St. Hilary School

St Hilary School is an amazing school and a hidden gem in the North Park neighborhood. The school is warm and welcoming and very diverse. The Principal, Mrs. Kathie Donovan, is dynamic and incredibly engaged in every facet of the school's operations. We have been especially impressed by the music and art programs, which includes both band and choir. The teaching quality is superb, which is also supported by small class sizes and a great student-to-teacher ratio. Our son is in second grade, and we've been very happy with his teachers every year so far. Attention is also given to incorporating current thinking in pedagogy and curricula, and just last year they incorporated new flexible seating. Our son also attends aftercare, and he participates in the Super Soccer extracurricular program. Sports offerings include volleyball and basketball programs for girls and boys. The Family Student Association (FSA) plans regular activities and opportunities for engagement. Overall, Catholic/Christian teachings are evident especially in the spirit of kindness and service present in this school.

St. Hilary has been a wonderful, warm and kind environment for our son who is in kindergarten. The class sizes are small and the teachers are caring and nurturing and supported by Mrs. Donovan, the school's dynamic principal.

Our first year at St. Hilary has been fantastic! I'm so glad that we found the school and wish we could give them a million dollars because they do so much with every dollar they have, it would be fun to see what they could do with money for more services, training, programs, and teachers. The students, the families, and the staff at St. Hilary really do make you feel part of a family. Everyone pitches in together and everyone is treated equally. The academics are rigorous and expectations are high, and support is given to each student to help them reach their full potential and be happy. We love it here!

Both my son and daughter attend St. Hilary and we have been highly impressed with the quality of the school. Small class sizes & family friendly atmosphere make this a rich, nurturing environment for our kids. Great neighborhood school, highly recommended to other families living in the Budlong Woods/Lincoln Square/North Park neighborhoods.

My child has been enrolled in the preschool for the past two years and will be starting kindergarten there in the fall. She has grown so much in the time she's been there. The teachers are very caring and supportive. The preschoolers even get instruction from St. Hilary's art, music, gym, computer and Spanish teachers. I really like the faith partners program where my child was paired up with a fifth-grader, and they worked on special projects and attended Wednesday Masses throughout the year. I have spoken to parents of recent graduates, and their children go on to attend some of the best high schools in the area and feel prepared when they get there.