This is an amazing, affordable school, much more child/learning centered than the warehousing that takes place in the large, bureaucratic, public school system. I'm so glad that granddaughter goes to this school. I attend many events and find the teachers are happy and the students are thriving. The school has excellent leadership and educational practices. If you are curious, look them up on Facebook to see all the wonderful educational activities they offer! I cannot recommend this school highly enough. read more

Other schools would tell me, basically, that my son is incredibly smart, but that it won't matter in his life because he's lazy. They would show me papers he'd torn up and pictures of his messy desk and then pull out 5 page long papers he'd written brilliantly and tell me, "He's clearly capable, but just doesn't care." Other schools would tell me how he's so kind to the other students, especially those getting bullied, and then he'd come home in tears because of how he saw others being treated - by teachers and students alike - and I could feel how isolated he felt. Now he runs a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with 4 other students on the weekends and their laughter fills our home. Now he's a peer mentor and helps resolve disputes, at a student level, when they arise. Now his teachers tell me how amazing and intuitive his questions are, how funny he can be, and how dedicated he is when he finds a topic that really interests him. My son comes home now and tells me about his day. My daughter wantsto go to school and pretends notto be sick sometimes, in the hopes I won't keep her home. I feel like Kino is all the best of what homeschooling is, but with teachers better than I could be at this point in my life. I don't feel as though I'm failing every morning when I drop them off at the front door. I feel, instead, that even when we can't do family dinners or I'm so busy with other obligations I barely see them for several days in a row - I feel like, it's okay because I'm doing something right. Arguably the biggest thing I can do right for them at this age. read more

Our family has been blessed to be associated with Kino School for the past nine years. Our son went there for two years, in 7th and 8th grades. Being at Kino for his Junior Hight years was just what he needed. That is such a hard age in life and I knew he was well taken care of at Kino. He became less stressed and more confident. Kino had a positive impact on how he was able to navigate his high school years at a large public school. Our daughter has been at Kino since kindergarten and is now in the seventh grade. The school could not be more perfect for her. She is given the freedom to use her creativity and to try many of the ideas she comes up with. She has had the ability to explore MANY activities and subjects and learn what excites her. She has learned to be very comfortable around all people in the world - all those who look and act different than her. She has learned to communicate with, lead, cooperate with, accept and care for others. Their student-led, hands-on approach includes an animal center, tool shop, science lab, music room, and multiple field trips. Kino truly is a school where life is learning. read more

Our child was bullied in middle school. In addition, every class had 30+ students, intensive, nightly homework, and weekly tests. Something had to change. Through a recommendation from an alum, we found Kino School. Our anxious, unhappy, hostile child became once again, the happy, enthusiastic child we once had. Kino helps its students develop a love of learning through all modalities and hands-on experiences. Another motivator is Kino's Animal Care Center. Students learn responsibility by feeding, caring for, and training the chickens, turkeys, sheep and donkeys. Scholarships and financial aid are available so attending this private school is well within the reach of any family. Set up a tour and then ask your child what they think of Kino. Susan V read more

My kid loved his small Montessori preschool, with a total of six students. He learned to read, do math and was performing at grade level. He also loved going to school. But when he transitioned to public school with a large, crowded classroom and a school with hundreds of students, he suddenly wasn't able to do school work or follow directions. Yet, at home he could easily accomplish any school work. We realized that the problem was the environment. He was not able to concentrate in such a busy, crowded environment. Luckily we found Kino school, and our child is now loving school, and progressing academically without issues. Kino has a very small teacher to student ratio, and there are less than ten children in his grade level. His teachers know him as an individual, and they are able to help him succeed academically and as a person. In addition to traditional academics, the students have kindness class to develop emotional skills, and they take care of the school's much loved farm animals. My son loves going to Kino school, and he is happy and healthy. read more

