We are new from LV and the staff have been amazing at helping my 15 yr. old girl adjust.Carol Lowry…read moreat the front desk is like a ray of sunshine & makes every student feel special Her counselor helped her get into some classes that she loves, even though school was starting very soon.She is crazy about her teachers & her grades are much better here When my teen was sick, I called the attendance office & the woman was very kind. I was so nervous about changing schools, and we are so blessed that we chose Horizon.I just can't say enough good things about the staff there!!

Horrible experience. I was constantly treated with disrespect and looked down on, I transfered here…read morefrom Pinnacle High School expecting a better experience. That was a total letdown. It's one thing to be disrespected as a student, but to disrespect one's parent(s)? That is another level of rude, and is uncalled for. I was constantly called names, and bullied. The front office including counseling didn't give one cent about that and care more about "getting back to class." Stay away from this place.

Don't send your kid to this terrible school. Administration and leadership are absolute jokes, the…read moreteachers are incompetent and bitter, and the school is poorly run.

As someone who's visited a lot of these campuses lately, this is the WORST high school in the area…read moreby a mile. The students are cocky, conceited in rude, and the staff is not much better. There's many better schools in the area than Chaparral. I can tell from my experiences there that it is not a good school or ran well in any manner.

Joined a family member on a tour. School was very snotty and not welcoming. Entire campus has a…read more"cold" feel. The upside is the campus is modern and has a new look, downside is the staff and students both give off a Snobbsdale vibe. Didn't feel comfortable. Feels cold, lacks soul.

I enrolled in Rancho Solano for my junior year, and let's just say; it wasn't exactly a caring and…read morefriendly environment. I went to Rancho thinking I would get one of the best educations ever, many reviews (i'm assuming are either payed reviews or the extremely rich parents who's kids lied to them about enjoying it) seemed amazing. However, when I arrived I found all the kids my age to be the most stuck up, snobby, rich kids I had ever met. So extremely out of touch, dimwitted, racist, and tone deaf. I was sitting in study hall when I overheard a group of people gossiping about a senior the previous year who cheated on some very hard/important finals and got caught. The parents allegedly paid the principal an additional 25k (which is the same amount as tuition) to stay quiet about it and let him pass. However, that could easily be untrue and just a rumor (wouldn't be surprised with the amount of liars enrolled). I was in Integrated 2 math class. The absolute worst math teacher EVER had. I was more of a quiet kid, I wanted to keep to myself and not talk to any of the out of touch students there. She would often call me out during break asking why I wasn't with my friends, knowing I had pretty much none (by choice). She was more focused on being a "tough"/"strict"/"intimidating" teacher than a good teacher. I learnt more about her unnecessary classroom rules than about what I needed to pass the class. On the midterm final, I spent 2 weeks studying everything we had learnt throughout the year. We weren't made aware until the week of that we weren't allowed calculators on the test, although we had practiced with calculators the whole year. The final felt like a whole new class, for a moment I thought I was at the wrong final exam when I saw what was on it. The housekeeping of this school is very poorly looked after. It's disgusting, specifically the bathrooms. I can only speak for the girls bathroom, there was always toilets that hadn't been bothered to be flushed. The janitors do not do a good job to clean it up, there would be the same unflushed mess in the same toilets for a week straight. More importantly maybe the adults should teach these kids how to flush a toilet as their maids have been doing it all their lives. I will be calling out another teacher who I thankfully did not have but I did witness doing some strange things to a sophomore girl. We were doing presentations in class and this teacher came in to watch a group of girls who obviously he gets along with and has for a class. I always think it's a little strange whenever teachers and students have oddly close or even flirty relationships with one another. I didn't think too much of it until out of nowhere one of the girls screams bursting out of laughter. This 35+ man was tickling a 15 year old girls waist. Absolutely disgusting and predatory behavior. I won't be saying names but all I know is that he teaches science classes. They always emphasized how strict their rules were about dress code. About how skirts should be 4 inches from the middle of the knee, most girls were walking around with their underwear visible and nobody batted an eye. This place does not deserve to be ranked #2 in Arizona's private schools. Disgusting, sloppy, shady, and overall a complete joke.

Parents of girls, please be aware…read more In our experience, our daughter reported behavior by a teacher that made her uncomfortable and that we believed was inappropriate. We brought these concerns to the school administration. We were deeply disappointed by how the situation was handled. Shawn Bell did not take action in a way we felt protected our daughter or addressed similar concerns raised by other students. To our knowledge, the teacher remained employed at the time we withdrew our children. Because of this experience and the school's response, our family chose not to continue enrollment.

