Love this school, teachers and staff. It is challenging academically but they have been very…read moresupportive of our kids learning style and providing accommodation's.

We like Judge the best of local HS options. We think the school is solid in some areas, yet worry…read morethat it veers into style-over-substance elsewhere. We see room for reflection and continuous improvement. At an authentically Catholic school, Catholic beliefs and doctrines, as well as Catholic prayer and worship, comprise the cornerstone of mission and identity. Judge is Catholic-lite. Only 50-60% of the student body is of the flock, most of whom are cafeteria Catholics. Each year a swath of students matriculate from non-Catholic middle schools, including McGillis (identitarian and politically left) and Carden (informally LDS). There's lots of secularism. Judge is not going to make the Cardinal Newman Honor Roll. (More traditional families within the diocese, feeling marginalized, have broken off to open a Chesterton Academy.) Our family esteems fostering an expansive worldview. We don't believe this gets accomplished by creating colorful flyers or curating photo ops to pat oneself on the back for appearing woke. We worry that the school gets so preoccupied with the buzz immediacy of virtue signaling that other facets of mission that steward school success become obscured and neglected. Judge eagerly advertises that it is "diverse and inclusive" on every marketing material it produces. Meanwhile, the school remains comparatively quiet about a legacy of academic excellence, opportunities for discovery and exploration of subject matter, helping students develop effective tools of critical inquiry, instilling habits of mind that position pupils on a path of life-long learning, threads of spiritual life, mature behavior, or intellectual honesty. We would like to see Judge redouble efforts to incorporate the latest research findings into a carefully calibrated sequence of classes, programs, and activities. We'd like to see students read Plato, Aristotle, St. Thomas of Aquinas, sharpen their logic and rhetoric, and understand seminal developments in Western civilizations as a wellspring of modern human progress. We'd like a laser focus on the best opportunities in math and science. Judge excels at making students individually known, seen, acknowledged. No one is left to wilting anonymity. This is a strength of the school. That said, there is hand-holding. Sometimes too much, particularly with certain families. We wholeheartedly wish admissions policies were more stringent. As Judge endeavors to get a firm handle on issues that have plagued the school for years (drugs, declining enrollment), more and more talented 8th graders from the top 2 Catholic schools are rerouting to West and Skyline. Judge could do so much to mitigate this by checking certain problems before they ever enter the door! Judge has a solid population of high flyers but we are blown away by how unambitious a chunk of the student body is. Why in the world would parents pay over $10K/year for HS in order to have their student go on to Salt Lake Community College? This gobstopping scenario is not as uncommon as one might imagine. We'd like less emphasis on football and don't think any HS sport needs to hold conditioning earlier than 7:00 a.m. Just not healthy for teens. The physical space of Judge is a ticking time bomb--dated, financially insolvent to fix, not enough acreage. The diocese aspires to sell the property and embark on a new campus at St. Ann's. If this project is moving forward (hopefully it is but a bit shrouded in mystery), it's doing so at a snail's pace. The diocese regards teaching as a vocation and pays teachers hideously low wages. It is so egregious that as of 2016 they longer publish their educator salary schedule in the public domain. Diocesean schools rely on hiring unlicensed. No one is National Board Certified. Judge can't offer an IB program. In spite of this, there are tremendous educators on the faculty. As these stalwarts gray, the school needs to have a plan to hire and retain quality replacements. Ultimately Judge does offer a debonair social network. Akin to a giant fraternity/sorority. Families remain connected to Judge for across generations. The more wealth and generosity you bring to the table, the more access and leeway you receive in return.

Poor leadership and some teachers no vocation. They wake up…read moreand go to the school everyday for the paycheck. If your child is smart, well behaved, he/she will do ok in this school as well as in any other school. But, if your child and family aren't perfect like many of us, don't expect to find the support, competency or will to help you. OLL vs. home school? ...Home school.

Such a great school! I love the teachers, the principal, and the students. Such an amazing…read morecommunity.

I was a public school kid, as was my husband, as were my kids, at least until circumstances took…read morethem away from their big public high school in the Chicago suburbs. I looked at the SLC public high schools (and appreciated the choice of different ones even though it was really confusing) but a class size of 37 kids? I don't think so. What a shock to learn that Utah has a lower per capita spending than Missisippi. WTF? So after ruling out most of the private schools for religious/uniform reasons (my daughter refused to consider wearing one), we settled on Rowland Hall. The class sizes are closer to 20, the teachers really care, and the kids are not as wealthy and stuck-up as she feared. She misses the racial and economic diversity of her old school, but she admits that the education she is getting at RoHo is much better. She's had some catching up to do academically, but the teachers have been really helpful with that. She enjoys the dance, band and choir programs, and she even attended the winter formal. If you ask her, she'll tell you the school is "ratched," but deep down I think she likes it there.

