Gem Prep: Twin Falls - Twin Falls, Idaho

Carrie

Gem Prep Twin Falls has been an incredible school for my daughter, and I can’t say enough good things about the amazing staff. From day one, we’ve felt welcomed, supported, and genuinely cared for.

Miss Jen in the front office is an absolute gem! She’s always warm, helpful, and goes above and beyond to support families. Whether it’s answering questions, patching up wounds, or being a safe person for students, she truly makes a difference every single day.

We’re so grateful to be part of the Gem Prep family. The staff truly cares, and it shows in everything they do!

Rachel H.

Gem Prep Twin Falls is truly a remarkable school that has exceeded my expectations in every way. Since its opening in August of 2023, it has become an integral part of our family’s life. Not only do three of my children attend Gem Prep Twin Falls, but I also have the privilege of substitute teaching there almost every day. My experience as both a parent and an educator has given me a unique perspective on what makes this school so special.

From day one, I was impressed by the school’s dedication to fostering a supportive and innovative learning environment. The staff and administration are deeply committed to the success and well-being of every student. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure that each child feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. All of the staff make a concerted effort to provide personalized support, working tirelessly to help students overcome challenges and excel academically. I have seen the sacrifices that go into caring for each student, from the extra hours spent planning and tutoring to the constant encouragement and attention given to every child’s needs. Students are given clear and attainable expectations, which helps them stay focused and confident in their abilities. As a substitute teacher, I’ve witnessed the teachers’ exceptional dedication and professionalism firsthand. Their ability to connect with students, adapt to their needs, and create engaging, effective lessons is truly inspiring.

For my children, Gem Prep Twin Falls has been a place where they not only grow academically but also feel supported and encouraged every step of the way. The school’s rigorous curriculum is thoughtfully designed to challenge students while also fostering a love for learning. The teachers’ approach to instruction is both innovative and practical, ensuring that every child has the tools they need to succeed. My kids come home excited about what they’ve learned and eager to share their experiences, a testament to the school’s commitment to high-quality education.

What stands out most about Gem Prep Twin Falls is the unwavering dedication of its staff. Teachers, administrators, and support personnel all work collaboratively to create a nurturing and academically focused environment. They prioritize open communication and strong relationships with parents, making it easy to stay involved in my children’s education. As a substitute teacher, I’ve experienced firsthand the support and encouragement provided by the staff and administration, which further enhances the overall positive atmosphere.

In just a short time, Gem Prep Twin Falls has made a significant impact on my family and the community. It’s a school that truly cares about its students and is committed to providing them with the tools they need to succeed in life. I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of this wonderful school, both as a parent and an educator. I wholeheartedly recommend Gem Prep Twin Falls to any family seeking a high-quality education where academic excellence and student support are top priorities.

Cierra C.

I am going to give my honest review as a portion of the positive reviews are current staff. I was a sub & Kinder parent. I suggest you sign up as a sub if your kids will attend to see if you like GPTF. My son was selected during the lottery process after we toured the school during the 23-24 school year. During this tour, I specifically asked about the speech program. I was told, and was introduced to a lady, who apparently ran these services. The principal told me how great the speech program was, which made me incredibly happy as my son has an IEP. Was even shown the office use for IEP services.

I was also told there was a school resource officer to protect to school as I was concerned about the gun range located less than 50 yards away. Both things turned out to be over exaggerated. The speech was a zoom call with a lady who was not familiar with Twin Falls, and honestly I’m not even sure if she resides in the state and an SRO can be called if there is a problem- so not on campus if something terrible were to happen.

Additionally, I saw how discouraged children were being on laptops the majority of their school day. This broke my heart seeing them forced to sit quietly at their desks with no interactions and their entire grade being reliant on their ability of staring at a screen. As a parent, not a single worksheet or paper came home during the entirety of attending.

I witnessed a special needs student sit at his desk for at least 3 weeks because he was unable to use a mouse. By the 8th week, he was finally given a touch screen computer. This same student, whom I have known since preschool, was not under direct supervision serval times on the playground when he also suffers from dangerous medical issues.

The other part that broke my heart was watching these kids be forced to sit in the dark, “at a level zero/no talking” in the lunch room, in assigned seating while they eat. They are not allowed to sit with their friends in other classes or siblings.

The final straw for me was when the high and mighty school board came to visit the school. These people apparently cannot speak to concerned parents about student safety until you pass their order of command since they are very special.

They toured the school and I was sent an email of their findings where they expressed how happy they were with how quiet the children were when they sat in the dark eating their lunch without speaking. To be proud of something like that is very off putting to me.