Despite everything there is in this school such as: safety, learning, and neatness, there is one…read moreparticular problem in this school, and that's the 7th grade spanish teacher. Reason one, all she does to "teach" is give formatives and notes to put in your black notebook and corrections in your colored notebook. This may sound ok, but once you submit a formative you can see the answer and what you got wrong. I am saying this because the kids are forced to write the corrections of what they got wrong, and it's boring, depressing, and they are just not learning anything. Second reason, whenever you can't figure something out it's common sense that you ask the teacher for help. Well if you ask for help for this specific teacher she will only say, "figure it out," or "ask people around you," even though she is the teacher and is the one who should be helping and trying at her job. Third reason, at the beginning of the semester you are given at least one and half weeks to get a very special and specific BLACK COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK. This is very annoying, and unfair because many kids can't either find, afford, or is just busy with their life. She won't allow any other type of notebook. Fourth reason, she also shames kids if they got a answer wrong or forgot something especially simple like their notebook. This is very wrong because what if they got something going on at home. Kids brains are still developing, this teacher thinks she can do whatever she wants to DSMS kids. That was my voice, I hope any body responds with a respectful answer.

I have had three kids go through NDP. All of them had a great high school experience. My daughter,…read morewho now attends a university in lower Manhattan, called me one afternoon well into her first semester, and I asked her, "Now that you have been there a bit how is it going for real? Are the classes difficult? What about the assignments?"  She said, "No, dad, it is pretty easy. I know what they mean now when Notre Dame says they are college prep."  As a parent, I can't imagine a better review, having come directly from the source.

Our family had a horrible experience at this school, and I fear retaliation for even sharing a…read morenegative review but as a parent I suggest that anyone is very careful in learning all the facts before enrolling your students here.

If I could give this school negative stars I would. The way…read moremy daughter and family was treated by her teacher and the staff was nothing short of horrible. My daughter was constantly bullied by her teacher and when I approached the principal | was blown off. The pure lack of biblical understanding is apparent when you attend there. I had to spend the last year helping my daughter heal from the hurtful way she was treated. I expected more from a school that claims to be Christian but this is just another high priced private school that has nothing to do with helping your child to learn more about Christ. Very disappointed to say the least.

This has been a great community for my daughter - and her parents! We love her teachers, who pour…read moreinto her. She has wonderful friends from wonderful families. She has many opportunities to grow through challenging course work, field trips, mission trips, sports and theater.

Incompetent self serving administration choosing the easy way for them. Some not flexible or…read morewilling to accommodate documented special student situations. Was optimistic and hopeful, but big disappointment and mistake! Not a good supportive environment for all children!

I enrolled in Rancho Solano for my junior year, and let's just say; it wasn't exactly a caring and…read morefriendly environment. I went to Rancho thinking I would get one of the best educations ever, many reviews (i'm assuming are either payed reviews or the extremely rich parents who's kids lied to them about enjoying it) seemed amazing. However, when I arrived I found all the kids my age to be the most stuck up, snobby, rich kids I had ever met. So extremely out of touch, dimwitted, racist, and tone deaf. I was sitting in study hall when I overheard a group of people gossiping about a senior the previous year who cheated on some very hard/important finals and got caught. The parents allegedly paid the principal an additional 25k (which is the same amount as tuition) to stay quiet about it and let him pass. However, that could easily be untrue and just a rumor (wouldn't be surprised with the amount of liars enrolled). I was in Integrated 2 math class. The absolute worst math teacher EVER had. I was more of a quiet kid, I wanted to keep to myself and not talk to any of the out of touch students there. She would often call me out during break asking why I wasn't with my friends, knowing I had pretty much none (by choice). She was more focused on being a "tough"/"strict"/"intimidating" teacher than a good teacher. I learnt more about her unnecessary classroom rules than about what I needed to pass the class. On the midterm final, I spent 2 weeks studying everything we had learnt throughout the year. We weren't made aware until the week of that we weren't allowed calculators on the test, although we had practiced with calculators the whole year. The final felt like a whole new class, for a moment I thought I was at the wrong final exam when I saw what was on it. The housekeeping of this school is very poorly looked after. It's disgusting, specifically the bathrooms. I can only speak for the girls bathroom, there was always toilets that hadn't been bothered to be flushed. The janitors do not do a good job to clean it up, there would be the same unflushed mess in the same toilets for a week straight. More importantly maybe the adults should teach these kids how to flush a toilet as their maids have been doing it all their lives. I will be calling out another teacher who I thankfully did not have but I did witness doing some strange things to a sophomore girl. We were doing presentations in class and this teacher came in to watch a group of girls who obviously he gets along with and has for a class. I always think it's a little strange whenever teachers and students have oddly close or even flirty relationships with one another. I didn't think too much of it until out of nowhere one of the girls screams bursting out of laughter. This 35+ man was tickling a 15 year old girls waist. Absolutely disgusting and predatory behavior. I won't be saying names but all I know is that he teaches science classes. They always emphasized how strict their rules were about dress code. About how skirts should be 4 inches from the middle of the knee, most girls were walking around with their underwear visible and nobody batted an eye. This place does not deserve to be ranked #2 in Arizona's private schools. Disgusting, sloppy, shady, and overall a complete joke.

