Happy Hill Farm Academy

The school has high standards, as they prepare students for university studies. Parents with children who need emotional care should not become angry at a school that is not designed to best work with their child's disabilities. HHFA will accept any student who is able to do the work and has high aspirations, whether they can afford a private, Christian education or not. The staff works amazingly hard to find scholarships for those who cannot afford it. If you are looking for a K-12 school that is Christian, yet with a diverse student body that will prepare them for what they will encounter at a university, then you can do no better than HHFA.
--Submitted by a parent

The mission of HHFA has never changed. It was always to offer the ability for a first-class education to be available to underprivileged students who could never afford one. In the past, HHFA did accept students who had more emotional needs. Great work was done even with those who needed residential treatment, but there are thousands of children with normal ability and high goals who also need help. Several years ago, those were all helped to transition to residential treatment. The Academy now functions like a university, with students from diverse backgrounds -- caring parents, underprivileged, day, boarding, and international. All desire higher education. Almost 90% are on scholarships, yet now, the students come with the ability and desire to do college-preparatory work. The Academy did wonderful work many years ago, even with those who had severe problems, but they still work with underprivileged students whom no one else is willing to help. By combining them with other students in order to make the overall program better, and even more successful, should be praised, not criticized. Lives are still being changed, and society will be better because of HHFA!
--Submitted by a teacher

HHFA is truly a great school. It is Christian and college-preparatory. It has an amazing program with day students from caring families, boarding students with caring families, boarding students from underprivileged backgrounds with high personal goals to succeed, and boarding students from almost 30 states and countries around the world who desire a top-notch education to prepare for university life. It is truly unique in a K-12 school to offer scholarships to almost every boarding student and have such a diverse student body. There are students of every race, every socioeconomic level, and no discrimination. Students come, knowing the Academy is Christian, even if they arrive from a home or country that is not. There are thousands of children who come from poor backgrounds, yet they have the ability and desire to attend a private boarding/day school. There are thouands of families who want their children to attend school with a student body that is made up of the very same kinds of students they will encounter once they go off to college. The student body is diverse, yet they all have in common the desire to succeed and go on to higher education.
--Submitted by a teacher

Please read the critical comments for what they are - bitter words from disgruntled former employees and a few parents with severe children who need residential treatment or more, and HHFA is not a residential treatment center. HHFA continues to help underprivileged students succeed, while also helping Christian families who want an alternative to the public system. The staff and parents get along and love the school. No school is perfect, but HHFA does their best to provide a college-preparatory education to every student and instill core values. They provide scholarships to those in need. HHFA is really one of those rare schools that is changing the world for the better, and it is sad to see some criticize such a great organization. My children received a wonderful education and learned to get along with others they would encounter in college. HHFA is winning State Championships in sports, art, and music, and the student and parent body has tons of spirit. People working very hard in a Christian environment to help others and turning out great students who will make the United States and the world a better place. That is something to praise! GO PIONEERS!
--Submitted by a parent

Amazing school helping all children succeed. Caring Christian staff. Happy Hill Farm Academy brings together poor, rich, middle class, white, black, brown, American, foreign, young, old, and everything in between to educate and train up leaders for tomorrow. Thank God for caring donors and caring families who supply the students and the finances to reach out to so many who would never have this opportunity! Students have a chance to study in a University setting in their K-12 grade years. Program offers things other boarding schools cannot, like FFA and 4-H. School is growing, with almost 170 students enrolled and goals for almost 300. Happy Hill Farm Academy is not for students with severe emotional problems. Those students need residential treatment, and parents should not be angry when HHFA advises them to seek other schools. If you are looking for a great, Christian college-preparatory education for your student, go and tour HHFA. If you know of an underprivileged student with ability and goals, but their socioeconomic situation keeps them from succeeding, call HHFA, as they are one of the few boarding schools in the country that will help underprivileged students.
--Submitted by a parent

Terrible for children with Bipolar Disorder, Depression, OCD, or any child on the Autism Spectrum. Happy Hill doesn't care about any child's differences. Every child at that school is "at risk" and that means the same thing to the entire staff. If your child has real issues, takes medication, and truly needs to be cared for - do not send them to Happy Hill. I would go so far as to say it would be a danger to them.

The original mission of this school was wonderful. Now that it has been transitioned to a private day school and an entire family has been brought in to run it, most of the caring, committed teachers and faculty have been run off and replaced with inexperienced, cold, and uncaring staff. There is a lot of yelling and discord and the current administrators seem content to let a once great institution fall to pieces. Don't let the name fool you. This school is anything but happy and one wonders if the original founders are aware.
--Submitted by a parent

I contacted the admission office to obtain information about the school. They were extremely rude and asked what I wanted- hadn't I gotten all my information from the website!? Unbelievable!
--Submitted by a parent

School continues to help at risk children free of charge and also has great scholarships for children in our community. The day academy kids have only added to the Christian mission and is a great social and economic mix of children from different backgrounds. A+ curriculum, staff and amazing setting with junior master gardening, horseback riding fine art and bible studies. They also have a bus route that travels through Granbury. The Lord is working here and the parents and children are so blessed.
--Submitted by a parent

Happy Hill Farm was at one time dedicated to help at risk children. Many childrens lives have been changed. However over the past several months Happy Hill Farm changed their focuss towards being a private Christian boarding school. There is nothing wrong with being a private school, but they no longer help at risk children. Now they just cater to the needs of certain individuals. Donor money was for a childrens home, not a private boarding school for kids who want a better education. All the efforts of previous staff, and donors was to make a safe place for at risk children. It saddens me to know that now only priveledged individuals with the money to pay for a private education are able to enjoy the facilities and school that many private donations paid for in order to help at risk children.
--Submitted by a teacher