Berkeley Parents Network: Hillcrest Elementary School

Berkeley Parents Network

Hillcrest Elementary School

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > Oakland Public Schools > Hillcrest Elementary School

See also: Our neighborhood school was overenrolled - what can we do!?

March 2008

We just received notice today from OUSD that we were denied entrance to Hillcrest Elementary, although we live in the current school boundaries and purchased our home at a premium because of the school. Although we knew about last year's fiasco, as of January we were told at a school meeting that there might be 47 spaces available for the fall and approximately 60 some children in the neighborhood wanting a spot. Does anyone know how many spots are available for kindergarten this fall and how many children in the neighborhood applied? How did OUSD choose which kids in the neighborhood got in and which didn't? What are the chances of getting into Hillcrest via their appeals process? We applied to private schools as a backup, but even if we get accepted to any next week, we're not in a financial position to accept unless we want to go into heavy debt and not have any retirement or college money. anon

While it is unfortunate that your child was not selected in the lottery for Hillcrest, (and you are correct that there were over 60 applicants), your only other option is not private school. The two other schools to which students were redirected were Chabot and Thornhill. Chabot has API scores that rival Hillcrest's and frankly, Chabot has a much nicer campus than Hillcrest especially with the $13 million building project they are undertaking. Also, Chabot is a great community and is very close to the Hillcrest neighborhood. If your child was admitted to Thornhill, that school was awarded the California Distinguished School Award in 2006 (which is the most recent cycle for elementary schools), an award that is given to just a handful of the over 9,000 schools in California. Given these facts, I just don't get your question. Surely driving to a private school would be just as far or farther away than Chabot or Thornhill and these schools are as good as any private school your child would go to in my opinion.

If you appeal, and someone who was admitted to Hillcrest does not choose to go, then your child might be admitted. I would guess they would do a lottery among the appeals to fill any slots that open up.

I encourage you to visit the school to which you were admitted and at least research it a bit. Hillcrest is a good school but the world isn't going to end if your child attends Chabot or Thornhill. In fact, those schools might be a better fit for your child. The other schools to which students were redirected are the next closest neighborhood school and have a lot to offer. Open your mind to the possibilities and make the kindergarten choice with your child's well-being in mind. anon

Dear denied, Boy, do I understand what you are going through. I went through it last year. We were denied our school in the hills as well, after owning here for 9 years. You should follow the appeals request process, it worked for me. Fill out the form and be the first one in line at the appeals office on the start date, even if you have to be there at 6:30am. Be the first one to get your paperwork stamped with the date and time for proof of placement on the waiting list for Hillcrest. Get names of all the people at the appeals office, introduce yourself and tell them your situation. Be nice but firm. Go visit these folks every week. Be the polite squeaky wheel. Write a letter to the principal at Hillcrest - introduce yourself, explain your situation and describe your intentions of participation at the school. Visit the school secretary, let him/her know who you are, inquire how the waiting list is going - every week. Go back to the appeals office,inquire again about your placement. Phone calls get you nowhere. After four weeks, our appeal was accepted and our kindergardener was placed in our local hills school. What a stressful event and I'm sorry you have to go through this. It is possible to get in - good luck. Mom on a mission

There are other good elementary schools in Oakland, you were probably re-directed to one of them. You might even like these schools better than Hillcrest once you check them out. I would consider other public schools before spending more than you want to on private. oakland parent

hello, my understanding is that 40 kindergartners were accepted at Hillcrest for the fall of 2008.

