Our daughter is off to kindergarten in a couple of weeks, and I am feeling so emotional saying…read moregoodbye to Renaissance! I tell everyone I know about this wonderful school. The teachers here take such pride in what they do, and such care and focus on each child. My daughter loves it so much that she asked if she could go back to school even on summer break. We are so grateful to Ms. Erin, all the teachers at Renaissance, and Cassidy's stewardship. Renaissance is such a gem of a school, and will be missed dearly!

As we come to the end of our time at this Montessori school after six wonderful years, I wanted to…read moreleave a review. Both of our kids went here, and now that our youngest is moving on to kindergarten elsewhere, it feels bittersweet as we're really going to miss this place. The school has been amazing at meeting each of our kids where they are. They found ways to challenge and support them as individuals, helping them grow socially, emotionally, and academically. They built strong relationships with their teachers and classmates, and saying goodbye hasn't been easy. Our eldest started kindergarten well ahead of where the typical curriculum begins and we're confident our youngest is also set up for similar success. We're incredibly thankful to Cassidy, Mr and Ms. Wallin, Ms. Erin, and the rest of the teachers during our time there for the years we've spent at this school and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other families.

We live in Central Austin and have sent both of our children to My Friend's House since they were…read morebabies. Our oldest is now 4 and in the "big kid" classroom and will be starting Kindergarten next year. They've responded exceptionally well to the COVID19 situation and have been handling it incredibly well. Organized, efficient, and with a sense of community. We cannot say enough great things about this daycare. It's a tight-knit group of kids, and you feel the warm, nurturing, and supportive environment the moment you walk in. Our daughter is very outgoing, happy-go-lucky and well-rounded thanks in large part to the staff and upbringing she has experienced at My Friend's House. The classroom sizes are small enough where the teachers get to know the kids well and do a great job keeping an eye on them. There are activities each month, age-appropriate curriculum to help support them and the hours are great. The school is part of the campus of the church, and it is a very welcoming environment for everyone of all faiths and beliefs. A warm, welcoming environment. They also offer extra-curricular activities that should start back up once things settle with COVID. If you have any questions about whether you'd like to send your children to My Friend's House, I would be happy to speak more about it. Feel free to reach out to me and I can share more.

My daughter (who is 20 months at the time of this review) has been at MFH since she was three…read moremonths old. The Good: - The teachers have a genuine love for the kids and really nurture them. I see it in every teacher who has watched over my daughter, and for me, that kind of genuine affection was the deciding factor when I did my (exhaustive) childcare search. - I find a non-profit childcare setting to be a more positive, personal experience as compared with the for-profit centers I toured. - The majority of the teachers have been at the center for years -- many have put their own children through MFH. They're treated well by the administration and repay it with loyalty. The only comings and goings my daughter has experienced have been due to chronic illnesses or someone moving away to be closer to family. - The typical ratios are actually a bit lower than the state mandate, and the center is diligent about maintaining them. - There's a strong sense of community. There is a fall festival, class parties for major holidays, and the kids get little events like a pony rides and fire truck visits there at the church which they really enjoy. There are school-wide work days where parents and teachers alike pitch in to spruce up the center, and it feels good to be a part of that kind of cooperation. The Not So Good: - The administration is terrible at communication. If you want to know something, you have to bug them repeatedly and proactively seek information. Twice now my daughter has been bumped up to the next age group classroom and I was lucky to get a week's notice that it was happening. Not cool. Likewise, I have had several times that I've had to get personal contact information for my child's caretakers because the administration wasn't bothering to tell them what was going on when I called in sick. - The menu could be greatly improved from a nutrition perspective. Granted, I'm a bit of a nut on that point, and technically their food program meets federal nutritional guidelines. But the canned veggies and fruits and the pervasive eggos/french toast sticks/hot dogs/quesadillas bug me. I feel that the "give 'em what they'll eat" approach has really hampered my efforts at home to expose the munchkin to a wider variety of foods. They also basically require the kids to be on the meal plan, and there's not a storage option for bringing your own food. I had to get a DOCTOR'S NOTE just to request that my daughter not be served juice. It's quite silly. Overall, I'd recommend MFH. I've been happy with my experience there despite the occasional frustrations!

A month ago Percy W. Wrote exactly what I'm going to touch base on. I've been on this waitlist for…read morea year and 3 months. They told me I was 3rd after following up 3 months after. I put a deposit and everything. I still get $0 balance invoices. I'm pretty sure they are scamming people. Taking payments that are non refundable and never returning calls. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DEPOSIT UNLESS YOUR KID IS FOR SURE IN.

We toured the facility in July and were told the wait was up to 3 months, that current teachers had…read moretheir kids there and that they had priority on the waitlist (understandable). However, they would all be moving up soon and therefore there would be openings in all the classes. We submitted a non-refundable waitlist fee of $150 (for 2 kids) on July 9th because we would be moving to Kyle in Jan. Since they never followed up I emailed them on December 8th and was told my younger child was 3rd on the list. I followed up again on Jan 12th and was told that he was now at the top of the list. I called twice in February and once again 2 weeks ago. We had to put the kids in other daycares. I called today and was told that the waitlist is longer than what I was quoted and there were people that have been on the list for 2 years. Overall not a good experience, the building is dated, and the yard is dry and bleak. The (residential) front doors can hardly be considered secure. When you enter the first thing you see is a glass wall with sun beat baby toys. If you want a daycare that will follow up and update you on the waitlist, or even return phone calls, just know it is not their policy to do so unless you are at the point of enrollment.