We are very happy that we moved our three children to Kino School. We appreciate the family-friendly drop-off time (8:00-8:30 am), no homework philosophy, animal center, small class size, and diverse student body. All of the teachers are highly invested in our children learning and contributing to the school community. Our children are happy to tell us about their school day, they are making friends and we can hear a greater depth and understanding when they talk. We considered five private schools and chose Kino because 90% of their graduates go on to complete college education AND contribute to their communities. We encourage any parent who is considering making a change, call Kino School and schedule a tour. You will happy that you did. read more

I'm a Kino high school graduate class of '94. Ahh that was a great year. Some of the best memories of music, movies and lost love. And the backdrop of it was this alternative K-12 school, which back then had the motto "Preparing kids for the year 2000." I went to Kino in '86 and again for my 4 years of high school. It doesn't have classrooms in the conventional sense, but rather much of your learning is based on self-paced. Things may have changed a little since 1994, but back then I was able to work with teachers and students to design my own classes and what I wanted to learn as long as they stayed within the accredited guidelines. That was cool. It let me feel in control and taught me a lot about managing myself. At Kino you have a homeroom with other students of all ages and you meet in the morning and afternoon to discuss what you will be doing and what you did. There are classes, an outdoor gardening area, animals to care for, play and recreational games, basketball, possibly mechanics, a wonderful photography lab. Kino also has a mock space shuttle made for the Challenger. You used to be able to stay in there and simulate flights. I made friends at Kino I still am best friends with today. It continues to touch and enrich me many years later in ways I didn't think possible at the time as a cocky 18 year old. I don't think I was as prepared for college as I would have liked coming out of Kino, but so many tools I picked up from there have shaped me. read more

This is an oasis for kids not built for traditional schools. I owe them 100% for helping get my son graduated. We had been in and out of many schools trying to find the right fit. Thank God for them because my son is now 23, bought his first home at 21 and is successfully running his own business. Kino saved my family and I am forever in debt! If your child is struggling in public school, you owe your child an opportunity to learn and grow here. You won't be disappointed! read more

I'm a Parent and Volunteer at Kino School...so yes, my review is a little biased. But what the heck - it's a great progressive education school so I must share my thoughts. I have a high school son attending Kino and he loves it as well. There's no lock stepping by age - you take subjects when you'r ready. And high school doesn't give grades in the traditional letter way, instead students submit course evaluation essays about each subject they took. Does this prevent them from doing well on the SAT or getting into college? Well my son took his PSAT in October as a sophomore and he did really well and no, he doesn't have years of experiences taking tests or being taught to take tests. Kino School helps to insure that your child actually really knows who they are and learns at their own pace, not at some predetermined imposed standard. And they learn...it's not about memorization here. They learn how to communicate with people of all ages and they go out in the world and learn with real hands on exposure. And even when it appears as if a student is just sitting there and not doing anything - yes, that student is learning as well. It may be "Hey, because I just sat here all day I didn't get my work done and now when we're discussing it I don't know anything," or it may be "Hey, I took some time off today 'cause I needed to work some things out in my head, now I'm clear headed and ready to go." Yes, it's touch to cut the strings from society expectations on what an educaiton is and go with an alternative educaiton like Kino School offers, but once you open your mind and give it a try, you'll see that the education here works too and perhaps even better than all those federal and state mandates. read more

My son did not start at Kino until the 9th grade and if I could go back and do it all again, I would enroll him from 1st grade. My son has learning disabilities and school has always been a struggle for him. We have moved him to multiple different schools, from the public sector to charter schools, trying to find a good fit for him and his educational needs. All fell short until we found Kino. The differences I see in my son are something I never thought possible. Not only is he learning far more than he did at any other school, he is HAPPY. Before Kino, he was a quiet kid with low self-esteem. When asked how school went, I was lucky if I got more than a "good" out of him. Now, he comes home with so many stories about his day and all of the cool things he learned. By providing a fluid and flexible environment that works best for him, he not only looks forward to going to school, and has actually asked to stay afterschool a few days a week. Change can be scary, but I am so thankful we took the leap. Kino has changed my son in so many amazing ways and I cannot recommend them enough. read more