But over the past year, several parents say that environment has deteriorated. Some have pulled their children out, citing concerns over management and classroom quality, while others have spent months trying to recover tuition payments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s really surprising is that we usually hear that Catholic schools are very well structured, good teaching, very good academics,\u201d said A.M., a former parent who requested anonymity. \u201cSo to hear this one being the opposite of what the reputation is, it\u2019s really surprising to hear this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allegations of disorganization<\/p>\n
SBCA parents Anthony and Michelle Sivolella said they once felt confident in the school\u2019s leadership. Michelle said that changed when longtime principal Sister Joan was replaced by Jeanne Shannon for the 2024\u20132025 school year.<\/p>\n
Michelle described a lack of communication, including unanswered emails, teachers not using Gmail or Google Classroom to share assignments, and outdated social studies textbooks. She also said parents\u2019 concerns were not being addressed by the new administration.<\/p>\n
Xavier King said he never expected to remove his daughter from SBCA, especially after transferring her there from Visitation Academy in Bay Ridge<\/a> before that school closed in late summer 2024. But after what he described as an \u201cinability to provide real academic instruction\u201d in second and third grade, the choice was made.<\/p>\n \u201cAs parents, we could not allow her to stay in a classroom where she was not being taught, not being supported, and not being seen,\u201d King said. \u201cShe deserves a teacher who is qualified, engaged, and capable of helping her grow academically. She deserves a school that is transparent and accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n King cited frequent disruptions and limited curriculum coverage in second grade. In third grade, he said the teacher relied heavily on computers instead of direct instruction, leaving his daughter wanting \u201creal teaching.\u201d When he asked about the teacher\u2019s credentials, he said the school declined to provide information.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always wondered how come St. Bernadette chose her to be a third grade teacher,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead, they refused to provide any information. Their lack of transparency only deepened my concern. This was during the first weeks of the new school year. As a parent, I have every right to know whether the person teaching my child is properly trained and capable. The fact that they would not answer such a basic question was alarming.\u201d<\/p>\n Within weeks of the 2025\u20132026 school year\u2019s start, two third-grade classes were merged without notifying parents, King said. After meetings with Shannon brought no changes, his family transferred their daughter to another Catholic school in late October.<\/p>\n \u201cRemoving her from that environment was one of the hardest decisions we\u2019ve made, but it was necessary to protect her education, her confidence, and her love of learning,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Another parent, Michael, said the school has experienced high teacher turnover since the leadership change. While the school said teachers left for higher-paying public school jobs, he said some were dismissed shortly before the academic year began. He also said textbooks for lower grades had not been ordered at the start of the 2025\u20132026 school year, forcing students to rely on worksheets for weeks. Some materials arrived later; others took longer.<\/p>\n Michael said he understood that leadership transitions can be difficult but found the situation unacceptable for a tuition-based school.\n<\/p>\n \u201cBe advised, it wasn\u2019t that widespread,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, it is a transition. You have a new principal. So things are changing. So things don\u2019t always go so smooth in the beginning, and things get rough. It\u2019s understood, and everybody kind of went along with it. But, bear in mind, this is not a free education. This is an education you\u2019re paying lots of money for.\u201d<\/p>\n He said his two sons became unhappy at the school, with one frequently upset at drop-off. He also objected to disciplinary measures for minor lateness, which he said should fall on parents, not children. One son was in a third-grade class that grew to 38 students after a merger, far larger than typical Catholic school class sizes.<\/p>\n By mid-October, he transferred both children to public school, where he said they quickly began to thrive.\n<\/p>\n A.M. said she enrolled her daughter in kindergarten partly because the school was led by nuns during initial interviews. Days before the school year began, parents were informed of the leadership change.<\/p>\n She also described Shannon as \u201cunorganized\u201d and said early concerns were initially tempered with patience.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to give her some grace and be like, OK, it\u2019s her first year,\u201d A.M. told Brooklyn Paper. \u201cIt\u2019s new, but the school was so structured like and had such good support that I was like, it shouldn\u2019t have been, like that much mess.\u201d<\/p>\n Like any job, A.M. said, \u201cthere\u2019s a learning curve \u2026 So we were like, we\u2019ll stay for the first grade \u2026 Hopefully [they\u2019ll work] out the kinks and everything\u2019s going to be good for next year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But she said conditions worsened.\n<\/p>\n Two first-grade teachers left just before the school year without notice, and the school faced staffing shortages that required the principal to teach classes. A.M. also confirmed delays in textbook deliveries and the lack of digital classroom tools. She ultimately withdrew her daughter in mid-October after observing what she described as harsh classroom behavior.<\/p>\n As a class parent, she said her daughter\u2019s teacher was \u201cnot nice, very cold, very nasty\u201d and frequently yelled at students. At her daughter\u2019s new school, she said communication improved and her child is now happy.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5359.jpg\")
Families say issues at St. Bernadette\u2019s Catholic Academy began after a leadership change ahead of the 2024\u20132025 school year.Photo by Megan McGibney
\nFights over refunds<\/p>\n