South Junior High School

Both my boys went there. Both are now engineers. The band program from starting here though Timberline was great. Older school with good teachers.Thank you Garfield!

Such a nurturing and positive learning environment at this school! My child loves it.

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.

The kids here are taught no morals. The teachers disregard anything when our children or us express concerns. The children here steal and hit/spit on other students with no repercussions. Terrible school, probably the worse we’ve been too.

Love this school. Our kids have thrived here in the gate programs. Also live the small school feel and the sports.

This school has a huge problem with bullying. They do not actually help at all in regards to it. My self and other parents have had to call the SRO over the area to try to get it to stop. Becca Anderson at the district level will not return parents phone calls in regards to the bullying either. I lwft several messages over the course of the school year last year and got ahold of her once.

My daughter has been at Foothills since pre-K and is now entering 5th grade. Over these six years, I've watched this incredible school build in my kiddo a genuine love of learning that spans every subject. My favorite memory—one that encapsulates the Foothills experience— happened when she was just 4 years old: She came home excited about "testing hypotheses" by making paper airplanes. When I asked what a hypothesis was, she confidently said, "It's an idea you can test!" I was amazed that a preschooler (or “early learner” in Foothills parlance) could grasp and explain such a concept so clearly, but this is what Foothills’ incredible teachers do at all levels—provide advanced concepts in a fun and approachable way. It is rigor in disguise, for anyone who might have a perception that Foothills is “easy” when it comes to academics.Foothills has challenged my daughter to ask deeper questions, explore her own interests, and find joy in discovery. The dyad system of combining two grades has been incredible for her to be both a mentor and mentee, and each time we've grown attached to one teaching team, the next has impressed us just as much with their dedication and expertise.If you're looking for a school where your child will genuinely love learning rather than just go through the motions, Foothills is perfect. In six years, my daughter has never once complained about going to school. Her enthusiasm speaks volumes about what Foothills has created.