Our family moved to Salt Lake from NJ 6 years ago. As we have lived in numerous places my top…read morepriority was looking into schools for my three boys. After looking at GreatSchools.com and reviewing websites and reviews our family narrowed it down to two schools, McGillis and Rowland Hall. As we were accepted at both schools we had a decision to make as a family, but honestly there was no decision. From the first moment we stepped foot in Rowland Hall we knew we were home. You knew you were in a special place immediately. Each and every staff member we came across truly loved the school and were excited at the prospect of us becoming part of the Rowland Hall family. There was no entitlement whatsoever. In fact instead of the school making us feel as if they were doing us a favor to consider accepting our children, they made us feel like we were doing them a favor considering Rowland Hall for our children's education. The Beginning School Principal even came in on Sunday to interview my one son to accommodate our travel plans. Once we were accepted I noticed all the little things that Rowland Hall did as a private school which were quite unique in relation to the other private schools we attended in Greenwich, CT and Tokyo. First was the faculty which I personally feel is Rowland Hall's greatest asset. Each and every teacher genuinely cares for each and every child. My son's second grade teacher gave me an update every week for the first two months of school. The teachers at Rowland Hall understand that each child is unique and they teach to the individual needs of each student. I was blown away by the integration of technology in the classrooms starting in second grade. Besides learning in the classroom I felt the value system of the school meshed well with our family's values ... Loyalty, respect, etc. Everything we were teaching at home was reinforced in the school environment. The small class sizes have always been appealing to me as has been the accessibility to anyone in Rowland Hall's faculty and staff. Rowland Hall was definitely the best part of moving to Salt Lake for our family and I feel so blessed that my children are able to receive such a top notch education in such a nurturing environment.

This is an amazing school! If you are looking for a school that can rival an east coast school,…read morethis is the one! Don't be swayed by other schools which may have a bigger campus. If you can get your child into Rowland Hall, you are very lucky!

I cannot say enough about our experience at Rowland Hall. We have two children who started in the…read moreBeginning School, are currently in the Lower School and Middle School and we plan for them to graduate from Rowland Hall. We were drawn to the school because of their small class sizes, strong academic curriculum, and beautiful facility. We have stayed at Rowland Hall because of their amazing teaching staff, the school's constant efforts to strengthen the student learning experience, and the wonderful inclusive community. One of the many strengths of the school is their amazing faculty. I'm always amazed by how well they know each child, but also how well they bring out the best in each individual. I feel like the school does a great job in building individuals who are strong critical thinkers, but also individuals who love to learn. My children LOVE going to school at Rowland Hall and as a parent, I feel that this school is the best investment and best fit for our children.

So it turns out that having a good program means running a mile timed, its nothing personal they…read moreare just trying to make kids healthy. But as a student and my parents agree it is a great school, some punks but you cant really avoid that.

The administration cares more about themselves than the students or the teachers let alone their…read moreeducation. The kids have no sprit. They are taught to not like school or represent it. They are just kids but it's no excuse for the staff

Garfield School/Academy is a warm, inviting, forward-thinking atmosphere for children of all ages…read more(infant - 12th grade). Since 2009, they have been guiding students to develop the skills they need to be successful in life. They offer inclusive Montessori programs for children from infancy through high school. Beginning with intensive early intervention services, which include in-class therapy services and parent education in the Infant, Toddler and Early Childhood (preschool-Kindergarten) classes, to their Elementary, Middle and High School programs, Garfield School offers the highest quality Montessori and inclusive education available. Currently, between their two campuses (Elizabeth & Garfield) they serve over 250 students from infancy through 10th grade, and will be adding an 11th grade class for the 2019-2020 school year. They embrace educational best practices to guide, inspire and challenge our students. Whether a student is gifted, typical, or in need of extra support, at Elizabeth Academy/Garfield School, every student's needs are met. Their MACTE credentialed and experienced Montessori teachers work collaboratively with special educators and therapists to individualize the learning experience for each child. As a model school for inclusion, they adapt the curriculum as needed, utilizing authentic assessment practices to ensure that each child is appropriately challenged and supported.