5505 E Spaniel Dr
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

This school is great and has the best leaders running this building. Sure it has its set of problems but that is everywhere. The people here care about kids and try their hardest everyday. The only thing that could make Heritage better would be more support staff but that’s really a funding issue.

Overall, Harvest is an amazing elementary school, especially for kids with disabilities. Lots of specials, low teacher to student ratios, a very kind and caring principal, lots of extra curricular activities thru the district. Test scores are some of the highest in Michigan placing it at the top 10%.The IEP process is smooth and thorough- one in which therapists and teachers actually want to meet children’s needs (unlike AAPS). Their philosophy is to provide special ed services in full and early on, so kids won’t need as much extra support in later grades. Harvest packs more therapists, paras, and interventionists in a single school than other districts have in a whole district!!! And surprisingly, most if not all teachers seem well versed in autism, sensory processing disorders, mobility and fine motor challenges, etc.The building is showing its age but it’s still great. Special ed rooms are huge and well equipped, not closet sized like in most schools. Library is eye popping- modern and filled with every genre that any child would ever love to read! Gym is a but noisy but not terrible. Food is good and healthy but cafeteria can get crowded, as the kitchen setup is inefficient and so is their lunch process. Playground is large but equipment is old and lacking. Accessibility is mostly good, with zero-step entries and a commercial elevator.The teachers are great and it shows how much they care. They check up with parents often at the beginning of the year, but as the year progresses, communication decreases especially in older grades. But, they do keep up with great newsletters or blogs. The staff are so extremely helpful!PTA is kind of clickey. You have to be part of the wealthy, mostly white, mostly University of Michigan employees to get connected or taken into account as a parent. Likewise, rich white kids can be kind of mean - which is not a problem with the school but simply a reality of the district population and of the university-elite Ann Arbor culture. Having said that, teachers and staff take bullying seriously and know how to deal with it effectively.Overall I recommend this school. And regardless of the scores on GreatSchools or reviews on Maps, I do think they are educating ALL children well, regardless of ethnicity, disability, skin color, or financial means. And for students with special needs, this school (and the Saline Area Schools district as a whole) is truly a hidden gem and exemplary school to all of Michigan.