As a teacher myself, choosing the right school for my children was incredibly important, and I…read morecannot commend how well St. Vincent Ferrer School has shaped my daughter intellectually, socially, and spiritually. Over the past four years, I have watched her truly blossom into a well-rounded student. The deep sense of community here is remarkable, it truly feels like an extended family. This connection is beautifully on display during school traditions like the All-School Olympics Challenge and our annual Fun Run, where older students step in to guide and mentor the younger students through different obstacles. Seeing that culture of leadership and kindness in action solidified why parents choose this community. We are so thrilled with our experience that my son will be starting at St. Vincent Ferrer in the fall, and we are excited for him to thrive in this warm, loving environment.

I would caution any family considering St. Vincent Ferrer to think carefully before enrolling…read more I have been a parishioner since I was 13 years old and received my Confirmation here, and my children have attended for the past five years. Because of that long history, I expected a strong, supportive, and safe environment for families. Unfortunately, my experience has not reflected that expectation. Concerns raised as a parent were not taken seriously, and I did not feel that issues involving student well-being and bullying were addressed with appropriate urgency or accountability. As a result, I did not feel confident that my concerns about my children's emotional well-being were being properly supported or prioritized. Based on my experience, I would encourage parents to ask very direct questions about how bullying and student concerns are handled before making a decision to enroll.

Dont enroll your kids in this school. The security guard stands in the boys bathroom just watching…read morethem, many students have reported this but the school does nothing about it.

Came here to see my Grandson play a football game. Brought my therapy dog - a Shih tzu - and a POS…read moresecurity guard or maybe he was a cop - who had an attitude like I've never seen refused us entry. I bring my dog everywhere. He is my therapy dog. I've never had a problem. People with therapy dogs - their life's matter too!!!!

We've had an excellent experience so far at OPRF high school with two children attending a total of…read moresix and a half years at this point. The quality of their educations has been extraordinary and both children thrived with clubs, intramurals and other extracurricular activities including a study-abroad in Ireland trip for one child and a Washington DC Art History field trip for another. Shout out to the amazing counselors, Special Education team, and social workers. My kids have favorite teachers but too many to name personally. The arts program is the highest quality. Theater, too! The school board has been doing some wonderful work in the past few years. We appreciate the recent policy in support of transgender students and their work on improving racial equity. We have been really happy at OPRF and my kids are lucky to attend.

It is just a good high school to learn new things and to also have some vary fun nice teachers that…read moredo their job well

I had a damaging experience with a teacher named Jacob Benke. Jacob was also a head basketball…read morecoach at Walther Christian Academy. His conduct was manipulative and harmful. I was a victim of his control tactics, which had a lasting emotional and psychological impact. As a student athlete, I started every game I played. I was eligible to play, but he would use my game participation as leverage for obedience. For instance, when I expressed things he disliked, he would prohibit me from going to games. He made decisions based on his ego rather than athletic or academic merit. The result was deliberate sabotage of both my development and the team's. Jacob is sadistic. I remember him mocking me about recruitment while interfering with my opportunities. He would sit me out during games that mattered. For a young athlete, this behavior was damaging and reckless. He uses psychological mind games, pressure, and humiliation when in power. Years later, he saw me in person and attempted to apologize. That moment confirms his awareness of the harm he causes. He often sings in the chapel and projects a likable image while being evil behind the scenes. The contrast between his presentation and conduct is conflicting. As of the date of this writing, December 22, 2025, he is still teaching at the school, which is disturbing. Currently, he is the chair of the school's Social Studies department. His egotistical behavior places students' mental health at risk. Based on my experience, he is unfit to hold power over children. Parents should be diligent to protect their children from his manipulation. There are stronger private school options for academics and athletics. You should continue searching for better schools. Your child's future depends on it.

Our son has been attending Walther since he was in Kindergarten. Even though the lower school…read moreclosed and we transferred him, we always planned to enroll him into the middle school once he reached 6th grade. He is now a Freshman and we couldn't be happier. Great faculty, support staff, athletics, extracurricular activities, facilities and most important, the curriculum is rigorous and challenges students. We plan to stay until 2028, his expected graduation date. Please know that Financial aid is also available for those in need. I highly recommend Walther Christian Academy in Melrose Park, IL. It's a great day to be a Bronco Parent.

