Kentwood has been a lifesaver & constant source of support for my family over the past 6&1/2 years. My child started there in 5th grade & is now in 11th. We placed S there after trying for 2+ years to get S help thru the public school system. We adopted S after S was placed in foster care at 9 mos old. S endured heavy drug use by S's bio mom while pregnant & lack of care the first 9 mos of life. S has severe ADHD, ODD, & is on the spectrum (very high functioning) with severe short term memory deficits & math LD. Behavior due to severe frustration over inability to grasp things was getting worse & worse despite twice weekly counseling at school & in our home, tutoring & a begrudgingly granted 504 Plan that did nothing for S. When S started in 5th grade, S was extremely defiant & wouldn't work or follow the rules. S was turning our home into a war zone w/constant tantrums & fighting. Kentwood uses a VERY strict behavioral intervention chart (BIC) that they mark every 1/2 hour or hour for every student. If the kids are acting out so much that it disturbs the other students, they are moved to a special skills lab w/staff trained to work with these situations so they can return to the classroom. The teachers are just AMAZING & incredibly calm & well trained. They communicate with parents regularly & fully -- both good & bad. So nice to get emails or texts telling me of something helpful or smart my kid did vs. always getting those terrible calls about a problem. S is very verbal & social & likes to read. Comprehension is not great, but there's a lot of effort & interest. Math is a whole other story -- ugly, bad, tantrum causing. Instead of pushing S forward into areas S would never understand, they work w/S to get S fully understanding the areas missed & then move forward at S's own pace & ability. I've had to adjust my expectations & realize/accept that S will never fully get some of the math areas or be very academic. And that's OK. The staff has worked extensively w/S & classmates on social skills, life skills like budgeting & saving & price checking, etc. They talk a lot about learning to watch for others' reactions & social cues & they practice it. Conflict resolution too. How to handle frustrations & advocate for yourself. I'm amazed at how much S has grown emotionally over the years. S has been nurtured by so many different teachers & staff over the years & thru multiple grades. They have been there for me to turn to re: behavioral issues at home & always offer good ideas & practical, hands-on help at school so we're working in tandem to help S. S LOVES S's teachers, & has made incredibly good friends there as well. The classes are very small & personalized to what the individual kids need. The small environment, mask wearing, cleaning & distancing has made me comfortable allowing S to go back to school in person. I highly recommend this school if your child has a special academic/behavioral needs that just can't/won't be met in the public school setting. read more

The principal and his staff are maybe the worst teaching institution in Palm Beach County. They do not comply with the American disabilities act. There is no communication between parents and teachers. Their teaching styles do not work. All I can say is if your child is special needs this is not the place to take them. Again, the principal is a joke. They will not help your child in any manner stay away. Stay away stay away. All they want. Is your money you after year after year read more

Kentwood Preparatory is a great school! I have volunteered at the school for a few years now and have seen how much the staff genuinely care about their students and push them to be the best versions of themselves. Additionally, I've had the opportunity to see many students come such a long way and truly excel academically and behaviorally. I would recommend this school. read more

My son Jeremy S. went to Kentwood Prep High School starting in 9th grade and graduated in 2014. He is now a high school teacher after successfully graduating from University of South Florida with honors (Magna Cum Laude) and on the deans list every year. Kentwood Prep was a godsend for us. Jeremy was very smart but also had issues with behavior. Instead of trying to convince us to medicate him like the public schools always did, they actually allowed him to attend without the ADHD meds. The teachers he had were excellent and not only did he receive a first class education, he also learned important life skills that public schools do not teach anymore. I believe his time at Kentwood Prep was a huge influence on his decision to become a high school teacher. He knows it was caring dedicated teachers that made all the difference in the world for him and his future. The public school system is sometimes not a good fit for kids with behavioral issues who need a different approach. Kentwood Prep sets up their kids to succeed not only in the time they are there but in college and in life. read more

