Kilkare Woods

Hearst was a very good school during the first two years, despite the principal being completely cold toward the students and caring only about meeting district goals. My son is now in 4th grade, and it has been a nightmare since the beginning of the school year. The teacher has no emotional control, yells, and doesn’t seem to know how to deal with children (which I found interesting, considering she’s been “teaching” for 15 years). I’ve had numerous issues with this teacher and had to reach out to the principal, but she simply doesn’t seem to care about the students’ well-being at the school. There are also many problems with bullying, which are completely ignored by the principal and many of the teachers.

Sunol Glen School is such a hidden gem. When we tell people where our kid attends school I am shocked how few people know about it. Our family is so fortunate to have found it, it's a great fit academically, socially and emotionally for our kid. The teachers and staff are such passionate educators who clearly live what they do. They are attentive to the needs of students and their families. The parent and student communities are close knit and welcoming. The curriculum is excellent with frequent enrichment classes like art, music, piano, garden, science lab and other extras woven in regularly throughout the days. The campus itself is beautifully park-like and feels like a mini nature reserve full of abundant trees and opportunities to observe wildlife. It's an idyllic little slice of our world.I regularly hear shocking stories about things happening at our home middle schools that are just not an issue at Sunol. The kids are kind to their peers and rise to the occasion of setting a good example for the younger kids through their words and actions. The big buddy programs that partner middle school mentors with elementary kids is fantastic and enriches the feeling of community at the school. Our family and child could not be happier to be at Sunol Glen. It's a wonderful school and community that is more than worth the short drive in from Fremont. I see a few reviews mentioning the intolerance and politicization of the school board impacting the school in 2023-2024. The community of educators, parents, Sunol residents, and former trustees joined together to call for a special recall election that successfully removed the problematic board members who were the root cause of the divisiveness and negative light that shined on the district for a short time. The current iteration of the board in partnership with the new superintendent/principal has righted the ship and is now fully focused on the well-being of Sunol Glen School, its students, teachers and staff as it should be. It was a rocky patch for sure, but the community pulled together to take care of the school and came out the other side stronger as a result. There is no need to worry about that drama now or moving forward. In 2025 I recommend Sunol Glen wholeheartedly with no caveats or hesitation.