Hillcrest Elementary School

I find the staff very friendly and helpful. Classes are educational and helpful to the students. I know my grandson is getting a good education through this school.

My son is in Mrs. Quattlebaum s first grade class and he could not have gotten a more dedicated, loving, and attentive teacher. Just ten weeks in her class and my son has transformed into a little boy who has confidence, likes math, and feels a real sense of belonging. Mr. Williams, the principal, is very hands on from sharing bus route information with parents on open house night to opening car doors to greet the students each morning at the drop off point. The facilities are spotless and the front office staff is inviting. Thank you Hillcrest for being so good to my son!
—Submitted by a parent

I love Hillcrest and all of it's staff. My daughter has went all the way through and she says she misses it everyday. Our principal is a great man. I love hearing him call each child by their name. That is awesome when you can remember that many names. And it makes the kids love him that much more.:)
—Submitted by a parent

My child and 4 great grand kids have atteneded hillcrest and i rate it above average. Being a control freak is a good thing if you are not the kids will run over you in a heart beat. You must be in control if not you don't have answers to what may be ask of you.
—Submitted by a parent

The principle is a control freak. Should be in a high school, not an elementary school. Has the potential to be a decent school with someone who realizes they are there for us as parents and tax payers, and for our children...NOT to feed their own needs for power. Teacher is great.
—Submitted by a parent

Part of the reason why we retired from the Army here was so our son could attend and graduate from the Enterprise School System. We have not been disappointed. Our son has been a student here since the first grade and he is now in the 5ht grade. He iis an honor student and we have had nothing but positive experiences with the principal, staff, teachers and administration. After 23 years of moving around the world, we have been so pleased to feel so at home in this area of Alabama. We look forward to our son graduating from EHS and we believe that the Enterprise School System will serve him well in his pursuit of higher education.
—Submitted by a parent

We are truly blessed to have our children attend such a fantastic school. We pulled our children out of private school to attend here and could not be happier. Any issues that we have encountered were handled swiftly by the teachers and they keep the parents informed via e-mail and meetings. The principal, Mr. Williams, knows every child by name and takes a personal interest in their development. He is also there every morning to personally greet them and ensure the children are safe from exiting their vehicles. As a retired military family we have never witnessed this much concern and professionalism from any principal or school until we enrolled our children in Hillcrest.
—Submitted by a parent

Being a military family, we move frequently and our children have collectively attended 11 schools in the last 9 years. Hillcrest elementary is by far the worst of the lot. While Hillcrest employs some of the best teachers in the city, several negative experiences with the office staff, and specifically the principal, forced me to remove my honor roll students and enroll them in private school.
—Submitted by a parent

Hillcrest is truly a top notch school. Some others may take issue with the way the teachers and principal speak to the children, but I'm betting these are also the parents of the children who do no wrong. I appreciate that the teachers and staff there keep my children in line! My children adore this school and their teachers. I did a lot of school research before moving to Enterprise, including visiting all the school in the system, and Hillcrest really stood out to me as a place where the teachers love their jobs and love their students. My children were attending Hillcrest during the time of the tornado...thankfully they were not at school when the tornado hit, but I know from talking to many people that the teachers there shielded their students with their own bodies. That, to me, is selfless love. Hillcrest with both teach and LOVE your child!
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful School! The teachers are excellent and you can tell the entire staff is there for the benefit of the students. I would not want my children anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal and teachers are great. Mr. Williams is very personable. I do wish they had a gym but after surviving the tornado - any bit of the building left is appreciated.
—Submitted by Lorraine McCreery, a parent

Our experiences with school systems around the country vary and so far Hillcrest has been the worst educational environment we've ever been involved with. In our other schools, we had strong principal leadership and high standards for teacher conduct. Teachers used their own education, creativity and positive reinforcement to run effective and organized classrooms. The opposite is happening at Hillcrest. There is a negative atmosphere. Mr. Williams may be a nice man but his ideas are old fashioned and standards for his staff are low.
—Submitted by a parent

With all the bad I'd learned about Alabama schools, I thought when we moved here we could get through anything and we'll just stay positive. Not such an easy thing to do now that we're immersed in this school system. Visit Hillcrest and listen to how the staff talks to the students. The teachers can be very unprofessional. There is no inspiration to become better people or better learners. The academics are way behind, my children are mostly working on things they've learned up to two years ago.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to Enterprise last year and my son attended HIllcrest for 4th grade and now he is there for 5th. Also my daughter just started there for Kindergarten this year. We are a military family and will probably be moving on in a couple of years. I've had 2 other kids in schools all over the place and as far as we are concerned Hillcrest is the best we've seen. Mr Williams is totally supportive of our situation. When my husband was deployed for a year in Iraq, he and his staff took special care in making sure that my son was handling the adjustment and any special needs he might face. I've seen Mr Williams interact with the children in his school, and the kids seem to really like him. I think he and his staff are great! D. Scullion
—Submitted by a parent

My kids attended Hillcrest Elementary for a 1.5 years and I was also a substitute teacher. I would recommend this school. Mr. Williams and his staff are wonderful and very courteous. I was very pleased that my daughter came out of kindergarten learning to read. I now live in Arizona and if we ever return to Alabama I would definately have my kids return to Hillcrest Elementary.
—Submitted by Tammi Windom, a parent

I would strongly advise looking at other schools before choosing this one. This school says it would like parental involvement but if there is an issue with your child and the teacher they are assigned, the principal will not help you. While some of the teachers at this school are caring and dedicated to the students there are many that are not. Parents have no rights at Hillcrest Elementary.
—Submitted by a staff

Superb school. Was the first school in Alabama to be SACS accredited 41 years ago and still one of the best elementary schools in the country. A parent who is dissatisfied with Hillcrest will never be satisfied anywhere.
—Submitted by a former student

Hillcrest Elementary School is by far one of the best school in Enterprise. Mr. Williams, the principal, was going to retire two years ago, but was talked into staying. Hillcrest is the only school in Enterprise that has a Developmental Preschool in its midst. Mr. Williams, even with his misgivings, was the only principal with the courage to take a chance. Mr. Williams maybe old-fashioned but he is willing to learn. But better than that he truly cares for the children and their well-being. The teachers are dynamic and the support staff is supportive. The extracurriclular are there but the parents have to be involved. The only reason my daughter is not attending Hillcrest is because we are in its zone. If you happen, to live or move into the Hillcrest district, you are truly blessed.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a mother of two as well as a teacher. I am offended at the generalized statements that have been made in previous reviews. There will always be someone who is not happy or someone who has an issue with a particular person. That's OK. Please don't make such harsh assumptions and accusations towards everyone (ie. staff) I am extremely concerned about the safety, education, and overall wellness of our students. Believe me, I did not go into teaching for the money, but for the children. All children are different, they learn in different ways, they live different lifestyles. As a whole we strive to make certain that every child receives a quality education. For those parents who are looking for an elementary school. Come visit us anytime. For those who have issues with certain individuals, please do not insult all of us.
—Submitted by Jennifer Weeks, a teacher

My daughter attended Hillcrest and I, as a parent could not be more pleased. Starting with the Principal, the entire staff is caring and student centered. The teachers do a great job with a diverse student body and I believe my daughter left there fully prepared to be successful at the next level. Good job Hillcrest. Thank you for what you do!
—Submitted by a parent