While attending this school for over 3 years they ignored my and my parents request to see my school grades. It was always a complicated matter and a goose hunt at that in order to scramble around to find someone who would in the end tell me they can't show me or my parents. This is only one out of several major issues I've had with the school. The unprofessional-ism is outstanding. Over time I started having issues with fainting and having seizures which the school ignored and refused to fix any of the flashing lights. When I fainting and bumped my head, they dragged me into the councellers office, yelled at me, and then told me to go home. Only after did Mr.Fein tell both my parents that I was faking and assured them that I was only doing it for attention and absolutely NOT to see a doctor. Saying that if they did, that I would only get worse and if they were in their shoes that they would have forced me into work as well as claiming "She should win a prize for best acting." Thank fully my parents didn't listen and took me to get blood work done. Only after a fluke of running into the hospital did we find out I had something that if untreated would have soon followed going into shock, coma, and death. If I hadn't gotten help chances were I would degressed until I had died of heart failure at the age of 17. Due to them not sending me to the hospital all those times I fainted, our family can't sue due to lack of records. last day at school before I was put on medical leave, waking up in a daze with both Mr.Fein and the old counceller looking over the recording of me fainting and were mumbling to each other about how it looked bad. When I couldn't say my name they called my mother to come pick me up to go drop me off at a hospital. I'm currently being held back 3 years and as a 19 year old, i'm being held back all the way to freshmen year. Why? Because I didn't get enough credits to count as passed. Don't for the love of god, if you care about your child at all. Don't go to this school. I'm not the only one who has gone through similar things. They forced the teachers to ignore my seizures "Don't. You'll encourage her." I only know this because a teacher who saw me seize who had to say "Get up Elizabeth." to me while I was paralyzed apologized later saying that she was told to do this as a measure to make sure my behavior would stop. They tell children at a young age "Behave as if you're being watched 24/7 because someone is always watching." as sort of a If you don't want to get caught, don't look like you're in the wrong, Sort of deal. Which doesn't help in development and has caused serious issues with my and others mental issues. There are children at this school with paranoia and anxiety issues and they say these things. read more

Kentwood Preparatory School has been a life saver for our son and our family. Prior to starting at Kentwood, he attended a public high school and did not have the support and guidance that he needed to be successful and was getting lost in the system. We started looking for private schools in the area and came across Kentwood Preparatory School. Once we met with the Director of the school, we knew this was the right place for our son. He has attended this school since the 10th grade and is thriving. He is now an A/B student with both his communication and social skills have improved greatly. In addition, he has more confidence and has been able to land a part-time job. The Director and his staff are amazing and we are so grateful for their knowledge, expertise and genuine care for our son. read more

If you are looking for a school that can strengthen your child's communication, academics, social skills, and can reduce problematic behaviors, look no further. My daughter struggled in a traditional school setting and in just months at Kentwood she made friends, increased her academic confidence and was advocating for herself. Mr. Feine leads a team of faculty, teachers, parents along with your child's therapist to develop a plan of goals specifically catered for your child. They genuinely care about your child's long term success and take the time to understand your child's challenges and medical diagnosis. Decisions are never done in a vacuum but as a team. Phone calls are returned promptly and you are kept appraised of things requiring immediate attention. The model works but as parents it takes a village to work together as a team. If you are ready to make that commitment please give Mr Feine a call. Sincerely, Lori read more

Wish I could give a better rating than this but unfortunately I didn't have a good experience with this school. They have a terrible communications issue. I never got calls back even when my child came home crying so I never really knew what was going on. The only person who ever responded to me in a timely manner was Ramonyca Brown at the front desk who I give an A plus to. The principal would tell me she had called me back when she hadn't (I have a cell phone so obviously I can see all incoming calls) The director although seemingly knowledgeable did not tell me before I signed up that this school was mainly for troubled kids with behaviour problems - something my son does not have. He is well behaved and sensitive but has developmental delays which makes it hard for him to learn. He became so depressed there that we had to remove him since he was threatening suicide. No one but Ms. Brown ever called to find out how he was doing. They were however very keen to have me sign the Mackay scholarship check over to them when the time came for that! My son is now at a new school and extremely happy and learning. This is a complete 180 so I know now the issue was not with my son but the school. I am sure other people have had better experiences here but I am just telling you mine. If you have a sweet, sensitive child without severe behaviour issues you would be better off looking elsewhere. read more