As a parent with multiple years of experience at St. John XXIII Catholic School, I want to offer a…read morecandid and balanced perspective -- especially for families transitioning from other strong Catholic school communities like we did. We moved to the area after spending eight years deeply involved in a thriving Catholic school in Denver, where we served on multiple boards and led committees that helped shape a connected, high-performing, faith-driven community. That experience set a high standard for what a Catholic school can and should be -- and unfortunately, St. John XXIII has consistently fallen short of that benchmark. There are certainly positives here, particularly in the middle school program. The Social Studies, Language Arts, and Math teachers stand out for their dedication, creativity, and ability to make learning both challenging and enjoyable. Their commitment made a meaningful impact, and we're truly grateful for that part of our experience. However, the overall environment -- especially in the elementary grades -- has been disappointing. Instruction leans heavily on workbooks and iPads, resulting in a rigid, uninspired approach to learning. There's little emphasis on creativity, exploration, or developing a true love for school. Parent-teacher communication is minimal, typically limited to a single brief conference per year, with little else to foster ongoing collaboration. Leadership presence is another major gap. The principal and administrative team are largely absent from daily school life, and genuine community-building efforts are lacking. For families coming from schools where leadership was engaged, approachable, and actively involved in student life, the contrast is stark. We've found little opportunity to build meaningful relationships or feel connected to the broader school mission. We were also let down by how the school addresses student well-being. Though St. John advertises participation in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, our experience suggests it's more performative than impactful. Conflict resolution has lacked consistency and fairness, and students who speak up often feel unsupported -- or worse, penalized. This was especially troubling in a school that promotes Catholic values. After coming from a school community where parents were seen as true partners, leadership was present, and students were celebrated for being curious, kind, and courageous, our time at St. John XXIII has been deeply disappointing. We are grateful for the few bright spots, but ultimately, the experience has not lived up to what we know is possible -- and what our children deserve. We're happy to be moving our kids out of St. John and into a school that better aligns with our values, expectations, and hopes for their educational journey. If you're seeking an authentic, engaged Catholic community with strong leadership, transparent communication, and a dynamic academic approach, we strongly recommend exploring other options in the area.

Regarding the previous review, I highly disagree with Yel P. Leticia Albright is an amazing…read moreadministrator. She is very cheerful, helpful, and kind. All of my interactions and experiences with Mrs. Albright have been positive. I have a graduate and two students currently attending. I am relieved that someone who speaks so negatively on a review like this will not be attending St. John xxiii.

Our family spent two years at this school with both of our children enrolled. During that time, we…read moregave our full support -- volunteering, donating, serving as class mom, and even participating on the board of the school's charitable organization. We genuinely believed we were part of a strong, supportive community. Unfortunately, our experience took an unexpected and very difficult turn -- one that left our children deeply impacted and us, as parents, scrambling. Before winter break, we were approached by Jennifer Sherer, who suggested we consider providing an aide for our son to help with both English and Spanish in the classroom. We were told this was not required -- simply a supportive option. When we agreed to explore it, we were surprised to learn the cost would be $750 per day, amounting to roughly $3,000 per month. While we expressed concern about the cost and necessity, we were told that was the rate, so we continued, trusting the school's guidance. As class mom, I was frequently present in the classroom and soon noticed troubling changes: our son had been moved to the back of the room, seated alone with the aide. He began withdrawing at home, becoming more isolated and quiet. He shared that he didn't feel safe, that the aide was unkind, and he was being treated differently -- even teased -- by classmates. We voiced these concerns to Principal Jason Smith and Jennifer Sherer, asking to revisit the arrangement. We explained that we believed the aide's constant presence was negatively impacting our child's emotional and social well-being. Our son was not failing academically and had no diagnosis requiring special intervention -- this support had been positioned as optional. After three months of trying to work through this, we formally requested to remove the aide and asked to meet or interview the individual we had been paying thousands of dollars for. We were told we were not allowed to meet them, as the aide was a school employee. (This raised major concerns for us about the financial structure and accountability of the arrangement.) We also asked for any documentation showing how the aide had been helpful. Instead of receiving answers, we were informed that the aide was now required for our son's continued enrollment -- and that he would not be permitted to return after winter break unless the aide remained in place (at our cost). We respectfully pushed back, stating that we could not continue paying for a support role we believed was doing more harm than good, and that the school should follow appropriate procedures and ADA compliance as required of private non-denominational institutions. We asked for an opportunity to finish out the final 10 weeks of the school year without the aide. Principal Jason Smith responded by immediately dismissing both of our children from the school. No warning. No transitional plan. Just an email notifying us that our kids were no longer allowed to return. This decision was made just days before school was set to resume -- leaving us completely blindsided, heartbroken, and scrambling to find alternative schooling with enrollment already closed in many places. Our younger child, who was not even involved in the aide situation, was removed as well. We are still in disbelief that a school -- and leadership -- we once trusted could take such a drastic action without regard for the emotional toll it would have on our children. We are sharing this not out of anger, but as a warning. If your child has unique learning needs, or if you expect transparency and partnership from school leadership, we urge you to ask difficult questions before enrolling. Names you should know: Principal Jason Smith and Jennifer Sherer. We have documentation of everything mentioned above and are open to speaking with any parents who want more details. Please think twice.

