217 Illinois St
Lawrence, KS 66044

We have had kids at Hillcrest since 2018 - through three Principals, a global pandemic, and a merger with another Title I elementary school when the district changed boundaries. Throughout all of this, my kids’ love of learning, curiosity about others and the world around them, and commitment to compassion have been nurtured with such safe room to grow. The teachers at this school stay - often for their entire careers - and are committed to delivering a rigorous, multicultural, technologically aware education to kids from all backgrounds.As one of only a few schools that draw English language learners from across the difference, Hillcrest has a challenge in supporting kids with so many varied learning needs, communication annd cultural styles, and abilities. While state test performance may lag other area schools due to these differences… The teachers knock it out of the ballpark, meeting each kid with differentiated challenges. The recent transition to a new principal who is a former Hillcrest student and experienced (favorite, according to my kids) teacher is a huge new benefit.We sought transfers for each of our kids to this school before they entered kindergarten and we have not regretted it. There is no other place in Lawrence that I’d want them to be learning - Hillcrest is truly “where the world goes to school.”