Hillcrest

Review for Hillcrest ElementaryI am beyond frustrated with Hillcrest Elementary and feel compelled to share my outrage. This school has been a complete disappointment and, frankly, a waste of our tax dollars.First and foremost, my child has been unfairly targeted by a substitute teacher who seems to have it out for him. This person, who was merely a lunch guard last year, somehow got thrust into a teaching position, raising serious questions about the hiring practices here. My child has been reprimanded multiple times for minor issues, while other kids run wild without any consequences when this substitute is around. Just last week, my son was sent to the office for telling another student to stop messing with the lights—something the substitute had already addressed! It’s infuriating to see him scapegoated for simply trying to follow the rules in an environment that should be nurturing.This school claims to be a safe space for children, yet my son comes home overwhelmed and anxious, with chafed lips from stress—thanks to a substitute who won’t even allow him chapstick! It’s heartbreaking to see my child suffering because of the incompetence of the staff. When I raised these concerns with the principal, her response was dismissive. It’s clear she is out of touch and ill-equipped to handle the needs of the students.And let’s talk about the utter failure of the majority of the staff. Last year, I overheard a counselor tell a child who expressed fear of being jumped on the way home, “Have you tried talking to them?” Are you kidding me? That’s when an adult should step in and take charge! The complete lack of appropriate response in situations like this shows a shocking disregard for student safety.Overall, Hillcrest Elementary is a disaster. The leadership is ineffective, the staff is underqualified, and the school seems to operate under the assumption that low-income students don’t deserve the same level of care as others. The principal’s constant excuses about the school’s size are pathetic; I could walk from one end to the other in seconds. It feels like the school has given up on the kids, leaving them to fend for themselves.In summary, I absolutely cannot recommend Hillcrest Elementary. It’s a toxic environment that fails to meet the needs of its students and is a disservice to our community. Parents deserve so much better for their children, and it’s infuriating to see our tax dollars wasted on such a broken system.

My two boys attended Owyhee for half a year after we moved to Boise. Before you enroll, you should know something about the Harbor method and think about whether your child would thrive in that environment. One of mine did and the other didn't. They are both very well-behaved and didn't get into any trouble, but it is over the top strict. One of my boys is a militant rule follower, so he liked all the structure and all the praise he got for following the rules to a tee. My other son, though, is really creative, more of a free spirit type who has a lot of ideas and doesn't like to be told exactly what to do all the time. After he had been at Owyhee for a few months, my husband remarked that "the spark has just gone out of him." I know of someone else in the same situation. The teachers are all very hard working and want to help the kids, and the staff really tried to accommodate my older son because he needed harder assignments, but I don't think the Harbor Method works for all kids. They attend a different school now, and we're much happier. If you have a child who excels with structure, Owyhee may be right for you. If not, you might want to think twice about it.