The options/open enrollment priorities for incoming
kindergartners are the following:
1. Neighborhood siblings
2. Neighborhood students and re-directs from overcrowded
neighborhoods
3. Non-Neighborhood siblings
4. PI status of neighborhood school
5. Lottery

Assignment letters will be mailed out by March 1st, after which families will have an opportunity to submit an appeal. Appeals will only be accepted for one school, and waitlists will be generated for neighborhood students and siblings. Students will be moved off of the waitlist through the first three weeks of the semester. The assignment letter will also inform elementary families that they have to confirm registration at the school sites by a specific date in May. Elementary families which do not confirm their registration by the May deadline will forfeit their assignment. this and additional information may be found at: http://www.hillcrestpta.org/news/enroll/index.shtml good luck. Hillcrest parent

I am a current Hillcrest parent and I have a child who will be in Kindergarten in the fall. I am sorry to hear that your child did not get placed at Hillcrest. The enrollment issue has been upsetting and disruptive to the whole community and yes, it has hit your home especially hard. If you are not already on the waiting list for Hillcrest - get down to the OUSD offices and get on the list. There will be some children who were admitted who will not attend (I personally know of 2) so there is hope in that area. Also, I suggest you stick out the waiting through to the fall, even if you have to pay some non-refundable fees to private schools. There is always a chance someone will decide closer to the start of school to hold their child back a year. As far as numbers go, there is some info on that at the Hillcrestpta.org website in the enrollment planning section. Basically, they admitted 40 kids and redirected 22. 40 is the number the principal said she expected to admit when she spoke at the Kindergarten orientation in January. At that time she also said that the group may be divided into one class of 27 and one split class of 13 Ks combined with first graders. I have since spoken to her and she said she does not at this time know how the classes will be split and won't for sure until just before school starts. She also said that she fully expected to admit people off of the waitlist to keep the total number of K kids at 40. I hope that helps. Good Luck

March 2008

I am one mom of a two mom family. We have a child who is about to start Kindergarten at Hillcrest Elementary, a public school in Oakland. I am wanting to know anything anyone knows about gay friendly teachers, parents, environment at Hillcrest. For instance, are there other gay/lesbian parents who currently have kids in the school, are there gay/lesbian teachers, what is done in the school to celebrate and embrace this sort of diversity? All feedback would be very welcome. Thanks in advance.

hi, regarding you question about Hillcrest and whether or not it is gay friendly, it may be best for you to speak with the principal so you can get some reassurances. in my opinion, Hillcrest has been a very open and welcoming school. i know we've had gay/lesbian parents and there may have been staff as well (not sure though). i also know that EXPOSURE, a new parent group at the school is looking into showing the film, ''It's a Family'' (a film about different families -- divorce, two moms, two dads, grandparents). i think the staff and parents look forward to celebrating and embracing diversity at Hillcrest. if you choose to come to our school, you may want to join and participate in EXPOSURE. HC parent

Hi there, People usually rave about Hillcrest because of test scores and parental involvement in this small community. We probably are a 'minority' voice, but our family has found the school to be sorely lacking any diversity in family structure or socio-economics. I am a single parent. In my daughter's grade (approx 48 kids), there is only one other single parent. There are no gay or lesbian parents, there are no adopted or sperm donor kids. Nor are differences in kids overtly welcomed in any way. Parents have privately expressed 'puzzlement'and vague 'concern' to me that my daughter was conceived by sperm donation; some classmates have told her that she is ''lying'' about not having a father. Needless to say, there is no visible gay or lesbian population. Everyone pretty much looks and acts the same, and if you're different it is not seen as an enrichment to the school community.

Though the academics are absolutely solid, there are a lot of sahm moms who volunteer, and the fundraising is off the charts, if you're looking for a diverse or gay-friendly community, this school does not make any list.

We have lived in other neighborhoods and gone to cool schools (we have an older son who has never gone to Hillcrest) that truly are welcoming and broader communities, both public and private. We too moved here for the school but had no idea what social program we had signed up for (and no, you can't tour ahead of time).

