Research Billings Middle School Private Schools in Seattle, Washington

“I give billings 3 stars. My child is in 6th grade and so far the experience has been mediocre and oftentimes very frustrating. There seems to be an overall lack of organization, very poor communication with parents and the facilities are dirty. Getting a straight answer out of faculty and staff is nearly impossible whether it's about curriculum, behavior problems or epxectation. Academically it's been difficult to tell -- vascillating between 'way too easy' and 'about right.' At $20K a year I expected A LOT more.”

“Our son is in 7th grade at Billings and we love it. The academic program is rigorous and he is clearly being well-prepared for high school. Our son is into science and math, and Billings is providing him with excellent classes in these areas. He also loves the tech class (all the kids favorite!) and the geography/history teacher is so amazing that he s developed a great interest in these subjects too. Billings has a very cohesive staff and parent group the parents all know each other, there are many ways to be involved in the school, and the teachers are easy to talk to. There s truly excitement about learning and growing up at Billings the teachers and administration are committed to making these three years a positive experience. There s no reason to simply survive middle school kids deserve a terrific experience and that s what they get at Billings.”

“My daughter had a great experience at Billings. She needed a smaller setting due to lots of illness during elementary school. By the time she finished eighth grade, she had grown so much and was really able to advocate for herself. Best of all, was that this school keeps kids moving. Lots of outdoor experiences. It was holistic in its approach and was very well-rounded. The staff was very helpful, though occasionally one or two times. Go in and see that person and tell them what you're not satisfied about. They will listen.”

“Billings Middle School was the right fit for our family. We looked at all the schools and decided that we needed a small environment for our child to thrive. The staff challenges the students to achieve their personal best. They require the children to take responsibility for their actions and foster independence. The curriculum is challenging and rewarding. The staff is truly caring and looks out for your child. I have not had the experiences mentioned in previous reviews about arrogance or lack of communication. We have had just the opposite experience. We have had ongoing emails with the teachers as well as conferences when we requested them. We were proactive when we noticed our child having problems. The students at Billings are asked to step up and advocate for themselves when they encounter difficulties. Caring for the Middle Schooler emotionally, socially and academically is what they do best.”

“The school isn't all that great. Yes it's nice that they teach students to be independent but what they are failing to teach the kids is that there are consequences for their actions. The curriculum is is nothing short to write home about, it's okay. The staff is nice and genuinely cares about the kids whereas the director of the school...is another story, very arrogant and egotistical. Take your money to another private school.”

“I loved billings. The outdoors program was great, and the teachers have time for each kid. I really loved the drama program too.”

“Our experience with this school was extremely frustrating. While the curriculum had some bright spots, such as a math project in which the kids did an analysis of sales, profits, etc. of a product they sold, much was uninspired and not integrated. For a small school, we found them inflexible on the things we requested, but overly flexible on other things, such as behavioral problems in other kids. The staff did not communicate well with parents, or between themselves, and the school seemed to be ran on a shoe string much of the time, with parents doing a ton, but tuition was over $17K/year. Sports were extra $; there was not enough art integrated. 'Independence' is really pushed in kids, but equated to lack of oversight. Lots of staff turnover. Staff, including director, were arrogant & defensive at times; sorely in need of diversity/anti-bias training.”

“I excelled in the small class sizes and indivual attention I recived from the teachers. Billings created a diverse learning enviroment and great hands on learning techniques. The emotinal and physical soupport Billings provided me with was fantastic! Billings taught me that learning is fun and now i love to learn!”