Research P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School Public Schools in Gainesville, Florida

“This school is amazing! Everyone knows everyone and we are a family. You can't go about the halls without friends from all grades coming and hugging you. There are amazing extracirriculars and everyone participates in something. Performing Arts is the best in the sate and we put on amazing shows and win all sorts of competitions. The cirriculum is challanging and fun, with alternative and smart approaches to teaching. I would go to no other school. It is very exclusive and hard to get in to, but you are truly blessed if you are.”

“I have three kids at PK and my boys attended Wiles elementary for Kindergarten. they were tested for 'gifted' in kindergarten and were told they 'were not gifted'. When they entered 1st grade at PK Yonge, their teacher recommended they be tested for gifted and they psychologist who tested them said they were incredibily gifted. Because of that test, they are now in 9th grade and doing 11th grade math. When they are in 11th grade they will qualify to Dual-enroll at UF for additional math classes. How can a parent say PK doesn't cater to the 'overachiever'. Every school has it's share of problems but all three of my kids are excited when school starts. My daughter can't wait to go to get up and go to school for both the Performing Arts and for the Gifted Classes. My kids would never leave PK.”

“Excellent facilities and the reseaerch-based emphasis of the teaching combine to creat a tremendous learning format.”

“Not enough concern about a child's grades more concerned with making sure a child feels like a 'winner'. They have a 'every child must make the team' mentality.”

“PK is the the place to be if you have talent in athletics or the performing arts, there is no doubt about it. sure, if all you want out of high school is an education or just to party, then go somewhere else, becasue at PK, they are serious about what they do, and the achieve things no other school has achieved, having fun doing it.”

“Hey, don't throw put-downs on P.K. and the Blue Wave! I've been there for 10 years now, and theres no other place I would rather be! Yes, it may have only 1 foreign language, and few AP classes, but what do you expect?!? It has enough AP classes, the performing arts are more than outstanding, its one of the best schools in Gainesville, and if anything, lifers are proud to be the Blue Wave. I am. Ninth grade. Second year marching, fifth playin the clarinet (They rock!XD)!”

“Yes, P.K. Yonge has an outstanding performing arts program. But it ends there. This is the research and development school at the University of Florida, and they offer few AP classes at the secondary school level and ONLY 1 foreign language. My son transferred from an outstanding high school, and this school was a tremendous disappointment. To top it all off, the P.K. Yonge 'lifer' parents are as obnoxious as one would assume. This school is NOT for students who wish to be intellectually challenged, nor is it for students who have high academic expectations. An utter and complete disappointment, and a farce.”

“I have been a parent of a PK student for the last 13 years. I have been very pleased with the overall program at PK. Most of all I feel PK gives students a chance to develop and mature from childhood to adolescence. Over the years I have been able to interact and work hand in hand with persons at all levels, from the top of administration through the teachers to the most helpful support staff I have seen anywhere. You will be hard pressed to find a place where everything is perfect but PK has worked with me through all the stages of my son academic career and I really mean worked with me. I have been included, informed, listened to, and given suggestions. If you are looking for a true support team to help you develop a well-rounded person you should consider PK Yonge.”

“This school is only good for one kind of people that is those who are interested in preforming arts. There is not a wide variety of classes to chooses from. Teachers use favortism and critisize you if you are diffrent from them. They do not care for students concerns like they should. They say everyone gets along but they dont, everyone is apart of a click and each group hates each other.”

“This is an excellent school. My son is in 7 nth grade,one of my daughters are in 5 nth grade and one in kindergarten. There are a lot of special activities. The teachers try to make their students learn and have fun at the same time!”

“I love this school. My daughter is a lifer (which means she has been and will be going here K-12). My other daughter and neice graduated from here, and I still have three neices and a nephew going. I love the small class size and the feeling of family.”

“P.K. Yonge is a school with a large focus on the performing arts but they do not participate in elementary science fairs or math clubs. They have a good P.E. program and the teachers all work together well. If your child enjoys the performing arts then this school is an excellent choice for them.”

“I go to PK Yonge and have since Kindergarten. I think it's an excellent school, with good athletics, good teachers who CARE about us and listen to us, and teach us to think critically and challenge the way things are. We have a new Performing Arts Center, which is a beautiful building and awesome sports involvement. I love my school, and wouldn't ever even consider going anywhere else for the rest of my highschool career.”

“I feel fortunate that my children attend this school. Scholastically it always ranks towards the top of schools in this area. Because it has all the grades from kindergarten through 12th I think it has a unique sense of being a 'home' especially for the kids that attend it all their school years.. Also the diversity that is represented in the school population (different income levels, different ethnicities) goes a long way to broaden the outlooks of the students here.. As with all schools nowadays, there are problems but I feel that my kids are learning well and growing because of their time spent at PK Yonge.”

“PK Yonge has the distinction of being its own community among the growing boundaries of Gainesville. It affords students and parents the opportunity to be as involved as they choose while still being part of the family. Classes are small, and the 'extras' to get involved with are limitless. Students are encouraged to explore their creativity and ideas. A better education for a student, regardless of their age, is hard to find. The PKY family extends to the far reaches of our world, and you're as likely to run into a fellow Blue Wave at Publix as you are in Paris.”

“P.K. is a great school with a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. The teachers are fantastic and spend a great deal of time on professional development.”

“This is my sons second year at P.K. Yonge as a Middle School Student and I really like the family environment that the students have with each other as well as the staff. My son works well in a small environment and I think putting him at PK Yonge was the best decision I could have made. The overall quality is superb.”