honestly the school was mid i went there for a few years, however some of the staff were amazing and honestly miss some of them, shoutout ms murphy for being the greatest staff but eh the schoolwork is easy and the kids there are chill usually but ey man , shoutout to mr bryd too if he still works there idk if i spelt his name right but yeah staff are usually chill asf lwk would go back if i could lol so many fun memories from this school and made a lot of friends got me feeling like a grown ah man writing ts lmao now i'm all grown up and i look back at LHS and kinda miss it lol read more

Just an update...so I finally got my son in another school. And in the process of interviewing schools the staff asked what school was my son coming from...I told them light house. Long story short there's plenty people taking their kids out of light house school for similar reasons...all the schools I ment with said alot of kids transferred from light house and in terms that were sugarcoated they ran a very strict program and were far from normal. It is absolutely ridiculous when other schools talking bad on your place if business along with parents and the students...I couldnt believe it....lol other schools confirmed the crazy things they heard from Lighthouse...and to top it off...light house some how removed the bad reviews off their Google website...before there were terrible reviews from former students and parents and it broke my heart reading them...I couldnt finish reading them...I dont understand how adults could act like that towards kids...and to get the reviews removed is proof of guilt....when I got my son removed it felt like I won a million dollars this place was a headache and their actions will come to light and they will all get what they deserve...you dont play with people's children...Just fu**** sick! read more

I'm going to detail my time here. Everything I say is 100% the truth; I implore you to believe me. Even if it sounds fake. Please. Lighthouse is the worst school I've ever been at, having gone there from 2007-2011, in my high school years. It gave me nightmares for seven years - leaving because it was overtaken only by a new, more threatening nightmare - and learned helplessness for thirteen. Before going here, I was a fine enough student. Very clearly disabled and needing accommodations, but otherwise there was nothing wrong. This school is vile. You're treated like a child, you're not taught anything, you're handled physically for things like refusing to do classwork, or even just saying inoffensive things the staff think is offensive, and it makes you feel worthless. Bullying is allowed, despite the zero tolerance policy. Let me explain, one at a time, in order. Being treated like a child: I don't mean in the sense that yeah, you're a high schooler or whatever, of course you're still a kid. No, I mean you get treated like you're five. If you say something offensive - or just that the teachers think is offensive, a friend of mine got in trouble for talking about noodles. Y'know, pasta, we were talking about mac and cheese - you get a strike, referred to as a cue. Three strikes and you get sent to time out, which will be elaborated on later. This can include things like: lying, saying minor swears (crap, hell, etc.), displaying any knowledge of sex, refusing to accept an obviously fake apology, or just anything the aides think falls into one of those categories. Like noodles, a euphemism from when we were five. We were 18 during this conversation, even, meaning we were legally adults. Oh, and this is going to sound a bit out of place, but I remembered from another review: you're assigned a "therapist" by the school, and absolutely nothing you say is confidential. Don't like a staff member? Something wrong with your home life? Well, now they know. As for not being taught anything, this is technically only half right. If you only went to Lighthouse, as it's an escalator school (elementary through high), I'm sure you'd learn things. As someone who went to a public school, though? I was doing middle school work, again. I don't know if it was the fault of the No Child Left Behind act leaving me behind or just how things are done there, but it was the *exact* same work. Same books and everything. Do you know what it feels like to have your friends talk about homework, and you just have to sit out because you don't know anything they're doing? I have, and it's incredibly alienating and makes you feel dumb. When I confronted them on it in 12th grade because I finally had enough, they gave me excuses until I got an actual adult into it, and they told me that they would teach me if I completed all of the schoolwork they gave out that year. I figured, alright, I could do that. I did it before; how hard could it be? So I did what I was given, asked for next week's, and...was told to wait for next week. So I stopped doing it entirely. I have since taught myself some things, but...well, it's *still* alienating not knowing comparatively simple things. So, what happens when you refuse to do classwork? They call people to take you to time out - physically, if you refuse to go, because you didn't do anything wrong. Rather than de-escalate situations, they're designed to escalate them. If you don't submit, they try to get a rise out of you so they can get handsy. They don't do it in ways that leave bruises, since otherwise parents would ask what's going on, but they don't have any problems violating your boundaries and treating you like scum of the earth. I still feel a visceral disgust at the number 718, because it's their code for calling them. Students constantly act out, and I cannot blame them one bit. Wouldn't you, if you felt like a prisoner? But, where do they bring you? A place that's deliberately 20 degrees colder than the rest of the school - you're forced to take a sweatshirt off if you know you're going and keep it on, by the way - and have to sit at a desk and write about what you did wrong and apologize for it. If it was to a student, not to them. I was very acquainted with this place by the end of the year, because I refused to play their game anymore. And lastly, as the "things the staff think are offensive" thing was covered, making you feel like you were worthless. I mean...do I even need to say it? I wasn't allowed to be a high schooler, I wasn't even *taught* like a high schooler, and was treated like I was worse than garbage for refusing to submit. This led to an incredibly tumultuous stint at working multiple jobs, all of which ended in failure. I no longer trust therapists because I'm always terrified of them leaking information to anyone I have issues with. Only send your child here if you want them to fail. Please, I am begging you, send them elsewhere. They deserve better than this. read more

I was getting sexually harassed at that school by very many boys because I was a girl, this place SUCKS buttcheeks and I'm being for real. I know I'm using slang and stuff but genuinely I hated this place. I had a few staff I enjoyed the company of, most were just literal demons. I miss those kids so bad though, they were so chill and they made hell pretty fire to me. Also, two good things about this place were that you could go for walks pretty damn often and just for not flipping chairs and screaming slurs you would get tokens, like literally every second. Those said tokens you could use to buy whatever crap they had in the shop, called AMP. The tokens were disgusting though. Never touch them bro they are cleaned once every NEVER. This is Isabel Santosuosso and I hereby approve this message. read more

