820 E Hillside Ave
Barrington, IL 60010

My two daughters are finishing up their sophomore year at Barrington High School. Our decision to move to town a few years ago was partially based on hearing how great the school district was. Our experience here has been far inferior to what we had expected. My kids come home from school routinely complaining about how their teachers aren’t actually teaching, and that they are just handed a bunch of schoolwork based on minimal instruction. When they ask for help or further assistance, the boilerplate response is for them to “look it up” on the school’s web-based learning management system, Schoology. Classroom management is sorely lacking, and we’ve had multiple issues of in-class bullying that is overlooked and ignored. The overall vibe of the students here is one of entitlement, and for the kids who are actually here to follow the rules and try to get an education, they are given lip service with very little follow through. We’ve been hugely disappointed with this school and its learning environment.

If you are an English learner, have an IEP or 504 plan, then you will like this school. I’m not sure why the rating reflects that more resources should be allocated toward disadvantaged children. This district spends a lot more money catching kids up then they do on kids without special needs. If you have an above average, self motivated or quick learning child, you may want to look for a school district that can offer more. In particular, I was shocked at what passed for “A” work in language arts. I’m glad the district went remote because it gave me a chance to see how underprepared my child would have been before reaching high school.

Our children have flourished at Grove. We are so grateful to be a part of this school community. The staff and leadership are excellent! Our experience is that there has been a great willingness to answer any question we have and attend to any concern swiftly and carefully. This is true of staff across the board, from admin through the teachers to leadership! The teachers have consistently gone the extra mile to help our children flourish. I am constantly encouraged when I see how our children have been enthused to master new skills, and helped to do so, without undue pressure being placed on them. We have experienced nothing but a real kindness and care from everyone at grove with a view to excellence. Staff have been especially creative during covid to ensure opportunities for students are not diminished despite distance learning. To name a few, a virtual musical, extra online library access, extra coding programmes, supply packets with everything needed to continue learning at home. We have found staff and leadership to be very approachable at all times.