7417 Hillside Rd
Crystal Lake, IL 60012

We moved to North Elementary boundaries when my daughter was in 4th grade. That can be a tricky time to change schools, but her teacher and the administration made the transition easy. We felt cared for and welcomed from the minute we stepped foot in the school. We only had two short years at North but I'm so glad we did. There were plenty of opportunities to volunteer, so I felt like I could really get to know the teachers and other students in the class. And the encore teachers are exceptional!

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.

Our daughter currently attends Prairie Ridge, and we could not be happier with her experience. The teachers at PR are absolutely wonderful! They challenge their students, provide support, and encourage out of the box thinking. The extra curricular opportunities are plentiful, and they encourage students to get involved. Students are supported in designing their high school experiences with lots of feedback from teachers and school counselors. We know our daughter will be well prepared for college, and we are thankful for all the opportunities she has had at PR.