Our family loves St. Francis School (SFS, a pre-K through 8th-grade private nonprofit…read moreinterdenominational school operating for 30+ years near the ACC Highland campus in north-central Austin). After a mixed but ultimately disappointing experience in 1st - 3rd grades at a crowded, overpriced, chaotic start-up foreign language immersion school, our family needed a fresh start. Our once confident and joyful learner of a child had been reduced to an overstressed student who loathed school and struggled through hours of tedious homework each night. St. Francis provided the small, truly diverse and welcoming community environment we wanted for our child, with a balance of challenging academics, ethics reinforcement, and attention to the nurturing & development of the whole child by experienced educators who really know how to differentiate instruction to many types of learners. This approach has totally turned around our child's experience of school and his learning & achievement have skyrocketed over the past 2 years. His school grades are now more in line with his always high standardized testing results, and homework no longer comes to tears! Another parent reviewer said it well when she described the diverse and "unpretentious atmosphere" at SFS. Every imaginable demographic is represented in both the student body and faculty. People are kind and friendly and welcoming, and individual differences are celebrated. Every time I'm on campus, I just feel inspired and hopeful. Because SFS keeps class size (max of 15) and total enrollment (around 400) in check and teachers love the place so much they stay for decades, the small, cohesive "neighborhood school" feel is maintained. Huge props go to the incomparable founding head of school, Barbara Porter, who has since 1985 guided SFS on its core mission of "excellence without exclusivity." SFS backs that sentiment up by supporting 25% of the student body with scholarships and charging one of the lowest private school tuition rates in the Austin area, while consistently graduating their students into the most competitive public school magnet programs and private high schools. Another wonderfully unique feature among area private schools is the SFS Learning Center, where students with special needs can receive tutoring and additional services to support their success in school. Kids with learning differences are fully integrated into SFS classrooms and are able to thrive as part of a truly diverse school community. At the same time, a large proportion of the student body would be described as "gifted & talented," demonstrating highest performance in academics, the arts, and sports. Each Friday morning, an optional hour of "chapel" is held in which the entire student body and faculty, as well as any parents & family members who wish to attend, gather together in the gym to share an uplifting community-building and/or character-building assembly or pep rally to celebrate that month's achievements. It's not actually religious (although some religious content is shared from time-to-time; the school is named for St. Francis of Assisi, after all). The 8th-grade year culminates in a transformative Spring Break trip to Italy to visit the hometown of St. Francis (among other sites), and the kids raise all of the money for the trip themselves over the course of their years at SFS. I could say much more about all the reasons we love SFS, but if you are considering private school or are just looking for a better school for your unique learner, I encourage you to take a tour and see for yourself. Curriculum and other details are available on the school website at http://www.stfrancis-school.org.

Well run institution with a great culture…read more Pro: - Long Term: with over 35 years in operation, they've had time to build a strong program that will last through economic downturns. - Culture: teachers, students and parents are fully bought-in to the schools values (see school site for details). - Student attention: lower than average student/teacher ratios plus a dedicated, free-standing tutoring building adjacent to the school. Con: - Playground: nice but not inline with the quality of the rest of the institution. - Admissions: it's a centrally located, high quality private school in a growing city, meaning demand is high Personal lessons from our school search: After spending 12 months searching for the 'best school', we realized the importance of finding the 'best school for our child'. Initially, I was too tied up in rankings to spend the time to understand what was important for our family and how that lined up with each program. In the end, we loved the goals at St. Francis of (1) excellence without exclusivity, (2) a meaningful commitment to diversity and (3) attention to the needs of every student. Covid-19 update: School is really stepping up to deliver for students in a difficult time. The teachers are really going above-and-beyond.

The rooms at this facility are really small and the food they serve is not something I want my kids…read moreeating everyday. It also lacks in structure and curriculum. My son also came home with dried snot on his face everyday that they obviously had not tended to all day. The teachers were nice, but this isn't somewhere I wanted my child to be long term.

Our granddaughters attend St Theresa school and have excelled academically and in personal growth…read moreand maturity. The staff and teaching environment is professional experienced and supportive of the students and their families.

The best experience we have EVER had in school for my son! He loves middle school at STCS!read more

WOW! I can't believe how incredible this school is.......where do I begin? First of all, let me say…read morethat I just moved from Texas to Cali and the public school system cannot be compared to Eanes and especially not to BCE. The only way you'll know that BCE is by far the best elementary school around is if your child has attended another public school and then you experience BCE. Teachers are very seasoned and know what they are doing. They are quick to speak with parents and their kids anytime you have questions. Their curriculum goes above average and they expect nothing less from your child. The staff is excellent, they have a full time nurse who is new this year and the principal is a fantastic interim gentlemen with years of experience in the Eanes school district. The school is very nice and they have a new playground that was built this summer that I haven't seen.....bummer. I didn't know how good we had it until we left.....my kids sure notice the difference now. It was great while it lasted. Enjoy the experience, parents. It's an awesome time. Don't forget to enjoy the incredible, fabulous Carnival put on by the fabulous booster club.....it includes live bands, carnival rides galore, games and a silent auction that will blow your mind. Oh, and don't even get me started on the cake walk.........wow.

I love this school, the staff, the parents. Everything about it…read more For some parents the hours may not be convenient, the only run from 9 - 2 pm at the latest, and they don't take infants. But if you want to have a grab environment for your kids, this place this place is the best. They have a new site too, crestviewpreschool.org. This is not to be confused with the former school on Parmer, there is no connection. This school is attached to the Crestview United Methodist Church

Our two year old joined this fall and he absolutely loves Crestview UMC's preschool!…read more All the teachers and staff know his name, everyone is so happy and calm there. Even I feel happy and calm after dropping him off there in the morning. They really have a good thing going here. We could not be happier.