Golden Hills Private School in El Dorado Hills is a standout option for families seeking both…read morestrong academics and a true sense of community. After having my kids attend for many years, we've consistently been pleased with the education they receive, along with the personal, hands-on approach that comes from being a smaller school. One of the things we value most is how much the school supports character building. Both of my children have grown not only in their learning, but also in their confidence, values, and overall development. The small class sizes allow for meaningful attention, and the personal relationships students form with teachers and the head of school, really make a difference. My wife and I would highly recommend anyone taking the time to check out the Golden Hills program. It's a phenomenal school experience.

They taught 5th grade math in 6th grade so when returning to public school in 7th grade the process…read morewas very difficult.

Exceptional, child-centered, high expectation administration and teachers. A highly collaborative…read moreschool with parents. Your child will love it at MVA - and, so will the parents.

My daughter attended Marble Valley Academy for 3 years. It was such a special place and I feel like…read moreit helped shape her into a more confident young lady! I really appreciate what Marble Valley gave to our family, so many fond memories!

HORRIBLE BATHROOMS everything about them are bad. but classrooms are clean teachers are okay but…read moreoverall great school

Have had 4 of my kids pass graduate from Ponderosa in the last decade. We have loved our…read moreexperience with the school, finding a great educational environment and a local community. All have played sports at Pondo and been involved in clubs and other groups which both strengthened their bond to their classmates and to the school. We found teachers and coaches to genuinely care about our kids and their friends. Most of the students live in less densely populated neighborhoods and correspondingly you'll see more pickups than BMWs in the parking lot each morning. We enjoyed the lower level of pretense that exists here versus the other choices down the hill and believe our kids benefitted from it.

The school is good, the only thing is the some of the teachers, my child comes home everyday…read moretalking about a science teacher, my child says that the science is rude, makes disrespectful comments to them and is rude to other students, and makes fun of students and embarrasses them. I'm not sure if my child is being over dramatic but there friends say the same thing. If more than one student is complaining about this teacher, the school needs to do some thing.

This place is HORRID I must say. My child went here (not mine by the way, my neighbors ( and it was…read moreabsolutely putrid!!!!! FIRST AND FOREMOST the school uses a merit point system which is just as terrible as it sounds. It causes student to turn against student and even make false claims. My son was a victim of this, with 5 students saying he tried giving them test answers, and was then given detention. Yes, DETENTION. I cried upon hearing this news for precisely 25 minutes, and upon calling them they proceeded to HANG UP after NOT solving my ISSue. The teachers AND PRINCIPAL DID not Do anything to help me! Suffice to say my son will not BE COMING BACK WITH no SMILES whatsoever I would also watch out from PGMS, he says they got something planned!

I urge anyone reading these reviews to apply critical thinking. Several appear fabricated, and a…read morenumber are clearly written by the same person using different names. For context: I am a parent who has volunteered regularly in both buildings -- classrooms and lunchrooms -- over four years. I have no employment ties to JAA whatsoever. In all that time, I have never once seen a rat or cockroach. My sons have repeated things they heard about vaping and drugs, but both openly admit they never witnessed it personally. Anyone who has raised children knows how powerfully rumors spread and how quickly feelings become "facts" among kids. When my older son had serious conflicts with two different students over the years, the school acted -- and both boys were subsequently removed. That is not the behavior of a staff that doesn't care. Is every single negative review here completely baseless? Maybe not, but the volume of dramatic, unverifiable claims -- many suspiciously similar in tone and wording -- strains credibility significantly. One more thing worth addressing directly: we are not Mormon, and we are not wealthy donors. We are an ordinary family who has simply paid attention, shown up, and seen a school that is far better than this review section suggests

