Springhill has the most incredible teachers. The quality of attention and care to the unique needs of each individual student are amazing. has the most incredible teachers. The quality of attention and care to the unique needs of each individual student are amazing. Also, the design thinking method of running experiments is very entrepreneurial, setting our kids up at an early age for success in today's modern world! read more

I couldn't be happier with our experience at this school. I'm a teacher myself, and this school is a dream come true for my son. Small class sizes, fabulous staff, and individualized learning for each child. I highly recommend you check it out! read more

My son has attended Spring Hill for 3 years now and we could not be more pleased with this school. The teachers and staff are so invested in every single child, often greeting every child by name when they arrive. We stuck with them through isolation and distance learning and I'm so glad we did. My son continued to advance his academics during a time when most children were regressing. They have a real community feel and want everyone to be involved with their children's education. Issues have arisen between children (as they always do) and Marielle and the staff have been amazing. They sat down and put together a plan to help support my son. He's thriving. I could go on, but know that if you choose this school you will not be disappointed. read more

SHS PRESCHOOL & Jr.K ARE AWESOME!!! After days of touring very nice preschools in the area we stumbled upon Spring Hill and it impressed us as head and shoulders above the rest. First of all, the teachers are wonderful. They always welcome the children with a smile, have a deep passion for Early Childhood Education and always speak to the children with love and respect. There is no shouting or berating. Preschoolers have access to all of the elementary school's beautiful assets: sprawling garden with over 10 beds & 2 apple trees, 2 playgrounds, library, Spanish class, music, Life Lab etc. Everything is beautiful, cozy and to code. Finally, for us it is affordable. We were living near Palo Alto previously and preschools of Spring Hill's quality cost twice as much. We feel it is excellent value. Spring Hill preschool is one of the most wonderful parts of our lives in Santa Cruz. We feel so lucky to have found it and can't wait until our son turns 3 and can also enroll. read more

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We sent our son to Spring Hill for 4th & 5th grade. He had a bad public school experience and we didn't think he would be open to any school, but he left his first visit saying "mom, this is my school. When can I start?". He felt respected by the teachers and encouraged to try new things. He was excited to go to school and loved talking about what he was learning. Covid was a challenge for all schools but the way Spring Hill handled educating kids and keeping them feeling as part of the community was great. I have never been met by stuck-up kids or parents so not sure where the previous negative review is coming from. No school is free from drama of any kind but our family has never experienced anything that would have us leave and warn people against it. read more

Our son is in the pre-k program at Spring Hill and we love it! The teachers (Karyn and Allie) are truly awesome. I really enjoy sitting and listening to the way they communicate with the kids. When switching our son from daycare to pre-k, we looked at about 7 other schools. A few were awful ("how do people send their kids there and sleep at night?"), some were decent ("meh"), and a few were pretty great ("I want to go there!") - Spring Hill really sold us on the fact that the teachers are clearly wonderful with the kids, the folks who run the school are really enthusiastic, and the kids have access to great toys and a cool garden. On top of all of this, they get dance and music classes, along with Spanish. There was only one other school that we saw that compared to Spring Hill but I am absolutely sure that we made a phenomenal choice and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the school to other parents. read more

This is one amazing little school. The teachers and staff are of the highest quality, enthusiastic and competent at what they do. The school is safe, warm, and engaging. More in depth reviews can be found here: https://www.greatschools.org/california/santa-cruz/11232-Spring-Hill-School/ Update: ====== It's been 8 years since I wrote my review, and this is my family's 10th and last at Spring Hill School, with both kids attending K-6th grade. The school is as wonderful as it seemed at the start, and even better organized now. I can credit a large portion of our older child doing very well academically and socially in high school back to his time in Spring Hill. My younger child is loving the challenge and responsibilities of 6th grade. For the next Open House event: https://www.springhillschool.org/events/open-house/ read more

We finally pulled our daughter from a public school situation that was continually disappointing- no real challenge or creativity. We have been very happy with Spring Hill so far. Very small class sizes for individual attention, creative and challenging curriculum that has my daughter engaged every day, and teachers that are responsive to the special needs of my family. She's taking Latin and Spanish and loving both...who would'a thunk? After school they've got enrichment classes like guitar and art, both of which my daughter enjoys. I don't agree with every approach they take, but I bring up my issues and teachers have been very receptive to my input. You can't ask for more than that. I'm not one of those parents who wants to program her child's life or stress her out by training her for an Ivy League school from the cradle (kids need to be kids), and I was concerned that Spring Hill might be 'one of those' sorts of schools. But it isn't. The teachers and Principal are really flexible and you can shape your child's experience to fit their individual needs and your value system. I like that. read more

Hands down, the best preschool for our family. After looking at several pre-k programs in Santa Cruz, we almost decided to leave our son at his daycare center for one more year, until we visited Spring Hill preschool classroom. Spanish, play based learning, music, dance, gardening, and two wonderfully loving and amazing teachers. The classroom is very clean, the learning materials are readily available and organized, a very happy looking environment. They have amazing ways to communicate with the parents and make sure everyone knows what happened in the classroom each day, they even have a board with a list of the kids that nap that day. I'm very very impressed with this program, I would highly recommend it to any family with high education standards and will certainly enroll our youngest son as soon as he is old enough to attend. read more

