I'm sharing my experience with Brightmont Academy Scottsdale Campus under the leadership of Sarah Horton. As a mom, I truly loved the idea of Brightmont's one-on-one model. My son is extremely intelligent--like many gifted children--and that's exactly why I chose this school. The 1:1 structure has the potential to be an incredible fit for the right student. My son is 14, bright, funny, and capable. He successfully homeschooled for three years without incident--not by accident, but because I took the time to understand how he learns. I taught him in a way that worked for him, with patience and flexibility. Sometimes we would even switch roles and pretend he was the teacher and I was the student--and honestly, that part came easy because he is incredibly smart. He wanted to attend school, liked his teachers, and was completing his work. That's why this experience has been so difficult. For a child like mine--who needs additional behavioral support and structure--the necessary supports were not meaningfully put in place. Over the course of several months: * The BCBA conducted only one observation lasting less than two hours * After that, there were no additional observations for approximately two months * A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) was put together based on that limited observation and did not reflect my son's level of need * No Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) was ever created or implemented * An RBT was providing support, but there was no BCBA oversight or supervision at any point I was never provided behavioral data, no analysis of the function of behaviors, and no tracking to support decisions. There was no communication from the BCBA--not with me, not with the RBT, and not with the teachers. No meetings, no weekly collaboration, nothing. At one point, Sarah Horton said that Brightmont was a perfect fit for Blake. Despite that, she removed him from Brightmont with less than three weeks of school left, knowing there was no other placement available for him. I was actively advocating for appropriate services and support through the district, and she did not stand behind that advocacy. Instead, she sided with the district, and I don't believe that's right. I also understand that the district (Paradise Valley Unified School District) funds placements like this. However, from my perspective, it felt like those priorities were not aligned with what my child needed. Regardless of how funding works, a child's needs should always come first--especially for a vulnerable student who is trying, engaged, and wanting to learn. What makes this even harder is that there were options. I offered to have my son's behavioral coach come into the school during those final weeks to support him. She was willing to do so. That option was denied, and the decision to end his placement was made by Sarah Horton. Every day, my son's access to water and the bathroom was restricted. My son is on medication and has a doctor's note requiring unrestricted access to water. The amount he needs varies, and staying hydrated is medically necessary to prevent serious side effects, including migraines and other complications. My son recorded a conversation, and what I heard was inexcusable. He was denied access to water and left in a room by himself. It is incomprehensible to me that a child with a documented medical need would have water withheld. Access to water is a basic need, and in this case, it was also a medical requirement. My son does well with the right support. He works with a behavioral coach at home before and after school and thrives because she is experienced, patient, and speaks with him--not at him--and never shames him. I wish that Brightmont and Sarah Horton had taken the opportunity to support him, advocate for him, and ensure he was not denied access to FAPE--which ultimately, he was. If your child needs behavioral support, structure, communication, and advocacy, I strongly encourage you to ask detailed questions before choosing this school. Sarah, I encourage you--as well as any educator or administrator--to stand behind your students. Stand with caregivers. Stand up to the district when a child needs appropriate services and support. What you did to my son was harmful. It was psychologically traumatizing. My child has already survived a national disaster, the loss of his home and our business, and a major life transition relocating to Arizona. This was an opportunity to embrace him, encourage him, build his confidence, and help him re-engage in school. Instead, you did the opposite--and removed him with less than three weeks left in the school year. Every child deserves better. read more

The principal and staff at this Brightmont location have gone above and beyond to accommodate the needs of my special needs son. Although this is not a dedicated special needs school, I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done. My son struggled at every other school until he came to Brightmont, and now, for the first time, he is truly learning and thriving with the one-on-one lessons. This approach is working wonderfully for him, and I couldn't be happier. If I could give them more than five stars, I absolutely would! read more

Brightmont has been amazing for my son. He is thriving and advancing academically in ways that other schools have not been able to find success. Not only have they been great at accommodating his educational needs, he actually loves going to school, has been thrilled to make new friends, and has done great with every teacher he's had. read more

