My daughter has been attending school here and is thriving. I have constantly been impressed by the…read morework she brings home, the wide range of topics they cover each week on top of her improving vocabulary. The teachers are kind, but also discipline when necessary and keep the class in order. I was looking for an environment with structure and somewhere to begin a solid foundation for learning. I highly recommend this school.

I absolutely LOVE this Montessori school! When I was little I attended a Montessori and wanted my…read morekids to have that same experience. This school offers children love and kindness along with structure and practical teachings that will give them strength in real life. The school is not far from Maple Valley and Covington but is technically located on the Black Diamond/Kent border not far from Ristrettos! Not sure why there are not posts yet as it is maybe a best kept secret- teachers Carolyn and Nicole are amazing!!!

My daughter has attended this Montessori school for quite some time now, and I truly cannot say…read moreenough good things about them. Since starting here, I've watched her grow so much socially, emotionally, and academically. She has learned so many skills, gained confidence, and really come into her own in ways I hadn't seen before. The staff and teachers have helped bring out such a beautiful side of her, and I'm beyond grateful for that. Her teachers are absolutely amazing and genuinely feel like family to us. They've supported not only my daughter, but me as a mother as well. They watched me go from pregnancy to welcoming my son, and throughout it all they've always shown love, care, and support. They truly go above and beyond for their families, and that level of compassion and community support is something you don't find everywhere. This school is truly a wraparound support system, not just a place for education. They care deeply about their students and families, and it shows in everything they do. I'm incredibly thankful to have found them, and I can't wait for my son to start attending this fall as well.

7 years of my daughter being here and almost 1 year of my son being here, they love it. I am glad I…read morepicked GRMS as their school. If you are having 2nd thoughts, don't overthink it. You won't regret it!

I was just telling some friends how great our school is. Then I saw a bummer of a review on here,…read morebased on a short transition period, so I'm writing this. The short story is - it's a very good school run by professionals. A wonderful environment for kids who are neurodivergent or similar and have struggled in a larger school setting. It is supportive and non-judgmental, and we've found it to be a great balance of a place to learn and grow and a place to be supported and accepted. We were worried that it wouldn't be academically rigorous but found that it exceeded our expectations when our child was ready to learn. They meet all children where they are at every step of the way. Also, they do so many fun educational field trips. Here's the long version if you're interested: Our family started at Academy in 2024. That year, the old school director retired. Yes, there were staff changes. Yes, there was an interim director. Yes, it was a time of change and changes is hard especially when you are emotionally invested. Some families were so attached to the old director they didn't come back. Two years later and we're still very happily there. We found gold. Is it fancy? No. Is it exactly like a larger school? No. In areas where a child needs more support, they have it. The policy of "walk to math/language arts/science" allows them to learn subjects at a level and in a group setting difficult to access in larger private or public schools in a supportive way, whether accelerated or at a slower pace. Curriculum is solid and classroom size is excellent. As to the information concern - no. Many kids are district placements. The oversight and regulation involved in that is significant. No public school would partner with them if they broke any laws about information handling and they have placements from many districts. In May of 2024 they had just interviewed candidates for a new permanent director. I hope people will consider that Spring 2024 was just one rare season in the school's administration and while the other review was from someone that felt upset by how that transition was going, the new school director who was hired at the end of that year is awesome. I think she will be there for years to come. I never post reviews, but I hate that that review might be pushing families away from a truly excellent option for kids. To whoever you were it sounds like you felt like your school family was being ripped apart and you were afraid the whole place would be ruined, which must have been awful. Maybe you lost your job, maybe you pulled your child from the school. Regardless, please know that it is still "the little school with a big heart" and from my perspective as a very aware parent, it's in responsible hands.

Academy Schools was a buoy for our family after several years of struggling to stay afloat. The…read morestaff are compassionate, patient, and deeply dedicated to providing an individualized education in an environment that allows many students to feel accepted and safe in school for the first time ever. I'll forever be grateful for the tools and community they provided for both my kid and myself.

We've been really happy here! The teachers are kind and attentive, and they genuinely care about…read morethe kids. It feels super safe and is well run. Highly recommend!

This place is horrible! The staff here does not care about the actual well being of children. My…read more My son was being bullied by kids and the staff didn't even catch it since they are too busy not paying attention

Finding a preschool for your child can be overwhelming but south preschool definitely made it so…read moreeasy for me and my family. I was on the search for something local and affordable but yet still can meet the slight standards I have. I gave the school a call and this school was the only school that answered me with an actual person on the call (not some machine). The teacher over the phone was so informative and stated that I can visit the school. The tour was done the same week of calling and my son loved it. He didn't even want to leave. He felt so comfortable there even though he had never been out of our sights. I would recommend parents to give this preschool a chance! Every teacher had their own age they teach and a set curriculum. It was clear from the start what they do with the kids.

My eldest child attended South Preschool for 1.5 years before kindergarten. To say the preschool…read moreprepared him for elementary is an understatement. South Preschool gave him a rock solid foundation that I believe continues to benefit him to this day (he is currently finishing up 2nd grade). My youngest child attended South Preschool for the last 3 years, through the onset of Covid shut downs, virtual learning, and the cautious return to school. The school has helped bring out all the best in him, and the things he has accomplished, from beginning reading, to the emotional maturity he has gained, amazes me. Ms. Pedersen and Ms. Knight, along with all of the aides and assistants who have helped throughout the years, are nothing short of incredible. Their dedication, flexibility, and genuine love for what they do shines through every day. Both of my children have benefitted immensely from their time at the school, and our family will truly miss the teachers and our time there. Thank you South Preschool!

