1909 Laurelhurst
SLC, UT 84108

The best school ever! My son is in second grade and for me the quality of learning is really good!

I am a current student at this school, and throughout my time here i have felt more overwhelmed, isolated and unsupported then i've ever felt. The administration in particular, has constantly been super unhelpful. Whenever I or someone else raises a concern or states an issue their response is almost always, "We'll look into it." Yet no changes ever follow. This pattern has made it very difficult to trust that the students well-being is a genuine concern and priority. While the teachers are wonderful, kind, dedicated, and genuinely care about their students sucess, the overall enviroment at the school is very discouraging. There are ongoing issues in the student body such as instances of racism, which creats a very unwelcoming atmosphere; as well as students making fun of their peers with disabilities. I've never seen these problems adressed in a way that is effective. The physical condition of the school is awful. The building smells super unpleasant, like rotten eggs. I personally have seen rats, and the floors are cleaned once a week maximum. The girls bathroom on the second floor has been closed since the beginning of the school year. None of these problems have seemed to be fixed since they're building a new school. During spring break, I was so happy to be away, I started crying though at the thought of returning and having to be there for another month; which made it very clear to me that staying here is not healthy for me or my mental health. I'm transferring to a different school next year, and based on my time here, I would never recomend this school to others. Although the teachers are amazing, the enviroment doesn't feel safe, supportive, and certainly not welcoming.

The teachers here are amazing! Hillside is one of the schools in the valley everyone wants to work at, so there is fierce competition for positions. I was nervous about sending my daughter because my own experience in middle school was so bad, but she has truly loved it. She is in the MELP program, and in the same set of classes as many of her peers, which helps with making friends. She has been challenged, but not over-burdened with homework. Nearly everything she has brought home has been designed to help her remember what they learned in class, and hasn't been busy-work. The community also really comes together for extra-curricular activities. I'm amazed by the outreach surrounding their theater program. (I feel that nearly 50% of the school is in the musical, and they have all had an excellent experience from the lead to the ensemble.)

My experience at Innovations Early college isn't the best but i got to live through it. One of the best parts is the freedom we get to work at our own pace. We have our own independent study time that lets catch up if were behind. I would say that the teaching style is not what people would like. For ex in math class , were assigned patterns to do the classwork. Isn't the teacher supposed to explain the lesson. That would be much better and i bet we would also learn better. Science is great. English in also great. But history , like what's even the point of having history class without a teacher teaching. They just make us read alone and do our work alone. C'mon guys! it feels too independent, and if you fall behind it can be hard to catch up. I also wish there were more fun activities and classes, like sports or clubs, so students could connect outside of class. . Having more fun activities would help everyone connect and feel more excited about coming to school. Overall its a 3.5-4/10.