Spring Hill is an excellent school. Our daughter has attended there for 2 years and we have been very happy with the teachers, their commitment and dedication to the children. It is a warm, inviting and friendly community where I feel as a parent that I am a partner in my child's education. I have a highly gifted child with unique academic and intellectual needs. The school has a a new Design Lab and the staff have undergone extensive design thinking training where the students are combining creativity, art, problem solving, collaboration skills to solve complex wicked problems in the community and society in meaningful ways. I am a former K-12 Teacher and college Professor, so have very high standards when it comes to education. I highly recommend Spring Hill School for children that need individualized learning that will foster their creative, intellectual, curiosity and imagination. read more

My son is a 2nd grader at Spring Hill School. He began attending preschool and has continued through 2nd grade. We LOVE the school. He is young for his grade and he has really benefited from the small class size and individualized learning. There are only 11 children in his class, and the children often break down into smaller groups for learning. As a single mother running my own business, the automatic aftercare if I cannot arrive at the end of the school day and financial aid have been extremely helpful. Spring Hill offers whole-child development programs during the school day and enrichment programs after school. Some examples include: dance, foreign language, gardening, coding, crafting, building Lego projects, outdoor science, introductions to different careers through fun activities, art, ceramics, and community building events such as school-wide beach parties, garden parties, and pizza nights. The school is really a great community. The 2nd grade parents organize parent mixers and weekend play dates. They are fun and they really strengthen the bonds between our children. When I am in a jam, I can always rely on my fellow Spring Hill parents to come through for me. It is rewarding to be involved at school, and I cannot speak highly enough about the education and school experience for my son. read more

We are just so happy with the preschool program. We were a little nervous to start, because last year's preschool teachers went on to start a new preschool venture (which looks very sweet and needed in this community). We are thrilled to say that the new Spring Hill preschool teachers are kind, thoughtful, and great with the kids. Our son used to attend a local daycare, and the difference is night and day. He is energized at the end of the day, rather than zapped. He has developed new interests in dance, movement, dress-up, and Spanish. When we pick him up, he usually super engaged in whatever is going on. He looks forward to visiting the library on Fridays and the occasional field trip. Bravo Spring Hill, and thank you. read more

Spring Hill has been our school since Kindergarten. I will summarize my review by saying that our son has always loved going to school. As a parent I can only conclude that Spring Hill has ignited in my son the love for learning. The dedicated teachers and staff along with an appropriately challenging curriculum, make the perfect combination for true individualized learning. read more

Do not send your child here! It is full of snotty kids who think they are better than everybody. The academic level here is just sad. They say it is very good individualized education, but it's not. The teachers barely know what they are doing. read more

We toured quite a few schools before selecting Spring Hill for our son's preschool. We are delighted with the warmth and respect he receives from his teachers, Karyn and Allie; both are educators that draw out the curiosity within children and provide an environment in which to explore and build upon this inquisitiveness. The enrichment activities included in the program, such as Dance and Music Class, Spanish and Life Lab, are all wonderful additions to the curriculum. My only concern for the school is that there isn't a crosswalk on California Street. read more

Last night we went to this year's 4th/5th grade play. I've been delighted for the past 24 hours! Every child in the play won my heart over. A life time memory. Thank you, Spring Hill Teachers! We're a very demanding group of parents, and the teachers still managed to bring out the best in each, individual child. My hat goes off to you all! Bravo!!! read more

The principal is a beacon of goodness. The Teachers are enthusiastic and talented. The Parents thoughtful and the supportive. The Children are gifted and compassionate. Working together, this school has consistently produced top results. The standards are high, and there are a great many activities. I am a parent with multiple children at Spring Hill. The community is wonderful, I'm proud to be a part of it all. Hope that other stories are taken with a grain of salt; the truth is if you show up prepared, are kind and accommodating, you will fit in perfectly and have a great year. The community is so supporting as well! read more

Yikes! A fool and his money are soon parted. My son has a genius IQ & has consistently scored in the top 95th percentile for his age. Add to that solid 100 percent correct in certain subject areas for three years straight on standardized tests. So my kid is brilliant. But they rejected us because he didn't do that well in two areas on his assessment test. They were also snotty and rude and condescending. I'm glad now he isn't going there, I won't have to pay :). The bottom line: they aren't necessarily looking for " gifted kids"! Also, I know some alumni from this school who are now grown up pompous jack-asses who strut around like they are lords. read more

When it came to finding a preschool for my little one, I'm not sure if picky even began to describe me! We are a family that values outdoor education, as well as traditional classroom academics and routine. At Spring Hill, we found that AND so much more. Music lessons, Spanish class, library, drama, sustainability and eco-friendly play based curriculum! Not to mention attentive and caring staff/teachers that communicate VERY WELL (weekly newsletters, end of day quick but thoughtful check-ins about day, etc). I give her teachers Teresa and Norma so much credit, and love them both dearly! I also love that the teachers and administrative staff know my kid's name and always say hi. For example, when I picked her up last week, we ran into the principal of the school on our way out. He stopped to say hello to us. My daughter had been dancing and she got a little shy, but he encouraged her to keep dancing and offered to "drop a beat" to keep her going. She took him up on it, and he literally beat boxed in the school hallway with us! It was fun, silly and sweet- the perfect example of the care and connection we've experienced at Spring Hill's preschool. read more

This is our second year at Spring Hill. Our child entered in the 4th grade and his acceptance into the class and school was seamless. It is a wonderful and supportive environment that celebrates everyone's unique talents while encouraging growth in all areas. Our primary hope for our child is that he is challenged while maintaining a love of learning and Spring Hill delivers. I have also found the school to be extremely open to feedback and questions. The flexible program allows for a responsiveness that is exceptional. I wish we had moved to Santa Cruz sooner! read more

Excellent school that genuinely delivers on their "individualized learning" promise.