Hill Crest Academy

My son entered Hill Crest after a disastrous year of public school kindergarten with no confidence, depressed and anxious. Within a month, he was loving school and making progress every day. In the five years since, he has virtually overcome his serious dyslexia, his short term memory problems and is a serious, committed student. His pediatrician was impressed at his last physical that they talked about cell structure! Hill Crest has a caring, nurturing, committed atmosphere where children learn about team work, their place in the community and personal responsibility as well as rigorous academics. Their philosophy is that they have a continuum from kindergarten until 8th grade to get the information inculcated and that the rate at which each child does that is individual. If they are advanced, they are challenged. If they have learning obstacles, that is addressed and they are appropriately challenged. Parents are included and informed almost daily. A major player in the academic area in this area, and a member of a Board of Directors of a charter school told me she would send her children to Hill Crest if she had it to do over again. Hill Crest is the BEST for your child!
—Submitted by a parent

My child went to Hill Crest for 2-1/2 years. The first 2 years were absolutely wonderful and the school was a Godsend. The teachers were all very patient, loving and supportive of my child who was having anxiety difficulties. They nurtured her and she became happy and confident. The children and teachers were like a family. I I felt that my daughter was also getting a good academic education. As we began the next school year, the school had changed. The teachers were dealing with a very stressful situation and the atmosphere in the school was less happy. The children frequently heard the teachers complain about certain individuals. After a semester I transferred my daughter to the public middle school to finish 8th grade. I did this partly because of the change in atmosphere at Hill Crest and also because my daughter needed a transition between the relaxed environment of Hill Crest and the rigors of the public high school. She was slightly but not terribly behind. The middle school is helping her catch up. I cannot forget the blessing of those first two years my daughter had at Hill Crest. We miss Hill Crest. Hope they can return the school to the happy place it once was.
—Submitted by a parent

Four students have dropped out of Hillcrest Academy on Barrows St. in Norton, MA over the past month after paying the tuition for the year! The parents felt their children were academically behind. The head of the school leaves parents out of the loop and they did not realize their children were falling so far behind. They charge high prices for tuition/books and provide old and outdated materials to the students. They have mostly special education children but did not have a special ed teacher for 3 years prior to the Fall of 2012. It is an unprofessional and poorly managed environment.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two girls that are attending Hillcrest Academy. The teaching staff is wonderful, kind, caring, and supportive. They are very aware of alternate leaning styles of different children and adjust accordingly if issues arise. This may be a small school, but scores very high on quality education and supportive learning environment.
—Submitted by a parent

Both my daughters Attended HCA. It was the best academic experience they have had and they are now both in the college of their choice. With the stellar academic preparation and confidence gained atfrom HCA, one finished high school in three years and was accepted into MIT; one had the courage to go to Japan for a year during highschool and is fluent and used her Japanese daily in her summer job. She is now a film major and has an internship at a Hollywood studio. The teachers at HCA teach to the student. My daughters learned to take responsibility for their own learning. They formed relationships with other students that they treasure and have lasted years after graduating. I wish my own academic experience had been as good. Both my wife and I found our ideas and involvement was welcomed.
—Submitted by Bill, a parent

Hill Crest was the best educational experience my children had, and they are now in college. The combination of community-building and attention to the individual child's development is unparalleled. Compared to other private schools, the fees are amazingly reasonable, because the school is committed to educating students from every background. Unlike administrators of many other private schools, Hill Crest administrators stay very closely in touch with the community of students. Students become respectful, academically adventurous, and happy. They learn no gender, age, race or ability prejudice, period. Several times I needed to wrestle through questions about school policy, but I was always convinced by thoughtful, caring and imaginative teachers and administrators, and ultimately, my monitors were happy children who loved going to school every day. My best decision was to keep them there through middle school. Later, they won many honors and scholarships at private and public high schools and colleges.
—Submitted by a parent

Hill Crest Academy was the best academic experience of my life. I was better prepared for high school than any of my friends who attended other schools. The education and love I recieved at Hill Crest were stellar. My friends and teachers there became my family. I am still close with them. I was able to be actively involved in my own education. Hill Crest has its own way of integrating what would be extracurricular activities in other schools. The field trips were some of the best I ever experienced. I chose Hill Crest because I longed for the thrill of being challenged by my schoolwork, and it raised my academic standards. After Hill Crest, I attended a top New England prep school, studied abroad for a year in Japan, attended Harvard University and the University of Southern California, and studied in Europe. Send all your children to Hill Crest today!
—Submitted by a former student

My child excelled academically compared to public school. But for a small private school, I feel she could've learned so much more. Child had 3 years of spanish & nothing to show for it. There should've been more hands on learning given the classroom size. Need less days off. As a parent, I always felt out of the loop. I never knew that the art teacher left half way thru the year and we certainly were not given our art fee back. The school is all about money. On top of rising tuition costs, art & music fees, & books...If you didn't give donations, I didn't feel equal to the other families. We pay a lot of money for books & this year we were told we would get them a week after school let out. Here it is, the middle of July and no one has heard from the school.
—Submitted by a parent