Lastly, my 5 year old son who was in Kindergarten, was sent out as a “walker” several times without my knowledge or approval. While I was waiting in their comically long pick up line, my son was on the side of the road looking for me. They told me the walkers are watched until they are picked up by an adult. What they did not understand is that I was also a sub. They couldn’t just tell me what they tell all parents to blindly reassure them. I know for a fact that they were not. The person walks them across the parking lot street then said person goes to the #1 car line cone to assist kids get to vehicles.

With these reasons, we left the school and my son has never been happier. His joy is back and he learned so many new things within 2 weeks time than he did over the 2 months at Gem Prep. None of this is personal against any of the staff members, this is just my honest experience of our time at Gem Prep Twin Falls. Recently my son’s lunch account was being used by someone as of a few weeks ago, resulting in me getting notices of a negative account balance even though we stopped attending in September.Everything just felt very disorganized to me. A good portion of the small amount of staff were related so when I addressed concerns, it felt like it went no where because they were family members. This includes the glowing review left by the last name Hale, which is the principals wife btw. I get people want their work to look good, but reviews for something as important as school should be unbiased because it’s children’s academic future that will pay the price in the end.

J.L.D.F

My husband and I were over the moon to find a school that advocated so high of giving IEP students the resources for children who needed them, as my daughter is an IEP student herself.
We decided to say yes to the lottery our kids won and were so excited. We bought the uniforms and the supplies needed to attend the school.
I provided medical documentation and speech therapy notes to Mrs. Shipley who assured us that Mrs. Bell would be reaching out to us. As the first day started to creep closer we started to get concerned as we had not heard back from Mrs. Bell about our daughters IEP. My kids needed up starting without a word. We knew it was the holidays and very busy so we assumed this school had it together.
First day comes and my daughter explodes into tears when she got into the car. She said a teacher yelled at her and would not help her understand the homework that her class was doing.
I reached out to the teacher, who made it sound like my daughter was just being sensitive (she did not used those words).
I ended up explaining to her that my daughter was suppose to be on an IEP. In her response she made it known that no one communicated this information to her.
On day five the director of GEM preps IEP contacted me . I was hopeful we would get some answers. The next day the principal contacted us and said my kids are being disenrolled.. Our hearts sank.
We were told the board was kicking them out due to too many abscesses. We had medical documentation for every absence and most of which were from my child’s kindergarten classes, which in the state of Idaho isn’t even required for primary education.
We sent in an appeal with all medical documentation when we didn’t have to provide because of HIPPA laws, to try and keep our kids enrolled. They denied it. This school was not only negligent in getting proper records before letting my kids attend.
When I told my kids we would be attending a different school both celebrated. Then the stories started pouring out of their mouths about how mean the staff was and how they couldn’t even talk at lunch and if they did they would have points deducted. My kids are in elementary school! It’s like they don’t want kids being kids which play is essential for this age group to learn. Sounded like they were in a kids camp.
So I do believe the universe threw us an opportunity to find a school that not only has an IEP program established but they also offer more after school programs than GEM prep and they won’t spend every waking minute of school time on a computer forced to be quiet.

The buzz words they use really sell you but really this school has a lot of work to be done before they are going to operate at a professional level.

Tal T.

We like the main focus of the curriculum at Gem Prep being Math, Language Arts, and Science. We also have been happy with a personal and tailored education experience for each of our children.
The staff is great, and they seem to be very flexible and comfortable with adjusting to what each student needs. The overall culture of the school is student-friendly, and academic-driven.

Overall, we are really happy with Gem Prep Twin Falls, and our children are thriving here!

Gretchen M.

My family and I love Gem Prep! For the area of Twin Falls, I feel like the school is above on the education aspect. I love that it’s a rigorous program for all scholars. Mr.Hale(Principal) and Ms. Rosales(Vice Principal) are very welcoming and care so much about each scholar. The teachers are AMAZING and communicate well with parents.

Sarah T.

My husband and I love Gem Prep. We have two children enrolled and have had the best experience. We love that it is a college prep school and that they will graduate with either college credits or an associate degree.
The staff is super supportive and whenever I reach out to a teacher I always recieve and an answer quickly. I know my children are always safe and I get multiple updates about what is going on in class or homework that needs to be completed.

Alexa G.

Gem Prep has been an amazing experience so far for my kindergartener and our family! As first time parents, we were nervous just as our kindergartener was to start school. We quickly found out how involved the staff and teachers are at keeping us parents updated on what’s going on during the school day, and informing us of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. The communication between staff/teacher and parents has been wonderful! My kindergartener comes home after school and tells me how much he loves his teacher, friends and using a ChromeBook laptop in class to play educational games. As parents, we have been very impressed with the curriculum and the opportunities to challenge and push for growth! We have seen great improvements in our kindergarten’s social development and educational growth, and we owe so much of that progress to our Gem Prep teachers, staff and the safe and friendly environment they have created at this school.