This is not just a rant by the way. We applied for and just got into a private school so that my child can actually -- ironically -- experience a diverse, real world that this 'hills' school could never have. The money is worth what it will provide my child in the long run. Good luck. Anon

May 2007

We’re outgrowing our tiny house in outer Glenview and are looking to move into a neighborhood with a good school. Although I hear positive things about Glenview Elem, since we have the opportunity to move into one of the top school zones we’d like to take advantage of it. We would love to be able to get into Hillcrest, but my understanding is that after this year’s enrollment chaos there will be no guarantees for kindergartners who live in the catchment area going forward (my oldest will start kindergarten Fall 2010). So, we wonder if it’s really worth it to move into Upper Rockridge when there’s a chance we may not even get in our neighborhood school?? I can’t imagine how frustrating and disappointing that would be. I heard that the kids who originally didn’t get into Hillcrest were put into Chabot or Kaiser, which are apparently decent? If we put our money toward a home in Hillcrest and don’t get into a good school we won’t be able to afford private. I know we have a few years, but we’d like to act now before rates and prices go up again. We’ve thought about Piedmont, but for what we can afford we could probably only get something smaller than what we already have. My husband wants to scrap it all and move to Marin (I know, super expensive), but I really like Oakland. Someone suggested renting and see if we get in Hillcrest before buying, but I don’t know if that area has a lot of rentals. Any advice/opinions/experience appreciated.
Stressed, Confused & Frustrated

I moved to Upper Rockridge a few years ago and my child attends Hillcrest. I love the neighborhood, it's safe and convenient and beautiful. Hillcrest is a very nice school but it is having significant overcrowding issues, not just at the kindergarten level. Contrary to what you heard it is not at all clear how this will be handled in years to come. This year the district originally accepted 40 kindergarten students for Fall of 07 but gave in to pressure from redirected families and currently there are slated to be 65 coming in. A committee has been formed to make recommendations for the 08 year and beyond but that work is just beginning and it is a purely advisory committee. So by the time your child enters kindergarten it will be all sorted out, one hopes, but it is too soon to say how. I have a younger child who will start kindergarten in a few years and I have to say that I am feeling more and more comfortable with the thought of Kaiser or Chabot particularly if they are not overcrowded, but like everyone else I'll just have to wait and see.. anon

Don't move for Hillcrest -- or at least not if you think you absolutely must go to your neighborhood school. There is simply no guarantee that you will get in and now that there is better notice being provided to parents early on in the enrollment process, it is likely that your child could end up in a lottery where they may or may not get in. Of course, this all depends on how many kids there are in any particular K class that are also in the neighborhood and want to attend the school. Glenview is a great school, so are Chabot and Kaiser. There are so many things that make a school special and I think it makes no sense to just rely on some statement that X or Y school is the best. There are several schools in Oakland that score an 8-10 on the statewide tests, meaning that they are doing a great job in meeting state standards. But, a school is a lot more than a test score. It is the teachers, the other kids, the other parents, the effort they all put in, the outdoor space, and the programs. Chabot is not just a good school. It's terrific. Glenview is also an up and comer, so are Temescal and Peralta. So my advice is take a broader view of your child's education, realize that where they go to elementary school does not dictate their future, and look for the up and coming areas with high parental involvement. In those areas, you'll get better value for a home (with enough room) and when your child gets old enough for school, your neighborhood school will be a great option for you. anon

Hillcrest:

Advantages: Great Parental Involvement, High Test Scores, Principal who is aware of community resources (for gifted kids, remedial students, sports, science, etc.), K - 8 so the kids really know each other. Nearly everyone at the school lives in the neighborhood. More money for ''gifted'' kids because many have been identified as such.

Disadvantages: High pressure on the kids to perform on tests and to get tutors so they can if they are not ahead. Kids are called ''gifted'' because they are not tested for giftedness for given the designation because of standardized test scores. Few children of color or different socioeconomic backgrounds attend the school although some live in the neighborhood.. Because 6 - 8 grade students make up such a small population there are fewer teachers with ''in depth'' expertise simply because there are fewer teachers for fewer students. I also found the attitude of ''We are the best'' a little off-putting.

