chewing gum than about your child’s learning my friend was forced to take out her braids after kids bullied her. Would not recommend

I go to this school but I think it’s too strict and it needs sports like a soccer team and I think it’s weird, we shouldn’t have to wear uniforms let’s be honest no kid is going to wear the uniform style they make us wear and if we do have to it’s common sense what to wear I go to this school but I don’t like it too much and the lunch is horrible nobody likes a fish sandwich

This school is A LIVING HELL. Everytime my son goes to this school, he ends up with AT LEAST 93 SCARS ON HIS LEFT NUT SACK. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. I heard from my son that the kids at the school throw SOCKS at each other. Not to mention that they were OFF BRAND. WHAT KIND OF KIDS ARE ALLOWED TO BE IN THIS SCHOOL? Everytime he got a mark titled AND I QUOTE WORD FOR WORD "Dress Code: NOT WHITE" NO WAY THIS SCHOOL GAVE MY CHILD 6 MARKS FOR NOT BEING WHITE. When I consulted the teacher that gave him these marks they said "Deal with it i hate my job" WHAT ARE THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHER EMPLOYMENT. ID RATHER SEND MY CHILD TO ARKANSAW WITH 54 VICOUS SCORPIANS AS HE RECREATES AN ACCURATE VERSION OF THE MOVIE SAW. ABSOLUTELY DOIBOLICAL.