Kirby Hall School

I love the combination of a Classical approach to education, a curriculum that has been proven in some of the world’s best private schools, as well as a focus on accommodating the need to challenge the academically gifted child. We love the small class sizes as well as a healthy inclusion of outdoor playtime into the school day. The fact that Kirby Hall is in such a beautiful setting close to downtown (and work) is a big plus! Kirby is a beautiful school, with devoted teachers and staff.

We love Kirby Hall school. I read the review by Ron prior to enrolling our child and then spoke to other parents actually at the school. Ron’s experience seems to be in the minority.
Our child is now in her third year there and everything has been great, both academically and socially. Since we are still in the middle school grades I cannot attest to the experience of HS and more advanced classes. However, I do know that my child, when compared to other kids the same age, is covering much more advanced materials and reading at a much higher level than her public school cohorts. And she came from a really good public school, Casis, but definitely had to up her game a bit to meet Kirby Hall Standards. In middle school she is covering some of the same material one of her siblings is covering in first year HS.
Some of the other complaints Ron listed have not been seen by us. We’ve only been there 3 years but in that time have only seen one teacher turnover. And two teachers leave on maternity but then come back. The non teacher staff is incredibly supportive, on top of each and every child, we are never left with lingering questions or concerns and problems are dealt with immediately.
Some of the other complaints, like the bible thumping sermon at graduation has also not been seen. We are not religious and before enrolling my child I wanted to make sure that my child would be taught various topics, like science and health, in a secular manner. I also wanted to make sure the school would be accommodating to other cultures as well as non discriminatory for all people in our society, people of color, LGBT, etc. I wanted my child to be in an inclusive environment. I have been more than satisfied in how this is handled by the school. There are children and families from all over with many backgrounds. Maybe in 09 when Ron’s review was written that was the case, but I have not seen it in recent years.
The ‘begging for money’ part… well welcome to the world of private schools. This is the 4^th private school for our family and I can tell you, it is the same everywhere, running a school is expensive and they all need the money. And comparatively, the tuition for Kirby is less than most in the area.
And the part about the kids being on drugs, antisocial, spoiled rich kids, WOW! I haven’t seen ANY of that. Kirby tries very hard to foster a community spirit, and it’s small enough that everyone knows everyone. Again, the HS part might be different but it is also so small that when one says drug use was universal, ughhh, I don’t even know where to start, I have heard that said about EVERY school since the 60s, and I’m tired of it. And then there is the line about his daughter’s best friend who ‘slept with every boy in HS’. That might actually only mean 3. It’s also a really slanderous thing to say and has nothing to do with the school in particular, only with one troubled teen. A girl who should not be singled out for public review! It’s the clincher point of Ron’s review that made me think that he is very bitter about something and not letting it go.
I think when most people consider looking at a school like Kirby they are looking for younger children, maybe through middle school. PLEASE do not let that awful review by Ron intimidate you. Most of the HS students that are there are students that have been there for years and have chosen to i in a comfortable environment. I cannot attest personally to the academics of the HS level because we are not there yet. But for grade and middle school, I have found that the learning level is high, as are the expectations of each student. If you are thinking of going, spend a day there, talk to the other parents, you will get a much better picture of how things really go.

I attended Kirby Hall school for seven years and graduated from there. It was a terrific education. I got into the University of Texas, which was my school of choice, as a national merit scholar. After my excellent Kirby Hall education, I was able to place out of most of my pre-​requisites: Chemistry, English, History, Math.
As an alum, my favorite thing about the school is how they have kept tuition down. It’s not a private school for rich kids. It’s a school that a middle class family can afford. Austin is well served by this institution.
I get occasional mailings from the school and every year, it seems, they win the state-​wide Private School Interscholastic Association Academic Tournament, which, by that measure at least, makes it the best school in Texas. Add that to the fact that the school is financially within reach for many. This is a great place to send your children to learn.

I was a teacher for 12 years in the public schools, and we regrettably enrolled our daughter in KH’s high school. I think KH can be a wonderful place for younger kids, but they just don’t have the funding and resources for a decent high school program. The materials, activities, top teachers, etc. for a good high school program are VERY expensive, and KH just doesn’t have it.
Plus, their political climate is horrible. They go through principals like candy, as well as teachers. The place is rife with people on petty little power trips, trying to «play school.» They wouldn’t last a week in a real school environment.
Even the graduation ceremony was warped: the speaker gave what was a bible-​thumping church sermon, while the five graduating students sat BEHIND him.
The high school science class was in a tiny little storage room off one end of the cafeteria. There was nothing in there but a few microscopes and some bottles of chemicals on a shelf. That’s their ENTIRE science department. Our daughter’s sole science experiment consisted of collecting 100 different plants, identifying them and gluing them into a scrapbook.
Their one, single Physics class was taught by the Spanish teacher, who used an 8^th grade level textbook. This is typical. They couldn’t find a Physics teacher. They didn’t even HAVE a Chemistry class; what in the world would they teach it with? Chemistry sets from Toys-​R-​Us?
Our neighborhood public high school, in contrast, had Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Chemistry III, Organic Chemistry, Molecular Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Special Projects Chemistry, etc. and had science lab budgets in the TENS of MILLIONS of dollars.
One student’s parents who were good friends of ours actually sued KH, because their daughter went through with straight A’s and couldn’t get accepted to a decent college. After «graduating» from KH, her parents actually put her in a public high school for an additional year, to «catch up.»
We got tired of their constant begging for money — like, we’d get an invitation in the mail to a student art show, with a note, «be sure and bring your checkbooks!!!» Oh, please.
Remember, a LOT of these middle and high school KH students are kids who can’t fit in a public school environment. They have emotional problems up the wazoo. Our daughter’s best friend was on 80 mg. of Prozac, had major depression, and had sex with every boy in the KH high school. Everybody called her «the psycho.»
Drug use was universal. Remember, these are spoiled, immature little rich kids with all kinds of emotional issues, and with plenty of money to spend on whatever they think will make them happy at the moment.
Our daughter graduated with straight A’s, and like the others, couldn’t get into a decent college anywhere. She finally got a summer probationary admission to UT. Whoopity-​doo.
Think VERY carefully before putting a teenager in a place like KH. Yes, it’s warm and fuzzy, but remember, your kid won’t learn about the real world by growing up in a closet. For example, an old friend’s daughter went to a huge Austin high school with about 3,000 students. A classic big-​city, urban high school. She came home crying every day because some other kids were teasing her, or some crazy teenage daily trauma.
BUT. that is REAL LIFE. There are all kinds of people out there, and you HAVE to learn to deal with them. That’s part of your education. What happened to this girl? She ended up going to UT as a Plan II Honors student, with a double major in Mathematics and Neurobiology, and earned a full scholarship to Duke University Medical School. She’s currently a neurosurgery resident. Would she have made it that far if she’d gone to Kirby Hall and its little rinky-​dink «science room»? Uh, I don’t think so.
I think KH needs to drop its secondary school (9 – 12) program and shift those funds and effort to its elementary program. KH is a great place for the young kids. It’s a very warm, rich environment that brings back memories of the old neighborhood school I went to back in the 50’s. I loved going into the KH building, and I wouldn’t hesitate to enroll my younger child there, up to about the 6^th or 7^th grade.
But for the older kids, Kirby Hall, with all good intentions, is simply in way, WAY over its head.