The McGillis School

McGillis was once an exceptional school with many wonderful teachers, which is why our family stayed for years. Unfortunately, over time our experience changed, and we ultimately felt it was no longer the right environment.
Our biggest concern was student safety. Over several years, our child was kicked, hit, and slapped by other students multiple times. We understand that children make mistakes, but we became frustrated that there seemed to be little escalation in the school's response. Communication was typically by email, not phone calls or meetings, and our child was expected to quickly forgive and resume friendships with students who had repeatedly hurt them. When our child tried to avoid those students, they were told that excluding classmates could be considered bullying. We never felt recurring physical aggression was adequately addressed.
We were also concerned by the lack of parent transparency. Our child described a middle school lesson on pronouns, gender identity, and sexual orientation where students were asked to publicly identify themselves. Regardless of one's views on these topics, we believe parents should receive advance notice when sensitive subjects are discussed so they can support their children. We received none.
Academically, the minimal homework policy seemed appealing at first, but we later realized it left students less prepared for the workload and expectations of high school.
We also watched tuition increase substantially while several programs and community traditions disappeared. At the same time, fundraising became constant. Our family made significant financial contributions because we believed in the school, yet interactions often felt transactional rather than relationship-focused.
Finally, we were disappointed by leadership's response to feedback. When we explained why we were leaving, our concerns were largely dismissed with, "That is the program." Ironically, after many families left, the school later surveyed former parents asking why they departed.
Leaving McGillis was difficult because we truly wanted it to succeed. There are outstanding teachers and families there, and we remain grateful for them. However, concerns about student safety, transparency, leadership, and value ultimately outweighed the positives for our family.