We have had children at Hillcrest Country Day School across multiple age groups, from infancy…read morethrough the preschool years, and it has been a truly special place for our family. Tucked up in the hills above Whittier, it is removed from the noise and pace of the city below. There are trees, open sky, and a sense of calm that is hard to find elsewhere. In the mornings, you hear birdsong instead of traffic. That atmosphere carries into the classrooms. The exterior can feel a bit understated or even slightly worn. But that first impression doesn't reflect what's happening inside. The infant room, in particular, is remarkably peaceful. It has a quiet, steady rhythm that feels very intentional and reassuring for both children and parents. As children grow, the toddler and preschool rooms are warm and thoughtfully decorated, with clear care put into making them feel inviting and engaging. There is a strong emphasis on creative play and hands-on activities. Crafts, imaginative play, and exploration seem to be in the daily routine in a way that feels natural rather than forced. Another standout is the teacher-to-child ratio and the continuity of teachers. It allows for a level of attention and familiarity that is hard to find, and it shows in how well the staff know and interact with each child over the years. We moved from Pasadena and were genuinely surprised by the affordability, especially given the quality of care and environment. It is a rare combination of a nurturing setting, strong programming, and reasonable tuition. If you are looking for a smaller, more serene, and genuinely caring environment for your child, Hillcrest is well worth a visit.

Our daughter has been attending this daycare / after school program for over 5 yrs. Our daughter…read morehas special needs and the staff has always been caring, patient, and helpful. Mrs. Linda has been flexible with our schedule through out the years. Our daughter often comes home with Christian hand made crafts, which she enjoys very much. She's made good friends with the other kiddos that also attend. We are very thankful for this facility and faculty.

My grandson attended this wonderful school, for 3 years started at age 2. Excellent on every level,…read morethe kids thrive here. My friend's daughter also attended and feels the same.

Our oldest son attended this school for preschool and now our youngest. They are such a kind and…read moreloving staff. They are very organized and professional. They truly care about our kiddos and prepare them for elementary years. The classes are small and have two fully staffed teachers in each class. It is clean and safe and prices are 100% reasonable. It is obvious they are not in this for "profit" but rather to give our kids a safe and friendly environment to learn and grow in. Thank you for taking such great care of our children.

A great school to send your kids. Love the staff and the faculty!…read more Highly recommended.

Eastside Christian School has been such a blessing for our family. The whole environment is truly…read moreChrist-centered, you feel it as soon as you walk in. The junior high, high school teacher is such a great Christian role model for the students, both in and out of the classroom. The biblical teaching here is so much stronger than what students get at your church youth groups especially if you attend a small church with less resources. Not sure what will happen in the future when the school gets bigger but the principal has 1:1 meetings with every student to help them choose their courses and college/career paths. It's currently the most affordable Christian private school in OC. If you want a great Christian education that is actually affordable, definitely look into Eastside.

I was really interested in LLEA based off the previous reviews and their website. However when I…read morereached out multiple times I was given unprofessional and snarky responses. I would not send my child here if that's how they speak to prospective families.

I absolutely love Love LOVE this school! From the minute I started the preschool search for my…read morechildren, this school was my number one. Unfortunately, there wasn't space for both of my children at the same time. My children have been to two schools prior to this one: Cornerstone Preschool, which was amazing until they were horrendously not (long story); and Gateway Montessori, which was also really good in terms of what I look for in a center. However, I never stopped following up with LLEA because I knew it was my dream school for my children. Eventually they informed me that there was space, and I transferred my children so quickly and have never looked back. My children have been attending since November 2024. They are AMAZING!! The teachers. The management staff. The owner. The facility. The curriculum. The academics. The fun!!! I can go on and on. I absolutely love this school and would recommend it to any parent or individual that is looking for work in a preschool. I had some challenges with my daughter's behavior, and rather than kicking my daughter out like Cornerstone Preschool did, they worked with us! Tried developmentally appropriate skills that I recommended, that they recommended, and that the owner (who is knowledgeable in child development) recommended. When all else failed, they held an SST with us and referred us to a third party that could provide in-house assistance (like a one-on-one with my daughter). They even allowed me in the facility to observe my daughter through the one-way mirror, and I was able to implement some changes with her based on what I observed. My daughter is doing SO well now. She's in their TK program this year and has made such great strides in her behavior. Even the teachers and owner are so impressed with her. This school genuinely cares about their students, and I can see such a difference between when a school genuinely cares about the successes and well-being of all students rather than just the well -behaved ones. I LOVE this school. They're an absolute God-send.