My son, Merkel Sniderback, had a wonderful time. I, on the other hand did not. Merkel needed more…read morediscipline, and I expected the staff to give him what for when he didn't behave! All in all, the school could spruce up on some disciplinary tactics. If ya do that, I might let my daughter, Mayhem, attend. Take my advice, will ya?

I visited this school in my job capacity and I must tell you leadership by example comes to mind…read more Respectful young people walking thru the halls. A quiet setting which is how schools Should be. It's not a restaurant or a coffee shop , it's a school, a well run school :)

My daughter loves going to school everyday, has a great community, and has risen to the standards…read moreof the school. Thank you for changing her life's course.

I am a parent to two Children's School graduates and I am thrilled to share that both children and…read moreour whole family had an excellent experience at TCS. We had children enrolled for 8 years. Both kids were wholly engaged in the curriculum and supported in all aspects of their development while building beautiful, meaningful relationships with the other students, parents, teachers and the two amazing directors. They especially enjoyed being able to delve deeper into subject matter with TCS's project-based learning style. They loved being outdoors, having loads of field trips, learning art, music and theatre in addition to reading, math, history, civics and science. They learned to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, good citizens and helpful friends. They were both welcomed and honored for their uniqueness and learned to further celebrate the diversity of others. Progressive Education at The Children's School was the right fit for my kids. Both of my children thrived at TCS and are now doing very well at our local public high school. It was a financial investment for our family but one we are so glad we made. I'd enroll them again in a heartbeat.

I hate some of my teachers there, btw i'm a ex student at the school, i was in a program after my…read moregraduation back in 2021, and i hate it, it was Ms. Josefek class, I met Josefek back in Summer of 2018 to 2024, she was a nice lady, and same with Ms. Higgins too, but turns out there not the nicest people i met, i hate both of them and they never deserve to work there, Except for Ms. Yates she okay sometimes, and the students are little ok, mostly they fight once a day.

It's an okay school. Not as bad as everyone makes it out to be…read more They let you slack a lot though, you can be absent like 20 days a semester and everything is good. We do need air condioners though. And they wasted all our money on Proviso Central.

My daughter attended Alcuin Montessori from 2006-2012 and I only have great things to say about…read morethis school! We considered it her second home for those years! The attention the students get from the teachers, positive learning environment, love of learning that is fostered and meaningful social connections with their peers really sets students up for success when they leave the school! We left Alcuin to attend the Oak Park public Schools (Mann) when she was in 5th grade for financial reasons and were completely let down by the local public school system. Academically 5th grade was a wash of a year for her in the public schools.(She learned how to study to memorize the exact answers for tests and her love of learning went downhill as she would say, 'I don't need to know more than this to get an A mom!") Socially, she just learned what bullies were and how manipulative other girls could be! We keep in constant contact with her old teachers and they have even advised us materials to get for her to help her adjust to her new public school environment! We left the Oak Park public school system before middle school(6th grade) to move to a new district where middle school students are flourishing. If we could have afforded it I would have kept her at Alcuin all through middle school! The new middle school is still way too easy for her (straight A's and top test scores...)and she has noticed herself that she is a bit more mature than the other students. She goes the extra mile again on projects though and her love of learning that Alcuin fostered seems to have returned! Sure there will always be a teacher or staff member here and there at a school that is new or you have an issue with as a parent.(Everyone has a bad day once in a while or messes up!) I encourage you as a parent to talk with your school though about your issues. When we had any issues at Alcuin, the director was always interested in hearing about them and I watched them actively make changes or assist the teacher or staff member that might need it! It is easy to point fingers at someone but it is more difficult , yet more effective to constructively speak with a school about issues. I believe it is the test of time and patience with a school to give them a chance to work out an issue that counts. If the school is unwilling to acknowledge you as a parent, then it is time to move on. Alcuin always worked with us over our 6 years there and we miss them dearly! In our hearts we will always be a proud "Alcuin family"!!

As an employee of Alcuin, I can speak highly of this school's teaching faculty, who are among the…read moremost intelligent, talented, and committed Montessori teachers I have met in the field. The families who send their children to this school seem highly committed to helping their children reach their highest potential, and see their children as whole beings with social and emotional needs, as well as academic ones. As a teacher here, I have greatly enjoyed my relationships with parents, as they have been so collaborative and positive. We have newly begun a terrific adolescent program, and I encourage anyone interested in finding an alternate middle school, or a high-quality educational program for any age child to inquire. I have been so happy to work at this fantastic and excellent school, which is truly a haven for Montessori teachers who love to nurture and challenge children!