Pontiac Middle School

I would not recommend the lower school based on our family’s experience. We have had multiple children attend over the years, and unfortunately the school has declined noticeably during that time.Class sizes have grown significantly, and the building does not seem designed to comfortably support the number of students currently enrolled. The result is a more crowded environment that makes it harder for students to receive the individual attention that many families expect from a private school.While there are still several strong teachers, there have also been some concerning hiring decisions. In at least one case, a teacher closely connected to an administrator was hired despite not having a teaching degree. Situations like this raise legitimate questions about hiring standards, and ultimately students are the ones affected. The culture of the lower school has also shifted in a troubling direction. Under the current leadership, the environment is overly punitive rather than supportive. Instead of focusing on guidance and development, discipline is disproportionate to the behavior and communication with families has been difficult.It is disappointing because the school once had a much stronger reputation.Families considering the lower school should take time to ask detailed questions about class size, teacher qualifications, and the overall disciplinary culture before enrolling.

We were at first impressed with this school. However, the longer our children have attended the more clear it became that nepotism and favoritism played a key part in selecting staff members and the treatment of students. While some teachers are wonderful, leadership is disorganized and we found that several teachers have no background nor relevant college education. We don’t regret sending our children to AHCS but cannot in good conscience recommend it to other families. Our children will be attending a different school in the fall.

It is getting better with current leadership but in the past there has been great concern!