In the end, I chose to send my son to St. Paul's Episcopal School even though I am only a few doors down from Hillcrest. The pressure to perform and the lack of diversity were the main factors in my decision. Qualify for Hillcrest but chose No

I can't really speak to any of your questions regarding Hillcrest but was wondering if you've considered Orinda, Moraga, or Lafayette? All three have excellent schools and are only about 10-15 mins away. I grew up in Oakland, and we were originally looking for homes in the Hillcrest area as well. We had the same issue with not being able to afford private school after putting our money into a house. So we decided to move to Moraga instead. Our rationale was that they had excellent schools all the way through to college. With Hillcrest, we knew we would probably have to consider private school for high school. My kids are in elementary now and we absolutely love their school! All the schools here are equally good, so it was such a relief to not have to worry about whether we would get into the school we wanted or not. We are also very relieved not to have to struggle with the question of whether to stay in the public school system or move to private after elementary, as our friends who have stayed in Oakland are doing. Moraga has a small town feel too, which we love. It really feels like a community, which is great. Hope this helps and good luck with your decision! Happy Mom

Dear Stressed, Confused and Frustrated,

As a current Hillcrest parent my advice to you would be that if you love the neighborhood and want to move here because of that, then you should do so. If your only reason for moving to the neighborhood is for Hillcrest, I would say that this is not worth taking the chance on since there is no guarantee that your child will be admitted to the school.

As you know, the 2007 kindergarten enrollment process for Hillcrest was a complete fiasco. Neither the incoming kindergarteners, or the current children will be served well by this ''child surge''. Hillcrest has very limited facilities in terms of space, playground, bathrooms, etc., and admitting that many new students only results in over crowding and less than optimal teaching/learning environment for all involved. The school is way over capacity, and the children at the lower grades will continue to be most impacted for a longer period of time by this recent decision.

Regarding Chabot and Kaiser; both of these schools are good, and Chabot's API scores rival Hillcrest's. Kaiser is not far behind. I think you should have a look at these schools for yourself, talk to some parents at the school and see what you think. You may be pleasantly surprised and decide you want to move to the neighborhood after all as you will have 3 choices, not just 1! There are many good schools in Oakland, they just aren't on parents' radars for a variety of reasons. I have learned that API scores don't tell the whole story about what a school has to offer its students.

You may not know this, and you should know that currently at Hillcrest there are 2 classes each for grades K-3, then 1 class in 4 and 1 class in 5. The middle school, which is a primary reason for Hillcrest's popularity, has 2 classes. Admitting more children than the school has capacity for will not only continue to result in overcrowded classes (the class reduction act of 1996 of 20 or less in K-3 isn't happening at Hillcrest any longer) but will also result in split (combination) classes from grades K-5 as the ''surge'' spills over to other grades and there isn't physical classroom space to accomodate all the children.

As you can see, admitting more kids than the campus has room for is negating many of the reasons (one of them being smaller class sizes) that have made Hillcrest a great school. Rather than stuffing Hillcrest to the brim, it would be more productive to replicate the successful Hillcrest K-8 model at other Oakland schools. Hopefully OUSD will seriously consider this and parents will become involved to make it happen.

Good luck in your decision. Hillcrest parent

The advantage of Hillcrest is that it is K-8 (my impression is that it also offers more extracurriculars as well). The enrollment process for this year's incoming kindergarten class was messy, but at the end everybody that wanted to get in did in fact get in. There is a school committee being formed right now tasked with coming up with a long term solution to the enrollment issue. As I understand it, one option is to install portables but there is opposition because they just finished a wonderful two story building to get rid of the old portables. Another option under consideration is redrawing the boundary lines for the catchment area and it would seem logical to draw it at Broadway Terrace. Good luck, anon

Jan 2007

Can anyone provide insight or advice on transferring to Hillcrest as a 6th grader? We live in Rockridge and my daughter is currently at Chabot and our local middle school is Claremont which is a low performing school. I have heard that many Hillcrest students leave for private schools after 5th grade, but does this mean there are openings for middle schoolers? If so, how likely is is that my kid could get in and what can I do to improve her chances. We would have to sell our second born in order to send our oldest to private school and I would hate to do that- he is really cute! mama looking for options

