557 Eletson Dr
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

This is a hard review to write because while we had met with many wonderful caring administrators ant teachers, the school tries really hard but does not meet expectation because this district is just plain awful. My son is significantly behind in many areas BUT because so many kids are behind, my son got less help due to lack of resources. Coventry School Administration is heavily involved and easily accessible. Teachers are caring and wonderful, but they are extremely understaffed in the support areas (paras, SPED staff). Special Education in Crystal Lake is awful, it starts at the elementary district D47 and continues through D155. They had 3 special education directors in 4 years. . Unless your child has a visible disability or one that causes class disruption, you will have to fight for any and all services. In this district Ds get degrees so if your child could do A/B work but still gets Ds & Cs, they will not assist your child in getting help that is appropriate. Hire an advocate & an attorney now if your child has dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, or any other invisible learning disability. While Crystal Lake is one of the best districts in McHenry Cunty (that doesn't say much look at the others) I cannot recommend any K-8 school. The high Schools are a different district and are much better. If you can, do not move to this district, if you have too live in Crystal Lake, move to the Woods Creek or West schools. If you have a child with any special needs, do not move to McHenry County.

This school has got to be the WORST in school history! I graduated 2 years ago (2024), and I have never felt so mistreated, disrespected, and ignored. Staff consistently failed to listen when I raised concerns about certain students and staff, and instead of offering support, they responded with changing my WHOLE schedule thinking that would help, (which it didn’t.) and dropped the whole situation thinking I would forget about it. It felt like students were treated as problems rather than people. The administration was especially disappointing. Issues involving racial name calling, and sexual assault, and alcohol being spiked in my drinks were brushed off, minimized, or outright ignored. When I tried to advocate for myself regarding being sexually harassed, both physically and verbally, I was met with only a “Don’t sorry, we’ll do something about it.” And then only suspending them for 2 days, and no expulsion. There was no accountability, no follow through, and no sense that student well being actually mattered. The overall environment was hostile and draining. Teachers often showed favoritism and the atmosphere made learning feel impossible. Two teachers even took my photos after I specifically told them I didn’t feel comfortable because of my trauma. In response, they told me I NEEDED a certain paper filled out to not get my photo taken. Instead of feeling safe or encouraged, I felt depressed and angry on a daily basis. By the time I left, I had lost all respect and trust for most teachers because of how poorly this school handled its students. This school has given me overall trauma and ptsd. In my opinion, Hannah Beardsley Middle School failed at the most basic level: treating students with respect and care. I would never recommend this school to anyone, especially students who need understanding, support, or simply to be heard. To this day, it remains the worst school experience I have ever had, and one I would not wish on anyone.

My daughters are in college now and had a wonderful experience here, making many life long friends. The education was like any decent high school in Illinois, no complaints!