Deer Valley location in Arizona. Major lack of communication or effort. Dismissive demeanor. Clerical issues that would've cost us $3,600 total between two kids in unused classes had I not caught it. Shortness with the family over their own miscommunication. Teachers were all great from what I could tell however I was not given any progress updates so I'm not even sure if that's true academically as well or just in their mannerisms. Major issues behind the scenes and the school tends to care more about admittance than the ones they're admitting. read more

Im very disappointed in the experience I've had with the administration at Brightmont. From the beginning, it felt like the staff were more focused on getting children enrolled for scholarship bonuses and securing school funding than on providing clear, truthful information to families. When I initially spoke with the director Dr. G, I was told directly that my child would be able to start school regardless of whether scholarship funding came through on time or not. Based on that assurance, we prepared for the school year and trusted that everything was in place. Unfortunately that turned out not to be true. Now that the funding situation is uncertain, the school has backtracked on its promises, and my child has still not been admitted. The staffs messaging has changed completely, and instead of taking responsibility, they've been vague and unhelpful. The lack of transparency and shifting explanations have made this extremely stressful and frustrating. Parents deserve honesty and consistency, especially when it comes to our children's education. I can't recommend Brightmont to other families based on this experience. Trust matters, and sadly that trust was broken here. read more

Brightmont Academy (Deer Valley) staff continue to show immense dedication to my children's academic journey. Having two children with specific learning needs, the teachers work diligently to provide strength-based and individualized approaches. We work collaboratively to plan and execute tailored education for my children. Both of them continue to excel in their studies, and I am so proud and grateful. read more

Brightmont has been a shining beacon for our neurodiverse child who struggled to receive accommodations in public and charter school settings. The team is dedicated and committed to achieving the best outcomes in the academic setting while factoring in flexibility and accommodations. Our child went from hating school to absolutely thriving. He loves his teachers, enjoys learning and his team of educators and staff find ways to create a super fun, positive learning experience that engages him each step of the way. He has made friends during his breaks and found ways to catch up in his harder subjects through homework studio. We rarely have any homework and he has the time to focus on his overall health and wellbeing and spending quality time with family. This school has not only enhanced our son's academic outlook but alleviated a lot of academic stressors for our family. I am so thankful for this school and their programming. Overall, it has been such a rewarding and positive experience for our family. read more

We were hopeful for an admission. They promise everything will be fine till it's time to sign the contract. We asked questions read the fine print. Tuition is no refundable they will tell you everything is amendable despite set pricing for elementary middle and highschool. If you child needs changes becomes a la carte pricing. If they take longer to finish a course there is a charge for that too. The director will tell you everything can be taken care of once you sign the contract, I asked about the negative reviews she said that was 6 years ago before her time so I'm adding an update, they are only interested in money and in our case asked questions because we did our research and amazingly the director gets huffy and tells us the catch all phrase we aren't a good fit. So if you feel pressured to sign the contract they won't really give you anything concrete after the contract is signed and they get more annoyed and frustrated and then come out with the your the problem response you know you just exposed them for who they really are BUYER BEWARE read more

I unfortunately have nothing good to say about this school. My daughter with high functioning autism was promised a math class that would be customized for her needs. It wasn't. I was promised that she would complete the class with the amount allotted by her empowerment scholarship. Instead, I got car salesman like pressure to put out more money for her to finish a class that my family doesn't have. This school charges 100 dollars an hour for their services. It is a waste of money and time. The director Janie is extremely rude and broke confidentiality where my daughter was concerned and I am contacting the Department of Education about this situation. Please please please, learn from my mistake and never go to this school. read more

