St. Monica Academy

5115 North Mont Clare Avenue

Chicago, IL 60656

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 19, 2025

As both an alumna and current parent, I've experienced St. Monica Academy's commitment to nurturing students' minds and spirits firsthand. The strong sense of community is evident, from the dedicated teachers who truly care about each child's success to the supportive parent network. My children are thriving in the academically challenging environment, and I appreciate the emphasis on faith-based values that are woven into the curriculum. I highly recommend St. Monica Academy to families seeking a well-rounded education rooted in Catholic tradition.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2024

We love SMA! Community is wonderful, small classes, teachers who genuinely care about the student's overall wellbeing, and a new principal who is communicative and guided by Christian principles. There are positive changes being made to the STEAM classes and lots of new life in the school.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2023

Zero anti bullying rules. Parents have their own circle and not very welcoming to new families. The director resigned after 8 months, and the school has no direction as of now. A teacher got fired on the middle of the school year and our kids were punished with no recessed for talking in class.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2019

My children have been very happy at St. Monica! Having started them all in preschool, St. Monica is their home and family. We have great relationships with other families in the school and parish. Not only do my kids love their friends and teachers, but they are learning so much. When I compare their academics to neighboring schools, we are far ahead! Love SMA!
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2019

My younger sister has been dealing with being bullied for a while now and children in her class continue to be terribly mean, not inclusive, rude and just outright cruel. For parents that spend so much money on tuition to send their children to a Catholic school, it makes me absolutely sick to my stomach that such children are behaving in such a hateful way towards a fellow classmate who has never done anything wrong to them. The Priest and Administration have been talked to several times about this bullying matter yet absolutely NOTHING has been done!! This situation that has been going on for WAY too long, is not only SO upsetting that ANY child has to go through this - but the worst part of it all is that it IS PREVENTABLE and it CAN be stopped. However, the LACK of administration reprimanding children or providing education on bullying and creating a safe zone for children and their peers allows for stuff like this to happen which is more sad than words can even say. It is extremely disappointing that my parents have invested so much time, money, and support over so many years at this school with myself and my 3 other sisters included who all have attended St. Monica and still are shown such disrespect. I used to be proud to be an alumni of St. Monica Academy, however, I am incredibly disheartened by the lack of action taken by administration when it comes to such a serious matter that’s affected so many kids at this school. Terrible.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2018

Whatever was happening years ago that elicited some of those poor reviews isn't happening now - at least not that my child or I have seen. I am constantly impressed by this school, the teachers, and the sense of community. So happy I chose this school for my child.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2017

When we were faced with the decision of choosing a preschool for my son eight years ago, we had no idea just how important that decision was, but we are so happy that we chose St. Monica Academy. Not only did we get a great school with amazing teachers and staff, but we also got a community. This community makes my son excited to go to school each day, and gives us great comfort in knowing that he is in good hands, getting a great foundation that will carry him through high school and beyond. We couldn't be happier with our decision!
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2017

When we were faced with the decision of choosing a preschool for my son eight years ago, we had no idea just how important that decision was, but we are so happy that we chose St. Monica Academy. Not only did we get a great school with amazing teachers and staff, but we also got a community. This community makes my son excited to go to school each day, and gives us great comfort in knowing that he is in good hands, getting a great foundation that will carry him through high school and beyond. We couldn't be happier with our decision!
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2017

We love St. Monica Academy, especially the low student to teacher ratio, the strong emphasis on academic excellence and the faith based community. Our three children are in a safe and caring environment and they have truly thrived at St. Monica Academy! They will be well prepared for high school, college and beyond.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2017

My child has now attended for 4 years and couldn’t be happier! Wonderful, devoted teachers who know what my child needs and help her to get there. She is happy and learning!
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2017

As a parent and experienced educator in a thriving north shore district, I am impressed by the dedicated principal and teachers at the academy. Both my daughters look forward to attending school daily. They are engaged in challenging learning activities that promote independent thinking and problem solving. The unique combination of learning experiences allow them to collaborate and develop confidence. The principal and teachers take the time to learn about each student on a personal level which promotes student success. They set clear expectations for students and lead by example so students are encouraged to make good choices. St Monica Academy is a small community school filled with pride and spirit. It has found a perfect balance between academics and provides students a well rounded school experience.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2015

