NewHope Academy

3250 North Arlington Heights Road

Arlington Heights, IL 60004

18 Reviews

School District
Grade

6-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by teacher on February 26, 2025

I believe that this school is incredible. People think that things have not been the same since the school was sold, but that is the furthest from the truth. At NHA, we make sure that we only take students who are internalizers and create a safe and caring environment for students who struggle with depression, social anxiety, and many other social-emotional needs. Therapists are there to support and give the students the help they need. Teachers are challenging, and we are the only therapeutic school that offers AP courses. We know that the students are not coming to us because they are incapable of learning; they come to us because they need a little extra support to do so. This school is all about community and ensuring everyone feels they are meant to be here.
Submitted by teacher on November 11, 2024

NewHope Academy is a therapeutic school that is a compassionate and supportive environment that prioritizes the needs of students with emotional disabilities. With a dedicated team of educators focused on helping students succeed and eventually reintegrate into their home schools, the school fosters an atmosphere of inclusivity, acceptance, and genuine care. This commitment creates a nurturing space where students can thrive both academically and emotionally.
Submitted by student on September 05, 2024

I wouldn't recommend this school to anyone. Nobody deserves to be here and overall it made me so much worse. I remember my first day... I had hope to change and get better. The school owner at the time was very caring and overall cared for the students at NHA. Then she sold the school to SESI which in all honesty is the same as a public school system; has no remorse for bullying, brought kids who were externalizers, and simply brought staff who didn't know what they were doing. Many therapists here do not care about their students. Many therapists rely on you to fix school issues such as bullying, staff assists, and things that happen. You're always in a lose-lose situation. If you try to cope on your own they call a therapist, and they report that as codependency. That's how they keep you. They tell you you're not okay and keep your signature and use it against you. They don't care about you and just want your money. So many traumatic things have happened at NHA. The staff assists are brutal and teachers don't know what to do. You hear everything that's going on without an explanation just for them to keep it from you and leave you in fight-flight-freeze. You're worried all the time. NHA is a ticking time bomb ready to explode any minute at your expense. My best friend was bullied and lead to her mental health detoriating. They coudl've done so much more. They don't do anything unless it affects them. DON'T GO HERE
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2024

After two years, I know a fair amount about this school. The classes are nice and small and the school accomodates different abilities. In my view, the teaching atmosphere tends to be upbeat and energetic. On the other hand, some kids graduate from the school with very basic writing skills and little experience with stringing more than a few sentences together. The therapeutic staff were highly varied,some were hostile towards parents, some were disengaged. Therapeutic administrator Nora deserves special mention -- she was by turns brisk, weepy and indiscreet. Despite the school's problems, for some students it is preferabe to a large suburban High School.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2023

NHA has significantly declined in past two years. This decline was further noticed when the owner sold it to a big corporation in SESI Schools. There is a lot of staff turnover. The long time principal left unexpectedly one week before school started. The new director was also incompetent and "resigned" two months into this school. Parents have been lied to about changes since SESI Schools bought NHA out. It is impossible to correspond and meet with staff around concerns for your child. They no longer document interventions with your child and interventions are very punitive rather than therapeutic. This school is the epitome of a safe space for the gay and trans community. If your child doesn't belong to this identity, do not send your child here as they will try to indoctrinate them and discriminate against them if there is resistance. If you do send your child here there are numerous examples of how your child's functioning is suddenly horrible and your child cannot go back to their home school. They blatantly sabotage your child in an effort to keep their over $70,000 tuition rolling in.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2022

New Hope Academy has been life changing for my child. She receives incredible support from teachers, therapists and admins. She is excelling in academics. She has found an encouraging and safe environment to grow.
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2021

Do not understand how to manage kids. Won’t personalize education or flex. Kids are treated like numbers. Planted in corners and not adjusted to. Admin is disorganized and promises a lot but gives little. They prey on desperate parents. Twice exceptional kids go here to lose hope. Run!!
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2021

Though touted for work with ASD teens it is completely unclear what the school faculty - academic and therapeutic- understand autistic teens. Highly rigid, especially during Covid. Poor adherence to IEP accommodations. Don’t seem to treat depression as a medical issue. Post-sec counseling is a joke. Academics are weak for twice exceptional kids. Might be a good fit for some but not our child.
Submitted by student on November 05, 2019

I would not recommend anyone to go to this school.
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2019

Highly recommended for students with issues that interfere with social and academic success at a typical school. We are thankful for this resource.
Submitted by student on February 07, 2017

STAY AWAY, terrible, no care for students needs whatsoever. Terrible staff, hard to work with, no compassion for students. AVOID AVOID AVOID.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2017

I am an educational professional who has much experience with therapeutic day schools. I did extensive research when a family member needed a more nurturing, therapeutic educational setting. Too often, academics take a back seat in such schools. New Hope maintains high academic expectations and support while attending to the whole child in very wise and effective ways. I couldn't be more pleased and my student is doing better than he has done in years.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2016

This school has been a lifesaver for my daughter. They have created a very individualized education plan to accommodate her needs. Expectations are strict, but everyone understands the issues of depression and anxiety that plague my daughter and she feels supported and heard (most of the time). Such an improvement over the home high school situation she was in. This place is perfectly named and has given my daughter "New Hope" where before she felt desperate.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2016

New Hope is a place where students with Asperger's Syndrome can be with others like them, and it accepts kids with other types of emotional issues, too. Much of the (non-administrative) staff is kind and wants to help them. However, there is no indivualization in instruction or educational plans, and input and suggestions on how to accomplish that for an individual student from the student, parents or professionals who have worked with the student are dismissed without any consideration, and the result is that the school can be very neglectful of a student's educational and emotional needs. Seclusion, restraint and drugs are used.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2016

My daughter is attending New Hope after 3 years of school refusal and multiple hospital stays. This is a therapeutic school for kids who have average or high intelligence and have behaviors that are directed inwards. The administration is very organized and accommodating. When math anxiety started to keep M. out of school, her math class was replaced until she could attempt it later. Teachers are kind but have firm expectations. M. receives therapy twice a week. Teachers eat lunch with students. There are many opportunities for clubs and extra teacher help. While M. continues to face challenges, I cannot picture a better school situation. I am very thankful we found this school.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2014

New Hope is unorganized, there's an extreme amount of favoritism, and it's all around a horrible school. My daughter was enrolled in 2013 and she is only getting worse than when she started. Do not torture your child by making him or her attend New Hope.
Submitted by parent on July 19, 2012

I love this school. I love the staff and I love, love, love the teachers! My daughter was at New Hope for all 4 years of high school. She graduated this past June. It was not always an easy journey. The school is strict and very structured and my daughter is not. The administration changed after the first year and that made a huge difference and it just kept getting better and better. It is a safe, loving environment where kids are free to express themselves and learn in the manner that suits them best. I am sorry my daughter had to graduate. I hope New Hope starts a transition program in the future.
Submitted by other on March 05, 2012

If you're thinking about going to New Hope Academy, think again. The administration is very unorganized and show much favoritism. Never in my life have I seen such poor performance in a school.