2-12-2017 updating my review. I have paid a hefty amount to this school for only 3 hours of 1 on 1 for 4 days a week. The school is advertised as specializing in special needs but none of my sons teachers have any special education back ground? He tells me he is on the computer quite often throughout his time there...... why am I paying a fortune for him to be on a computer program? There are no additional services to meet his needs - because this school does not provide any special needs services. I tried contacting the head director for putting together a program for my other child - I was blown off numerous times over the course of weeks...... he was quick to talk to me to get my son in and a contract signed but then cant give me any attention or time. I was forced to look into other options for my other child and found that I am paying 3-4 times as much for the same services I could get at another tutoring center. I have tried expressing that I do not want to continue at the school because it does not meet his needs, but I have continued to be billed. The billing department and director all have different answers which none are consistent. My "contract" has many inconsistencies and errors and should be invalid and void because of them. I am not being heard. At this point I feel like I am being ripped off, taken advantage of and all the school cares about is taking more of my sons money that could be used to pay for services he needs and actual tutoring that doesnt cost 3 times as much as the going rate for other tutoring centers for him to spend time on a computer. Very disappointed in the school and those in charge there - had such high hopes this would be the place my high functioning student could remain until he graduates. I should have listened to all the other reviews :( read more

ZERO STARS!!! Charging for class sessions that are not used at time of withdrawal is just one of the negative things that we take away from our time with this school. My daughter has Asperger's and is very bright. She also has sensory issues and we were assured that she would have accommodations to make sure she doesn't get totally overwhelmed. We had to pick her up the first day as she was overwhelmed with a teacher to talked incessantly instead of having patience and waiting for her to answer. I was called another time to discuss my daughter's "behavior" which was after she was having too much sensory input and getting overwhelmed with what we were promised she would have accomodations for. The director was very rude after one episode when my daughter was overwhelmed by the loud holiday party and was a bit short with her and the teachers. They treated her differently even after she apologized. The school is very expensive. We use a scholarship and they want every penny of it. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE! Send you child to Gateway Academy in Phoenix, they are excellent, just too far for us to drive. read more

This School that is only interested in MONEY and not your child! They constantly change the rules so it helps themselves and not the children. Parents do not take your child to this school! They put on a good up front but a terrible office personal that yell at you if they don't get there way! Do NOT Bring your kids to this school read more

If I could give zero stars I would. This school was so good about getting us to sign up. They had all the right things to say and were very professional and efficient with all the questions I had. Even though it was one of the most expensive schools out there I thought it would be the best alternative to high school for my daughter who has ADHD, I was very wrong. The new director Janie is absolutely clueless... She has no idea on how to run a school and is extremely rude and lacks any knowledge about how the school works. Frankly my husband and I are shocked she was even hired as unprofessional as she is. Tony is one of the Vice Presidents of campus operations but has no idea about what is going on at the school, as he lives in Seattle! He was very helpful when I was enrolling my daughter but absent throughout the two months she went there. The teachers changed my daughters schedule without telling us, which would have been even more expensive than the $4000 a month we were already paying! In the two months she was there I didn't get one call from any teachers to discuss her progress or what she needed to improve on, nothing. I got one progress report the day before we left the school. It was for only three classes with a sentence under the grade, that was it! You get more out of a public school! This school is a complete rip off, buyer beware! They take advantage of worried parents and the only thing they are in it for is your money, not your child's education. After we decided to pull my daughter from the school they charged us almost $4000 on our card with no explanation and no authorization from us! After several calls and not one returned by Tony the disappearing man, we are not having to dispute the charges. READ THE REVIEWS. There is another upset parent that posted about them charging his card without authorization too and now he's disputing it. This place should be ashamed of themselves. I'm just glad we got out before we wasted anymore time and money on them. SCAMMERS! read more

Be warned, this place is expensive and receiving payment is their primary objective. Your kids education ranks about 5th. I did like a few of the teachers but the administrator goes out of her way to interfere with your communication with those teachers. Additionally, she takes absolutely no responsibility in helping parents find a solution to help your kid get through some difficult moments. Stay away!!! read more