J. J. Hill Montessori School

"Went here for 7 years, this school has a great learning environment and welcoming and friendly community with great teachers."

"I could not think of a worse school. Parents had warned me FOR YEARS about the bullying culture but I thought Montessori education was better and that the school cared about my son and his disabilities. No, forget it, there could not have been a worse school for my son. After a parent of the bully came to my front door with her CRYING son to apologize for the severe bullying, the school FORMALLY DENIED that the bullying ever happened. I still have the voicemails! After my son’s psychiatrist recommended that we immediately place him in a new school halfway through his final year there, my son begged to at least return for the school graduation ceremony at the end of the year. The pricipal, who denied bullying after the parent and child ADMITTED IT, then went on, at the last minute, to deny my son the ability to return to his class, with his friends, with whom he went through the tragedy of losing his best friend, Philando Castile during their years together, in order to graduate with his peers after his own teacher requested a special honorary diploma for him. My child had to then go through THAT pain on top of years of bullying and tragedy. I can’t even DISCUSS the worst part of all of this, which involved the terrible school social worker committing fraud and going against a court order and breaking HIPPA law, because it enrages and traumatizes me too much to allow my heart to experience the reliving of the nightmare that occurred under this new administration’s pricipal. My son’s great-grandfather was a principal of Como High school and his grandfather taught for over 40 years at Harding High and nothing has been more disappointing for our family than the treatment of our son at the hands at JJHill in St. Paul Public Schools. Thank G-d that Virginia Richardson herself (PACER) got involved with the superintendent (and several school board members are now involved, as well) and another principal to ensure the current safety of my child. If you are on the fence about JJHill because you have heard from others about the school’s bullying culture under this new principal, then please, allow the sharing of my son’s story to be what moves you to DO BETTER for your own child. I was warned by other parents and I didn’t listen properly, believing it could never happen to “my child”, and kept him there based on what I believed was a good school for my son. It wasn’t and I haven’t slept in months due to the horrific treatment, by the school, that was a pure danger to my child. I can only testify that taking your child out of JJHIll will be the best decision you could ever make for your family. Do not be fooled by the ”great reputation” of JJHILL alone - I assure you, their reputation is merely a current history lesson and nothing more."

"I went here for preschool all the way too 5th grade and it's such a good school wouldn't have ever regret going there ever"

"This is a great school with awesome teachers. My kids both love it there. Especially good if your kids are high energy or need some freedom in their learning experience."

"My son went from preschool all the way thru 6th grade. I was really grateful for the education he received. He had remarkable and devoted teachers. My husband and I were drawn to JJ Hill partly in that it is one of the few Peace sites in Minnesota. I was only disappointed in that there was no real formal teaching or focus on peace training."