Fantastic school. My daughter attended from 6th to 10th…read more Great teachers led by a fantastic principal. As a single mom looking for the most caring and dedicated student centered environment I cannot praise them enough. 10 stars.

All my 3 kids of different ages went to Basic Steps and loved it! I've known Kany since 2014 (?)…read morewhen I enrolled my 1st child and her school has grown so much since then! I'm so amazed at how she's able to handle curriculum for different levels and know all the kids by their 1st names. She also noticed that my 2nd son was advanced for his age and, along with a few other 4 year olds, she made advanced lessons just for them. My son loved it cuz he felt more challenged and up till now (he's in 4th grade already) still remembers those lessons he learned from Kany and says those were harder than 2nd grade in public school, but it was more fun! I brought my 3rd child there who just graduated pre school this past spring as well and he loved Kany and all his teachers. Anyways, I only have good things to say about Basic Steps and Kany and I wish her all the best!

Absolutely loved every second my children attended basic steps!! Mrs Joa is outstanding and always…read moreup to the challenge!! Wish our children could be taught by her at all levels. Even tho we are done with her academy she still keeps in touch every now and then and check on " her kids " and we appreciate it very much so!! Thanks once again for everything Mrs Joa and team!! With kind regards, Jeremi

Beautiful auditorium. Our family is in Washington for my…read moresister's girlfriend's graduation, and I honestly expected to be under the sun (or rain, for that matter--because DUH, Seattle lol), but the graduation is being held at a beautiful fully air-conditioned auditorium with pretty comfortable seats. A lot more convenient and comfortable than I though, to be honest. Always awesome to be perfectly comfy

When my wife and I moved out of our last neighborhood, we were just starting the process of…read morebecoming foster to adopt parents of older kids. School quality was not our first thought when we chose our home, we just wanted a safer neighborhood. We loved Bible Park, I had lived in the area previously, we knew it was a perfect fit for us. It was the perfect place for us until we were placed with a 3rd and 6th grader in September of 2013. And it wasn't the place that was the problem, it was the schools. tWe immediately toured our local elementary school and middle school. When we toured the elementary school, there was a real fear that our son would be quickly grouped with other kids in the area who have lacked regular schooling, maybe had no parental involvement at home, and who were among the 25% of kids that changed schools every year. And if our youngest was assumed to be part of this group of kids, would the teachers invest the time and energy into him that we knew he would need? We then found an opening at a different magnet school in the area. We were excited about the possibility of our 3rd grader and 6th grader going to the same school while they endured such dramatic changes in their lives. And this school was amazing for our third grader. They specialized in English as a second language students who had large gaps in their education. And our third grader was taken under the wing of some good hearted teacher and he made some huge advances. But our 6th grader floundered. See our oldest is highly intelligent. But he had 11 years of using his intelligence just having to do just enough to exceed the average of his peers. And his peers were mostly struggling with poverty. His peers had not had expectations to succeed in school. And when he started at this school it became quickly evident that his peers had not changed much from his previous 6 years of education. What you may not understand about the dynamic of being a foster to adopt parent is that our kids absolutely do not trust that our expectations and rules for them are ever associated with our love, care, or best wishes for them. They are just another thing that is different and wrong about the life they are now forced to live. So if their friends don't have rules, if their friends don't have to get high grades, if their friends don't have to do their homework, it reinforces their already held belief that their new parents are unfair, and don't get what they are going through. And our version of love is a language that they have no interest in learning. When we tried to be proactive regarding the education of our 6th grader, requesting regular status updates, we were assured that it would happen. But routinely we were surprised with disappointing grades, and the progress in our oldest's education seemed stalled throughout 7th grade as well. We could not trust him to be supervised if he hung out with friends. When requesting effort from our oldest, we were legitimately confronted with the fact that most of his peers were not expected to put effort into their education at school or at home. Our youngest had made good progress in this school in 3rd and 4th grade but we were scared he would face the same middle school future at this school. We knew it would be hard for a seventh grader to switch schools but we were determined to salvage his last year before high school. We did not expect that we would get into Highline. It was a long shot, and we were thrilled when we got in. The differences in this school were much more than we even expected. It starts with the front desk. Every other school we had encountered, the front dest was like the DMV. But the front desk at Highline was eager to facilitate any needs. The 5th grade team with Ms. Chandlier has taken our 5th grader under their wing as I see them doing with a number of kids. His academic progress is astounding. He was doing sight words and muddling his way through the occasional Dr. Seus book midway through 3rd grade, not registering on any reading ability scales. This year Ms. Chandlier and him set the high goal of reading Harry Potter books by the end of the year. This is a goal that has already been reached. And for all of our youngest's success I am just as grateful for what Highline has given our 8th grader. After 8 years of just getting by, after 8 years of just staying off the radar, our oldest has made tremendous progress in doing more than just using his high intelligence to be lazy. He has become an active partner in his education. He has made choices to try to be a successful student thanks to the partnership we have with his teachers. And his chances of high school success are much more than I could have hoped for when he entered Highline Academy. I am so jealous of all of these kids who have had this amazing experience for 9 years. All of this success does not just happen. It is a result of a team and community that that are all working towards the same goal.