I worked at this school. The school culture is toxic and particularly harmful to students who are not treated with respect and are expected to behave at a level that is often impossible for them to reach, given many of their diagnoses. When students do not comply with staff expectations, they are isolated, yelled at, put into physical holds, and reprimanded in countless other ways that put the children's mental health at risk. Many of the "therapists" at this school are not licensed, and many of the teachers are overwhelmed/overburdened and simply "oversee" non-licensed "teacher's aids" who are ill-equipped to support a classroom full of students with widely varying challenges. I witnessed the head of the school making fun of students during staff meetings. I observed administrators and staff engaging in harmful dialogue with students because they were not adequately trained. Many of the staff members have no other professional experience but their career at Lighthouse School to draw on, which contributes to the uninformed culture of this school. Students will leave this experience with trauma and minimal education- staff is too occupied with "putting out fires" to actually be able to educate. This place should be shut down and built again with the inclusion of mental health research, trauma informed care, and education that maintains student autonomy. Please do not send your children here. And if you are seeking employment, I suggest you look elsewhere. It's not worth it. read more

It was disgusting the floors were unclean along with that kids sleeping on the ground being locked in room and aggressively restrained I would refrain from sending your kids here unless it's a LAST RESORT read more

It helped me out of a very rough patch in my life at the time and I owe my progress to this place and I would love to thank mr. Ryan Parzych for being the best teacher in my life read more

I went to this school for 2 years after getting kicked out of public school. Most staff was horrible to me and everyday I would get home and start crying and wishing I was never born. This school really fucked me up and I'm glad I'm out of there. Think a lot before putting your kid there. Im surprised I got my high school deploma. The only time I actually got work done was when I was in 718 which is the room they put kids if they are bad but I actually liked going down there and Chillin with my favorite staff bc that's where they all were. I hope this review is helpful to parent or anyone thinking about putting there kid at lighthouse school. read more

I was abused at this school back in the 1990s. Like all the other reviews I found that emotional issues were treated with physical punishment. Large men carried me into padded rooms and held me down whenever I had emotional reactions to negative events. I still have the psychological scars. read more

Lighthouse School, inc. Is The Best Special Education School I Have Every Attended In My Year 1999-2006 read more

Lighthouse School - A Corporation for Kids - Education Near Me - North Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Hello, I am former Lighthouse School student, Joey Giroux. I have attended this school for 9 years (2006-2015). I am writing this review in hopes that this message gets seen for my experience while attending Lighthouse School for the 9 years I was there! I give a 1 star rating for a number of reasons. One reasons I give this a 1 star rating is because of how staff at that and how they treat their students makes me sick to my stomach. When I attended Lighthouse school, I have seen so many innocent little kids get treated absolutely horribly! Myself included. Little kids not only attending Lighthouse School, but in general do not know any better and staff their are supposed to be a positive remodel to them, not traumatize them as if they are the parent! I will never forget an experience I have had as a little kid and when a staff member at the school (I am keeping names anonymous) who has the loudest voice, and when she yells she can yell loud enough that it would intimidate me and she used that loud voice to yell in my face and as a 6 or 7 year old, I got very emotional and very traumatized. I'm also a type 1 Diabetic and as a type 1 diabetic who attended Lighthouse School, I was forced against my will to eat what I didn't like to bring my blood sugar up. This was a huge problem for me because the staff didn't know how to take care of me until I got older, and I was there for a longer period of time. They didn't listen to how I felt or how they could have done a better job of taking care of me as the the only diabetic who attended lighthouse as long as I did. During my time at lighthouse, I have also noticed students who can't normally communicate, signal when they have to use the restroom, need help with something, or try to communicate with staff with how they are feeling, conclude with staff handling the situation their way or end up getting the worst treatment or get their space invaded when they need their own space! My 9 year experience at this school will be why I do not trust private schools in general and why I will be very protective of my future kids! Please do not trust this school!! read more

Take it from a girl that used to go there that was my school and Boston Massachusetts they used to hurt me a lot on this big blue rooms twisted my arms backwards until they hurt really bad and if you start screaming and yelling then they put you down on the ground that was back when I was around 14 I am 36 years old by now but I will never forget that horrible experience do not put your children in that school I repeat do not put your children in that school they instead of helping you they make you worse read more

I went to lighthouse school for help with my 18 mental illnesses and 2 behavioral illnesses i have been there for over 5 years and they did not make any progress with my 18 mental illnesses let alone cure all of my 18 mental illnesses though they did make progress with with my 2 behavioral illnesses they did not cure my 2 behavioral illnesses and i do not forget to mention the staff are rude and i am transferring to devereux which is a residential school. i will never step foot in lighthouse school again. read more

Staff hurt my 8 year old in a restraint. They lied about it when I called. My child is almost 9 and still can not read but they will not address it. The field that they make the children play on is full of geese poop. The only time I hear from the home worker is when there is a meeting at the school coming up. She is suppose to have monthly visits. She will plan them but "forget" to show up. Gee I thought this was her job! The home school that sends her there will not change her because of all the BS Lighthouse tells them. So frustrating!! read more

This was some time ago but my daughter attended for pre-school. She had a bad day ONE day and had an accident in her pants. I'm sure that must of happened on more than one occasion. It is pre-school!! The way the teachers treated myself and my daughter was humiliating. Needless to say, that was her last year there. read more