Barton Hills Elementary School

I went to Barton hills from grade PK-5th grade and I loved every min. of it. 20 years later, I know have a child of my own and want her to go there, I am praying they do not close the school down! Best school ever!
--Submitted by a parent

Barton Hills is a small neighborhood gem in this large urban district. With skilled, caring teachers and hardworking, talented parent volunteers, the educational experience is rich. It's an incredible community to be a part of.
--Submitted by a parent

Small classes, fantastic teachers and great academic enrichment opportunities.
--Submitted by a parent

It is a true neighborhood school in the best sense.
--Submitted by a parent

This is an A+ school with all the right ingredients first-class teachers, engaged kids and involved parents. It's no surprise folks camp out overnight to transfer their kids here. Plus, this school offers sixth grade, which is becoming increasingly unusual at AISD.
--Submitted by a parent

Best elementary school in Austin by far... the teachers are Outstanding!Parents are all involved.
--Submitted by a parent

Barton Hills is a great school. The students are great, the parents help out alot and the teachers really care about their students.
--Submitted by a teacher

Barton Hills has caring teachers, staff, parents and administration. Children are generally kind and accepting of differences. Many teachers are committed, experienced, and enthusiastic. Parents and PTA are supportive, and the school climate makes you feel welcome. I am pleased with the school, and am glad I chose to send my kids here.
--Submitted by a parent

It is interesting to see how the reviews on this site have deteriorated over the years. I am also rapidly losing my enthusiasm. Yes, there is great parent involvement, it is small, there are some excellent teachers, and the PTA does wonderful things. But my kids have received a very uneven education. A small school like this one doesn't afford much choice when teachers aren't meeting your child's need. And the principal is doing very little to weed out those teachers who are not performing. There is no program to accommodate and challenge gifted kids. My observation is that the TAKS is the focus. How sad.
--Submitted by a parent

I have had kids at Barton Hills for the past 8 years. First, the positives: high parental involvement; the experience of being in a small school where you get to know everyone; an outstanding kindergarten staff, with highly experienced teachers. Now the negatives: overall, a steady deterioration in quality. Except for the kindergarten program, the other grades have suffered high staff turnover. Many excellent teachers have left, and their replacements have not always been up to par. The prinicipal has alienated many staff and parents. There is essentially no program for gifted and talented students. My kids experienced wildly uneven curriculum. Although my oldest child had generally good instruction, except for spelling, my younger child never learned cursive, learned no keyboarding, had no computer lab for almost a year, had no consistent instruction in grammar or spelling beteen 1st and 5th grade, and was inundated with busy work.
--Submitted by a parent