Hello. You can always request Hillcrest middle school via the OUSD options program (applications are due now). Because Hillcrest is so small, space is very limited at the middle school (2 teachers, each teach a combination class made up of 6- 8 graders). Very few children leave Hillcrest after 5th grade, so I doubt there will be many openings for middle school, but it never hurts to give it a try. Good luck! HC parent

February 2005

We are debating between Hillcrest public school and several private schools (admittance unknown yet, of course). We are particularly interested in hearing from parents of Hillcrest kids in the upper elementary grades: 3,4,5. The kindergarten looks great but we have uneasiness beyond that. colin

Our two children, who are now in second and fifth grades, have attended Hillcrest since kindergarten. Our experience has been great! I love the school and love how it connects our family to our neighborhood. The classes are challenging, the teachers are committed and the principal is dedicated, smart and resourceful. No school is perfect -- I wish we had more performing arts and a bigger grassy area. But we are committed to staying through middle school. I would be happy to talk with anyone about the school. Jacqueline

January 2004

Would be very interested in hearing families' firsthand thoughts about their child's experiences at Hillcrest School in Oakland. I've also heard it's very difficult to get into the school, even if you live in the zone (which we don't). Anyone know about that and/or how those decisions are made?

We are new HC Kindergarden family this year. The school has been excellent, and Principal Beverly R made clear the commitment to admit (to K) every child who wanted to come who lives in the districted area. Once in, I think (not sure) you get to stay thru upper grades. Large dropoff at 6th grade as many students migrate away to private middle schools. ben

Hillcrest is a very small, high performing K-8 public school of 283 students. (YES! We have a middle school!) We are one of two Oakland schools with API scores of over 900. Our academic performance often surpasses Piedmont schools. Our PTA is very active and supports us by providing computer, art, dance/drama/music, librarian and aides. The Hillcrest Language School offers Spanish and French classes before and after school. Adventure Time provides before and after school child care. For a fee, we have after school classes such as Rythm and Drums, Mad Science, Art, Chess Club, and American Sign Language.

Because of our small size, we are not an Open Enrollment school. We do all that we can do to enroll all of the entering Kindergarten students who live in our attendance area. After Kindergarten, we have very little space and sometimes must divert students who move into our area to other Oakland schools with openings. Realtors are told to inform prospective home-buyers that living in the Hillcrest neighborhood does not guarentee enrollment at Hillcrest.

Our community is close. You'll find that your best friends will be the parents of your children's friends. Feel free to call the school should you have any questions at 879-1270. But please be reminded that because of our size, we do not enroll students outside of our attendance area. beverly

January 2003

I'd like to hear any general feedback about Hillcrest Elementary School. Also, I've heard that enrollment is not necessarily guaranteed for students, even if they live in the surrounding neighborhood--anyone have any further information on this? Is it really a problem? Thanks! future Hillcrest parent

We're trying to decide between Hillcrest and Head- Royce/Bentley for Kindergarten. We're concerned about the difference in class sizes at Hillcrest starting in 4th grade, as well as the potential for class sizes to increase in earlier grades as schools get hit with the Oakland/CA budget crisis. Any information would be appreciated. -- contemplating

In response to inquiries regarding Hillcrest. I have a Kindergartener there now, as well as a 1st grader at St. Theresa. While I still plan on my Kindergartener moving over to St. Theresa, it is with great regret that we will leave Hillcrest. Alice Rochester and Ann Henderson run the most incredible Kindergarten class I have ever seen. My daughter loves school (that is saying a lot) and she is learning so much. The academics are much more that I thought they would be (that is a good thing in my opinion). I cannot comment on other grades as I do not have students attending them. Carolyn

My sons attend Hillcrest (first and second grade), and my sister attended the school for nine years; she's now a junior at USC. Let me touch on some of the pluses and minuses of Hillcrest.