I had pulled my children out of this school and even changed parishes. The principal is rude, condescending, and biased. I really regret my decision to enroll my children here. I should've took in consideration the opinions of my neighbors and the reviews the principal had on yelp. The teachers may be ok..decent really, however with the current administration I cannot send my children there anymore. It is truly a shame as I loved going to mass at St Monica's..even had my children baptized there, however I need to put my family firsand cut ties with this school. I can only hope for the best for this school as it is in my nature to be positive, but I cannot wholeheartedly send my children here thinking they will get the education I paid for. They are currently attending a blue ribbon private school in the area..and I have never looked back. I feel this school would be better off with anyone else as principal. Just step into his office and you can see how unorganized and unprofessional he is. I am so ashamed I sent my children here at I do not even mention that they used to attend there.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2014

LOVE St. Monica Academy! The teachers are amazing and it is a wonderful school community. Very proud to send our children here.
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2014

After realizing what this school has to offer I started to doubt that it is worth the money. I decided to give it a try and transfer my two kids to Garvy, and this is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. It's not that it's a bad school, it's just that in this neighborhood you can have the same quality of education for free.
Submitted by parent on July 05, 2013

Dear Class of 2013 Graduate, Your parents must be exceptionally proud of your success despite being bullied in your class. I admire your tenacity and perseverance in your academic studies and growth. Everyone knows who the successful students are and who the bullies are. It must be terrible to be a parent of one of the bullies. I am so sorry you had to endure that nonsense. As a parent of one of your classmates, I urge to continually focus on your dreams, be successful and remember that goodness always wins! Good Luck to you in high school!
Submitted by other on May 20, 2013

I am a current student at St. Monica and I am about to graduate at the end of May. I have enjoyed my time at St. Monica and although we do have some problems with bullying, the teachers do their best to help the victim. I should know seeing as I was a victim of bullying myself. St. Monica has academically prepared me for high school. I am in my high school's scholarship program and I am taking all honors classes.
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2013

My kids have been at SMA for over 6 years now, I have experienced exceptional teaching, caring faculty and can see everyday that my children are learning. It is not a perfect school, but what school is. Would be great to see MORE parent involvement so it is not always the same group and so that we can unite if we feel there are changes that are needed. Again, that is not the schools fault but ours as parents. Sorry some parents feel there is a bullying issue, but while that is a school issue, it stems from the home. I would (and have) recommended this school over and over again.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2011

I also think it unfair to rate an entire school based on some of these reviews. My children also love this school. It can be very loving and nurturing. The problem is when you don't "fit in the box" you may have a problem. The academics are great, teachers too. But, as a junior high parent, I have seen some things fall through the cracks that should not have. I unfortunately, was a practical eye-witness to what happened to that special needs child. It says something for the leadership. This could be an absolutely wonderful school, but they definitely have a "sweep it under the rug" policy. They may have 411 students (410?) (an odd thing for a parent to know) but they should have leadership that values each child, and rather admit to, and fix, their mistakes, rather than being of the mind, we are filled to the rafters, we can spare one or two.
Submitted by parent on April 06, 2011

I would not rate this school on the below reviews. I cannot comment on the below incident but just remember there are always 2 sides to every story. What I can tell you is about my own experience with SMA. We transitioned here 2 years ago and it is a great school. I think we overwhelmed the school a bit with so many transfers in .. we are at full capacity at 410 kids. My kids adored their old school but they have found a new home here at SMA and absolutely LOVE IT... There is no perfect school. What I can tell you from my experiences is the faculty loves the kids, the faculty makes coming to school fun, the faculty are very involved members of the parish, the school has the support of the parish, the Pastor LOVES kids and WANTS us here, their enrollment is at full capacity with the heaviest on the younger grades, the environment was a very welcoming one from the very beginning when we were just at the Open House looking at the school, the kids here are very confident children ... and more importantly the school and parish are ONE .... This is a very loving and nurturing school.
Submitted by other on March 23, 2011

My oldest son graduated from St Monica and went on to Notre Dame. At best both schools were average. By the time I was sending my two youngest to St Monica, it had taken a nosedive. My youngest daughter transferred to Garvy in second grade and I haven't looked back. The St Monica teachers were trying their best to dissuade me from this move and boy I am glad I didn't listen. My daughter is graduating from the Taft International Baccalaureate program as an Illinois State Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society as well as other distinctions. I would highly recommend Garvy to get your children on this track because Garvy and Taft have so much more to offer!