We are deeply angry, disappointed, and shocked by our family's experience at John Adams Academy…read more(JAA). Like many parents, we were initially drawn in by their polished mission statement and strong community reviews. The reality behind closed doors, however, was a completely different story--we were shown the door almost as quickly as we arrived. As someone who grew up in predominantly white communities, I understand the demographics of the area. However, JAA severely lacks diversity--not just in the ethnic backgrounds of its scholars and staff, but in cultural upbringing and diversity of thought. The school is quick to label and judge families whose cultural background or parenting style doesn't fit their rigid mold. If you are a person of color, be warned: this is not a welcoming environment. For example, there's an expectation placed on young children that are completely unrealistic. Expecting preschoolers and kindergarteners to stand perfectly still and follow strict routines for a flag ceremony after just two weeks--with no room to move, explore, or get their wiggles out--is developmental absurdity. When children act like actual human beings instead of obedient robots, they are immediately targeted as "the problem." When we met with teaching staff to discuss normal, age-appropriate transitional behaviors, we were stunned by their complete lack of professionalism and expertise. There was zero long-term action plan, no strategy to mitigate challenges over time, and no willingness to help our child adapt to a new environment. They acted as if they had never encountered a child acting out during a major life transition before. Instead of partnering with us, the administration played the victim, framing our child as a burden until we felt forced to leave. The teaching staff lacks the experience and engagement needed for early childhood education. During my time observing, storytime was so flat and monotone that even I was bored. If educators don't know how to meet children at their level or honor their individuality, it's no surprise young kids lose focus. After consulting with multiple outside educators, it became abundantly clear that JAA operates on unfair assumptions and flawed developmental goals. To make matters worse, throughout orientation, interviews, and even during our withdrawal process, JAA repeatedly pushed us to rate them, asking if we "loved" the school and how we heard about them. It is transparently clear they are more focused on harvesting positive quotes for their website and social media than actually supporting the students in their care. If you won't even let a child stay and thrive, asking for a glowing review is insulting. Parents, please do your research. If your child tells you their teacher yelled or wasn't kind, believe them and run. We strongly discourage families of color (or anyone) from enrolling here.

12/13/2025: Nutcracker's Principle and Co-Principle Performers were stunning, i.e.,…read moreJuilliard-worthy performances! Meanwhile, as I was enjoying the Nutcracker's Juilliard, stellar performances, the OZ disasterous meal was outrageously traumatizing my gut with Montezuma's Revenge which severely dampened my enjoyment! Aside, the photos I took are proof of Juilliard worthy performances! Bravo and Kudos!!!!!

Institutionalized arrogance. The only reason this school…read morelooks good on paper is because local parents are well resourced. Parents hire private tutors, college admissions counselors, coaches, trainers, and a myriad of specialized test prep support to maximize student outcomes. Students are competent and intelligent but it has nothing to do with campus or district administration.

AP Physics teacher Lisa Moore is the worst teacher, She teaches almost nothing, and her grading is…read moreextremely unfair. So many good students perform poorly in her class, She said to the students, If you guys do bad nothing good for me, If you do good nothing good for me either. School can't do anything about it. Feel bad for our kids.

Sister played a volleyball game there, students from this high school were making inappropriate…read morenoises after being told to stop numerous times, being disrespectful to the parents, when the head person was informed he laughed about it. when a parent was walking past a group of boys to go in the lobby the boys made inappropriate comments about her and when AD was told about it he didn't do anything, they where told to stop acting the way they were, and mouthed off to the ref, AD was told and went to "talk to the boys". but instead laughed with them and they continued to make inappropriate noises. these kids are unmannered and give a bad look to there school and it just shows with the way admin handled the situation.

I went to this school for all of middle school and it was great most of the time the teachers…read morehelped with my anxiety,anger issues , and a lot more the principal was one of the best people I have met and there is a high school right across the street so my older siblings could get to me fast if needed to the only problem was the kids at the school and every single time there was a problem it was fixed the same day. I loved this school and the would to those 3 years all over again if I could

pretty bad school ngl. People are pretty rude there and the teaching is ok but everything else is…read morepretty bad

I have 2 Daughters that go to this school. Their teachers have been great and they have learned a…read morelot! All the staff I have met have been friendly and helpful. Mrs Morris, Mrs Pruitt and Mrs Thompson are great.