Valley River Center

Strongly reconsider before enrolling your child at O’Hara Catholic School — it’s not worth it!Tuition increases every year, yet class sizes continue to grow. Most classes are larger than nearby public schools. Despite paying premium private-school tuition, families do not receive small class sizes or individualized attention. Beyond tuition, expect constant added costs. The facilities fee alone has increased from about $50 to $275, with new fees appearing year after year—despite facilities being rarely available for student use. Fundraising and donation requests (monetary and in-kind) are constant & excessive and often feel pressuredIt is also important to understand what the school does not provide. O’Hara does not include breakfast or lunch; there is a hot lunch program, but costly. The school does not have a nurse or medical office, does not have a school counselor, and does not offer track facilities or a track program for middle school—services many families reasonably expect at this price point.Parent involvement is mandatory and not friendly to working families. Each household must complete 32 volunteer hours/year. Unmet hours are charged at $50/hour, adding up to $1,600 per year if you can’t volunteer.Academically, O’Hara is underwhelming. While a few teachers are strong, the overall curriculum is weak and inconsistent. Many families pay for private tutors to fill gaps. There are no world languages, little cultural awareness/exposure, and no meaningful cultural appreciation. You are not receiving a stronger education than what is available at public schools; just at a much higher cost.Despite the Catholic label, the school does not feel faith-centered. Most families and staff are not Catholic, including communications staff (which shows in the comms) and messaging feels generic and superficial. The environment resembles a polished, flashy evangelical mega-church where money and appearances matter more than substance and strong values.Communication is excessive yet poor. Lots of emails, yet key information is often unclear, inconsistent, or misspelled. The school relies heavily on parent ambassadors and word-of-mouth, leaving families dependent on other parents for important information.Ultimately, O’Hara is more like a country club. You pay about $1,000/month PER CHILD not for academic excellence, but for status and a sheltered environment—without strong academics, cultural depth, or authentic Catholic education or values.