I am very pleased with both the educational and social envoronment at Hillcrest. The principal, Beverly Rothenberg, is an absolute gem. She is committed not only to the academic achievement of her students, but she's also tireless when it comes to community building.

The schools boasts an incredibly active group of parents, and many of the teachers welcome parental involvement in the classroom; I've been able to read in both of my sons classrooms on a weekly basis, for example. As one might expect, the PTA does a great job of fundraising, and there are a number of very innovative ideas in the pipeline.

I've also been happy with the teachers there, but I'll only mention the ones who we've had direct experience with. As noted in a previous post, Alice Rochester is fantastic with the kindergardeners. Missy Callaghan teaches first grade, and while I've heard some parents find her a bit strict, I (and my son) really like her and her classroom atmosphere. Melissa Catalano is new to the school, and my second garder adores her. She does a great job of giving the kids interesting assignments, and she's very energetic.

As for the minuses...the community is more ethnically diverse than I expected (given that my kids are African-American and Mexican-American, that's important to our family), but there's not a whole lot of economic diversity. I fear that some of the kids may have a skewed perspective on our capitalist society; one child, upon hearing that I returned from a business trip, asked me if I flew first class! (Um, well, no.) The parental playground grapevine among parents have mentioned a split between folks who live in pre-firestorm and post-firestorm housing, but I don't think that's a significant problem.

All in all, I'm thrilled that my sons are fortunate enough to attend Hillcrest, and I'm sure we'll be there through eighth grade. Eric

I have two children in Hillcrest (K and 1st grade) and I am also involved in the PTA.

Where to start: the teachers are wonderful, very patient, very witty, they keep the children challenged and are great persons to talk to. Any issue is immediately addressed no matter how insignificant it seems. The principal is great both as a person and as a ''manager'', is always on top of things, she makes a real effort to bring new extra curriculum programs, quality teachers and promote positive life skills and values in our children. In addition to music, art and P.E we have a language program that offers French and Spanish. The parents are very involved in classes and PTA and the different events. There is a new additional building that will start to develop this summer. Only positive things happening through the combined effort of principal/teachers/parents/community.

My children and I are very happy, it's a great community, great school and very good academics. We are proud to be part of Hillcrest School. Simona

May 2002

my son will start kindergarten at hillcrest elem (oakland) in fall 2003. right now he goes to a full-time preschool (8am to 6pm). this is convenient since my husband and i work full- time. what do hillcrest parents (who work full-time) do with their kids during the hours that kindergarten is not in session? are there before and afterschool programs on campus? private daycare centers that transport kids? suzie

Yes, Hillcrest Elementary School has on-site daycare between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. It's called Adventure Time and they can be reached at 658-7412. You should sign up now to be sure your child has a spot in the Fall. Also, see the web site http://www.adventure-time.com/ See you at Hillcrest next year! - Sharon (mother of a Kindergartener and 2nd grader at Hillcrest)

October 2001

Hi - Hilcrest Elementary School in Oakland I'm doing the school tour thing these days for my prospective kindergardener, and our public elementary school is Hilcrest in Oakland. I would like to know what folks think about the school, and in hearing from both parents who chose the school as well as from those who opted for private rather than send their kids to Hilcrest. Lisa

I have two children currently at Hillcrest School in Oakland (Kindergarten and second grade). It's a fabulous neighborhood public school. We looked into private schools before deciding on Hillcrest (we were pretty sure about Hillcrest, but just wanted to explore all the options) and came to the conclusion that Hillcrest was just as good as the private schools. There is a *very* active parent community (PTA) at Hillcrest and great teachers. If there is anything specific you would like to know, feel free to contact me. - Sharon

The opinions and statements expressed on this website are those of parents who subscribe to the Berkeley Parents Network. Please see Disclaimer & Usage for information about using content on this website.