I urge anyone reading these reviews to apply critical thinking. Several appear fabricated, and a…read morenumber are clearly written by the same person using different names. For context: I am a parent who has volunteered regularly in both buildings -- classrooms and lunchrooms -- over four years. I have no employment ties to JAA whatsoever. In all that time, I have never once seen a rat or cockroach. My sons have repeated things they heard about vaping and drugs, but both openly admit they never witnessed it personally. Anyone who has raised children knows how powerfully rumors spread and how quickly feelings become "facts" among kids. When my older son had serious conflicts with two different students over the years, the school acted -- and both boys were subsequently removed. That is not the behavior of a staff that doesn't care. Is every single negative review here completely baseless? Maybe not, but the volume of dramatic, unverifiable claims -- many suspiciously similar in tone and wording -- strains credibility significantly. One more thing worth addressing directly: we are not Mormon, and we are not wealthy donors. We are an ordinary family who has simply paid attention, shown up, and seen a school that is far better than this review section suggests

this school and its staff are absolutely horrible. If you want your kids to be trained like…read moremilitary sergeants, this is your place. I was here for about two semesters, and in both i dealt with continuous harassment from an aid who was told to not speak to me, and she directly violated that multiple times. She has zero patience and somehow works with children with special needs and yells at them whenever they have episodes. One of the students she was an aid for even said that he hated her. All of the deans for the school are another reason why your children should not be here. They're all extremely rude, selfish, careless and flat out disrespectful to everybody. The dean of academics has a terrible temper and only talks about himself. Doesn't care about any of the students at the school. The school would have so much more potential if they just had better staff. Another major issue is how political these teachers are.I've sat in Latin class and listened to my teacher go on about abortions and how amazing Donald Trump is. I've also seen how religious these teachers are and I'm not against to anyone's religion, but the fact that they pressure people to be Christian or catholic is a bit much. The school is filled with Mormons, Christians, Catholics and Republican conservatives that will judge you if you are not any of those. All the teachers here are so incredibly strict, you get detentions for breathing the same air as your teachers, you get judged for having to use the restroom and if you go, one minute over there, precious, five minute time limit, you get lectured on how your education is more important than using the restroom. I wouldn't recommend this school at all, unless you want your kids to dread going to school, and never have anything to tell you about what they learned.

I went to this school for all of middle school and it was great most of the time the teachers…read morehelped with my anxiety,anger issues , and a lot more the principal was one of the best people I have met and there is a high school right across the street so my older siblings could get to me fast if needed to the only problem was the kids at the school and every single time there was a problem it was fixed the same day. I loved this school and the would to those 3 years all over again if I could

pretty bad school ngl. People are pretty rude there and the teaching is ok but everything else is…read morepretty bad

Golden Hills Private School in El Dorado Hills is a standout option for families seeking both…read morestrong academics and a true sense of community. After having my kids attend for many years, we've consistently been pleased with the education they receive, along with the personal, hands-on approach that comes from being a smaller school. One of the things we value most is how much the school supports character building. Both of my children have grown not only in their learning, but also in their confidence, values, and overall development. The small class sizes allow for meaningful attention, and the personal relationships students form with teachers and the head of school, really make a difference. My wife and I would highly recommend anyone taking the time to check out the Golden Hills program. It's a phenomenal school experience.

They taught 5th grade math in 6th grade so when returning to public school in 7th grade the process…read morewas very difficult.

12/13/2025: Nutcracker's Principle and Co-Principle Performers were stunning, i.e.,…read moreJuilliard-worthy performances! Meanwhile, as I was enjoying the Nutcracker's Juilliard, stellar performances, the OZ disasterous meal was outrageously traumatizing my gut with Montezuma's Revenge which severely dampened my enjoyment! Aside, the photos I took are proof of Juilliard worthy performances! Bravo and Kudos!!!!!

Institutionalized arrogance. The only reason this school…read morelooks good on paper is because local parents are well resourced. Parents hire private tutors, college admissions counselors, coaches, trainers, and a myriad of specialized test prep support to maximize student outcomes. Students are competent and intelligent but it has nothing to do with campus or district administration.

Silva Valley is awesome!!!! We moved to EDH in June so this is my girls first year at Siva Valley…read more The first day of school my daughters teacher paired her up with a girl that has been going to SVE so my daughter would know where everything was at. As a parent that works and you hear this from your daughter was awesome. SVE makes you feel welcome and have a great community to support the teachers and kids.

The best elementary school in the Sacramento area! We moved to El Dorado Hills from the Bay Area to…read moreget away from the school system. Being a mother with a child that has a severe learning disability, I'm extremely pleased with the academic support my child receives from the Silva Valley teachers, specialists, and administration. Makes a difference to have support from the principal. Very happy and will recommend this school to anyone moving to the area.

The Cottonwood School has a hybrid High School Called -Cottonwood College Prep Academy…read more(Montessori-inspired charter high school). As a Montessori School Educator and a mom of three children, my children were Montessori-educated from kindergarten to eighth grade. At the time of my first daughter's 8th-grade graduation from The California Montessori Project, I had concerns about how she would adjust to public school. However, I did not have a choice. She stated that adapting to these new surroundings was hard and often didn't want to go to school. It was heartbreaking to see her so upset. She was just one person in class, but the teachers didn't have time to help her. They had too many students coming through their class to provide the guidance that she needed. My second daughter entered her freshman year under COVID/ Zoom in the Public school three years later. She struggled and was about to fail her freshman year when I happened to find out through a friend about the Cottonwood College Prep Academy, which was Montessori-Inspired in El Dorado Hills. I was beyond excited to take a chance. For my daughter's sophomore year, I transferred her from the public school system to CCPA. My daughter was extremely shy, but with all the one-on-one help and support from all the teachers, she never had a chance to fall through the cracks. She was able to stay after school and get the support she needed. My daughter received the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma upon graduation. She has overcome her shyness and grown into a self-sufficient adult working in retail while pursuing her college degree in nursing. I owe the CCPA teachers and staff all the credit. Principal, Dr. Jodiann Beeson and Board President, Dr. Norman Lorenz developed this idea that students need to experience Montessori-style learning in High School. I urge you to experience it for yourself by taking a tour!

AP Physics teacher Lisa Moore is the worst teacher, She teaches almost nothing, and her grading is…read moreextremely unfair. So many good students perform poorly in her class, She said to the students, If you guys do bad nothing good for me, If you do good nothing good for me either. School can't do anything about it. Feel bad for our kids.

Sister played a volleyball game there, students from this high school were making inappropriate…read morenoises after being told to stop numerous times, being disrespectful to the parents, when the head person was informed he laughed about it. when a parent was walking past a group of boys to go in the lobby the boys made inappropriate comments about her and when AD was told about it he didn't do anything, they where told to stop acting the way they were, and mouthed off to the ref, AD was told and went to "talk to the boys". but instead laughed with them and they continued to make inappropriate noises. these kids are unmannered and give a bad look to there school and it just shows with the way admin handled the situation.