Good Start, Rocky Finish - 9 Years of Experience…read more I've been at this school for 9 years, so I've seen it from every angle--especially how things shift as you move from lower to middle school. Im writing this from my point of view since ive been at ISA for 9 whole years. The lower school is truly the heart of this place. The teachers are caring, the community is strong, and the environment is perfect for younger students. You feel supported, safe, and excited to learn. It's where I built my confidence and love for school. Unfortunately, things change in middle school--and not always for the better. Academically, it's fine, but the overall experience doesn't feel as structured or supportive. What stood out most was the lack of real consequences. Students would break rules or act out, and nothing would happen. It sometimes felt like the people trying to do the right thing got overlooked while others just... got away with it. That made the environment frustrating and unfair at times. Im not gonna name names... but the directors and the principal of the school COULD'VE and SHOULD'VE done better at their jobs as directors of the school and helped out when the students needed it most. Overall: Keep in mind, not everyones expirience is the same at ISA but this is just what i thought. I'm "thankful" for the strong foundation the lower school gave me, but I wish the middle school had followed through with the same care, consistency, and accountability. The teachers were good for middle school, not the directors or principal. If you're thinking about this school for younger grades--go for it. But for middle school, I don't recommend, but if you do, get ready for some challenges and a lot of rule-bending that doesn't get addressed.

i love my school!!! i moved here from another school, and it is so much better…read more i love all of the teachers. i also have never met a single mean person (teacher or student) at this school, which is a huge change from my old school, where i never met a single kind person. i love how the teachers are caring, nice. friendly, and really "get" my learning style. the principal, sarah, is literally the best principal i've ever had. principals from other schools would give the "ok" for me to be abused and mistreated to the point of getting ptsd, but sarah doesn't have a mean bone in her body. she is amazingly nice, cares about all her students and coworkers, and follows through on my requests. i know that her door is always open if i need anything. i'm glad that this school realizes that i am smart and capable, and that i am a funny, talented, and kind person. none of my old schools looked past the things on their paperwork that did not let the real "me" shine. i really enjoy this school. i am moving ahead of schedule to graduate. i am so thankful that i found this school. :)

Sarah Horton, Principal Brightmont Academy - Scottsdale Shea…read moreCampus You're the principal. You're the captain of the ship. You knew what was happening inside your school, and you had a responsibility to protect students -- especially vulnerable students with disabilities. My son had a documented medical need for unrestricted access to water due to medication side effects, and Brightmont had a doctor's note on file. Yet despite that, water and bathroom access were still being restricted and used in ways that were punitive and harmful. That is unacceptable. You cannot withhold medically necessary water or bathroom access from a child -- especially an autistic child who struggles with emotional regulation and communication under stress. This could have resulted in serious physical harm and emotional trauma. As principal of the Brightmont Academy Scottsdale Shea Campus, this responsibility ultimately falls on you. It was your duty to ensure your staff understood basic student safety, disability accommodations, and appropriate treatment of children. Ignoring concerns, avoiding communication, or refusing accountability does not make the issue disappear. I chose Brightmont because I believed in the one-on-one model and truly wanted it to succeed for my son. My son is incredibly intelligent, funny, capable, and full of potential. He deserved understanding, support, dignity, and compassion -- not isolation, lack of communication, or punitive treatment disguised as behavioral support. What is most heartbreaking is that these systems continue to fail children who do not fit neatly into a box. I have spent years advocating, teaching, supporting, and fighting for my son because I refuse to let him be misunderstood or discarded simply because he learns differently. I sincerely hope Brightmont Academy Scottsdale Shea Campus reflects on what happened here and takes meaningful steps to ensure no other child experiences this again.