The Hillside School and Learning Center

This is an excellent school with kind and caring teachers and staff. My son struggled with auditory processing disorder and was 3 years behind in math when he came to Hillside. He ended his first year at Hillside on grade level. My son’s confidence has grown exponentially as a result of Hillside’s wonderful teachers and staff, as well as all of their kind and accepting students. It is an extremely positive environment and the students have an amazing low teacher to student ratio which has helped my child immensely. It has been the best life changing decision we have made for our child. I used to worry that due to my son’s learning disability he wouldn’t be able to go to college, now we just wonder which college he will go to, because it’s no question now that he will be going. Thank you, Hillside. We love you.

Not enough staff, especially at the administrative level. The website states that «The Hillside School offers challenging classwork for students with motivational, learning or behavioral disabilities.» But then they are quick to tell you that they don’t deal with behavioral issues, wow! then why do they have that statement on their website? Many of the kids our child met there had been in psychiatric intervention programs and hospitals in LA county and some talked about staff at these facilities and how to get through and around the requirements of facilities. The lead therapist has been at school for 20 years. I had some concerns about confidentiality with this therapist. Some of the teachers are great like the English and Art Teacher. Others could be better. Our perspective when our child was there was that they seemed to do very well with tutoring and helping students who had academic challenges but that’s about it. They really should change the language on their website to show that «The Hillside School offers challenging classwork for students with motivation and learning disabilities.» They should not keep what they have on their website now which is, «The Hillside School offers challenging classwork for students with motivational, learning or behavioral disabilities.» We saw very little evidence that they were interested, able or prepared to deal with behavioral disabilities.

Coming from an artsy Waldorf School, this school is a no-​frills environment. But what it lacks in sports, arts and ritual, it makes up for the academic focus and one-​on-​one attention you get from your teachers because of the small school environment.
HSLC was a god-​send for us. We had contemplated on enrolling our daughter here in the 7^th grade but for one reason or other, we didn’t end up going. However, by the time my daughter reached 8^th grade, we knew an intervention was necessary, and did we get it or what! During the school year, it caters to academically challenged students, as well as those with mild learning issues, as well as dually-​enrolled students who need supplemental education from nearby La Canada High, etc.
We came in with the sole purpose of academic refocusing. My daughter responded well to the small school environment, although there were times when she sorely missed the company of girl friends because the student body here is very boy-​centric. She did, however, make lasting friendships there. With our support and guidance, she was able to veer her focus away from what was lacking, and into to the benefit that she would get from focusing on academics. Sadly, it was only a transitory school for her, and we only stayed for one year. We left knowing what a special school it was for our daughter. Had our financial situation allowed it, we definitely could have stayed longer or even through the end of high school.