Barton Hills Elementary School

This school is the best school in Texas. The teachers are caring and challenging and don't give up until you get the concept completely. The PE in this school is great I think you will be happy here!

Barton Hills Elementary has some incredible qualities: caring teachers, a very strong and dynamic administrator, emphasis on whole child education and wellness, and one of the best music programs in town. It's also slightly smaller than most elementary schools, and located near downtown Austin.

Barton Hills Elementary is amazing. Academics are very strong, yet students never feel pressured or stressed. There is also a strong emphasis on the arts. My (KINDER) son is learning to read music, has discovered he loves to sing, (thanks to an amazing music teacher) discusses Picasso and Degas, attends a beautiful computer lab weekly & goes to school every morning excited to learn. Huge emphasis on character education: atmosphere is polite, calm, and respectful. I feel like I have stepped back in time (in a good way) whenever I enter the school. The parents are diverse and relaxed, fancy cars mix with rusted old clunkers, and there is never a feeling of snobbery. I looked at every school and neighborhood in Austin before choosing BHE and it's exceeded my expectations. My VERY shy son feels safe here. There are so many parent & grandparent volunteers patiently helping kids who need extra help, it feels very homey. Every teacher is certified to teach gifted students. The older kids (the products of & the best measure of a school) are polite, sweet, and allowed to BE KIDS: a rarity in the world today. You don't ever hear bad language or see bullying. Wonderful atmosphere.

BHE has great kindergarden teachers, however in the oldest grades some teacher don't go further to keep advance students stimulate. This school don't have a strong gifted program. Infrastructure and cafeteria are not very clean and students are constantly sick. Some teachers and personal are not very competitive to manage challenging situations. On the other hand, the school has great parent participation and good PTA. Excellent in the areas of music and the environment is somehow positive. Some teachers make the difference !!