I used to be a student here at Olita. At first, I was actually amazed on how good of a school it…read morewas. Or at least I thought it was good. First of all, I ended up getting an illness because of the moldy walls and roofs. There were literally holes in the roofs the school refused to take care of! I had to get my tonsils removed because of this. Then, the kids. These kids are far from friendly. I saw a kid literally get forced to eat some bird crap. The kid grabbed the other but the neck and yelled out "eat it!" Then there's that unfriendly lunch lady. She's older so I get it, but you don't always have to yell at the kids for "making too much noise" opening a bag of chips...That actually happened I'm not joking. Then Mrs. Haworth, the K-1 teacher. She treated us badly when we were all in kindergarten. And then the reason I left the school...These two grown ahh parents decided they had nothing better to do, so they spend time terroizing the school and the kids who lived in the neighborhood. I will only say that the mom's name starts with an M and the same for the dad. They try to get you on their side, and then they convince you to do horrible stuff. They egged our car one night because we wouldn't get on their side. Stay clear of Olita. Update: Mrs V did nothing to take care of this...

I love this school and school district. I have been so impressed with how well the principal Mrs V…read more manages all concerns that pop up. I have loved the kindergarten and 1st grade teacher my kiddo had. They are so caring and love what they do! I have also been so impressed with how considerately the superintendent of the district Jim Coombs keeps all the parents in the loop on any security concerns regarding our children. I couldn't have asked for a better district and school for my kiddos to attend!

I have nothing but great things to say about Escalona.! Even though my children have only been at…read moreescalona for two school years going on the third, our experience at Escalona has been great, everyone at the school is extremely friendly, kind and knowledgeable of what they are doing, they go above and beyond for the children. Moreover, the school has a new Principal. She is full of amazing ideas that will only make the school an even better place for our children. Also the PTA is amazing, they plan so many great events for the students. Overall, my children are very happy at Escalona and that makes me an extremely happy parent.

I would not recommend this school, starting with the office staff they are rude and they look like…read morethey hate their job. The principal does the bare minimum she says one thing to you in person and when you email her she says the complete opposite. If your child has an IEP or any learning disabilities, they will completely waste your time because they don't have the resources or funding for any programs according to the principal . This school does nothing about bullying DR.O the principal blames it on low staff and low funding. The teachers look like they're forced to be there. In many occasions my daughter would tell me she would ask for help and they would tell her to figure it out on her own. My daughter's 2nd grade teacher had a substitute like 3 times a week. My daughter went to escalona from kinder to 2nd grade and they said they could no longer help us so she had to get transferred when we asked what school she would be transferring to they didn't know but where pressuring us to sign the transfer they kept telling us they didn't know what school she would be sent to because the program wasn't created yet so we ended up signing and less then 24 hours they had told us what school she would be going to and what we think happened was they diddnt want us to do any research on the school until after we signed her transfer. Everything about this school is horrible they ask for money every week but never come through on their end with the prizes for the kids and the school events look like they had a day to plan them. But their staff had catering every week. Definitely disappointed and not surprised of the negative reviews.

My child came here for two years, and at the beginning everything was great. The staff and the…read moreteachers were amazing, there was great communication and I loved all the things my child was learning, on top of the activities. However, last year (2024-2025 school year) things changed. I first noticed there were some teachers that left from the previous school year, and some other "minor" changes. Most importantly, the teachers my child had were amazing for Kindergarten! There were truly awesome from the beginning to end. Unfortunately, the administrative staff did not provide the students with a Kindergarten picture and a class picture like the year prior. I personally feel those are important memories for the families and the children. Then as the school year went on, I noticed there were less activities than the prior year. Once the school year ended, MORE great and awesome teachers left the school!!!! I have prior experience working in education and from what I know and have seen, when there is so much teacher turnover year after year, it is because more than likely the administrative staff is not taking care of the teachers. This school has had a tremendous reputation for many many years, however it seems like things are on the decline and yet tuition is going up.

We visited a bunch of daycare centers in the area and steppingstones really stood out to us…read morespecifically in how patient and thorough the staff was when we first toured, Mr. Paul was very helpful and we didn't feel rushed at all. Now having our son attend for some time, I can confirm that our hunch was correct and I'm so happy that we chose to send him to steppingstones. All the staff, teachers, and the front office have been great. You really can tell a lot when more than just your teacher knows your child's name. I feel like they do a great job keeping the facility secure. My son often eats double triple portions of the food as well. The teachers have been amazing and very patient. I know it's not easy dealing with so many young kids but My son always says he has so much fun and the teachers are really good at sending updated pictures throughout the day without ever missing so I really feel like I know what my student is doing. He's made some great friends. They also do really great events for example today was snow day and my son was so so excited. You could see all the excitement on all the kids faces . They also do a fall fair, seasonal performances, as well as farmers markets so that kids can learn how to shop , overall just a lot of thoughtfulness. Thank you Mr Paul, Ms Young, Ms Helen, Ms Katie, Ms Janette, Ms Michelle and all the other staff, we love stepping stones!

Best school nice teachers. Lunch lady's are nice Ms. Romero is a kind teacher taught my daughter…read morewell. They keep the kids safe and have many field trips lots of fundraisers that are fun for kids

Coming from an LAUSD school, Mulberry Elementary is what I wish my school would have been like, or…read moremy sons 1st elementary. From day 1 i noticed the difference in communication and attention to the kiddos. The amount of school spirit the faculty and staff have is so heartwarming.