Current opinions on Hillcrest Elementary

I hate to say it, but Hillcrest is probably the best little gem in Oakland. The younger your children start there the better, because being in a small school with a super great community (and a lot of generous parent funding of "extras" that other OUSD schools may not have) for 9 years is such a gift. Ours just thrives there. It's not perfect - but for an OUSD school, it's pretty amazing. Now - IMO a school like Redwood Day, for instance, may have marginally better MS academics. I don't think we can really compare most private schools to a public MS. But Hillcrest offers so much more in terms of tight neighborhood community. If you live in the zoned area you will get to know everyone nearby and playdates won't involve driving. We were especially pleased with the MS - but I will say a core teacher has since retired and this may have made a difference. My eldest was super prepared for HS and immediately was able to thrive in rigorous classes, now has an outstanding GPA. Buying in this neighborhood and joining Hillcrest was the best decision we made for our kids.