Holton classroom and facilities

[Anonymous]

Would like to hear from current parents how the classrooms and facilities are, particularly at the lower school level?

We are exploring Holton and had a tour of the lower school buildings. We’re not necessarily looking for the newest, shiniest, state of the art facilities (which sometimes can seem sterile), but first impression when we visited is that the classrooms, hallways, library, etc., appeared darker, older, stuffier than some of the other independent school’s elementary classrooms which had large windows, felt more airy, brighter (well-lit), newer, but we couldn’t tell if it was because of the time of day we visited Holton.

We also didn’t get to see the pool, middle or upper school facilities.

Can current parents share a bit more as our impression was limited by the few times we got to see the campus?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Are you for real? The LS is gorgeous. My DD loved it. We found it vibrant and lively. Staying through HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you for real? The LS is gorgeous. My DD loved it. We found it vibrant and lively. Staying through HS.

Our DD is starting MS this fall. Compared to other independents (Potomac, Madeira), Holton's facilities are not as modern nor impressive. They are very nice and more than adequate, but not the best around. For us, we want them to spend their budget wisely on faculty/staff and programs, and avoid tuition increases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you for real? The LS is gorgeous. My DD loved it. We found it vibrant and lively. Staying through HS.

Gorgeous compared to what? We also toured a few privates in the DMV area and weren’t impressed with Holton’s facilities when compared to other privates, but for us we would still consider for the academics and faculty. OP asked specifically about facilities.

[Anonymous]

Holton parent here: the facilities are a relative weak point compared to some peer schools—it’s not Potomac for sure—but they seem good enough not to have hampered our daughters experience there, and the location was very convenient for us so it was kind of a wash. Apparently the food is thought well of. Subjectively, the campus always felt pretty comfortable to me, and we didn’t hear a lot of complaints (except about the current construction, which of course is no fun for those classes affected).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you for real? The LS is gorgeous. My DD loved it. We found it vibrant and lively. Staying through HS.

Our DD is starting MS this fall. Compared to other independents (Potomac, Madeira), Holton's facilities are not as modern nor impressive. They are very nice and more than adequate, but not the best around. For us, we want them to spend their budget wisely on faculty/staff and programs, and avoid tuition increases.

+1

Holton has traditionally emphasized hiring and retaining really good teachers. The facilities are nice, but I appreciate that the school has (at least in the past) focused on making sure the girls have strong academics and a robust curriculum.

However that could change under the new HOS and you should worry more about all the staff and faculty departures within the past six months. That is a much bigger problem than the size of the classroom windows.

[Anonymous]

We’ve loved the facilities at Holton. Not too big/not too small. Decent parking. Well organized drop off/pick-up. Lots of fields, outdoor green space.

They just redid the HS gym and are now redoing the library.

There are things to complain about at Holton, but the facilities aren’t one of them.

Have to wonder who is posting the facilities complaints—there is one for Maret too. Seems suss as the kids would say…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you for real? The LS is gorgeous. My DD loved it. We found it vibrant and lively. Staying through HS.

This.

[Anonymous]

One of the nicest schools in the area.