St Matthew Catholic School

221 Southeast Walnut Street

Hillsboro, OR 97123

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 20, 2025

we transferred our son in the middle of the school year from a larger Catholic school, and I must say, the only regret we have is not joining St. Matthew School earlier! The principal and teachers are warm and welcoming, and our son finally felt he is cared for! hE IS IN 5TH gradeThere are 17 students in the classroom , and he thrives, he retains more information, now that he is able to interact with his teachers and get his questions answered. He adapted from the first day and made friends easily, I strongly recommend this school beyond other private schools!
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2025

I am so thankful for St Matthew catholic school. My son is in second grade. They have smaller class size so every child gets the attention they need. It is easier for my son to make friends. My son has an IEP and the teacher and staff have been excellent that my son is thriving! They have never been against my son's special needs (autism). They teach spanish, math, science, writing, reading and religion. Also on Thursday they go to mass. My son's teacher is a nun and her smile makes everyones day. She loves being a teacher and that is a key part in the classroom my son loves going to school everyday because of her. Safety is a priority for them too. All doors are always locked. The only down side is they don't have a lunch person so I have to prepare my son's lunch everyday :(. If you have the opportunity have your child go to this school because God willing I will keep mine there as long as possible.
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2025

Great size classes! Community is priority for the overall experience for the student.
Submitted by parent on December 28, 2024

This is our second year at St. Matthew and we are still very happy here. This year our daughter is in intermediate and is fully challenged academically and is enjoying having some electives. With the mixed grade format half her classmates are new this year which is great. We are native English speakers and her Spanish has gotten really good, enough so to be able to communicate successfully with Spanish speakers. She recently saw her friends from her old school and by comparison they know very little Spanish. The environment at school continues to be supportive, safe and loving. The priests are the same this year and continue to be very supportive of the school. One thing that has changed is school Masses are during daily Mass time now. An effort is being made to add some after school activities which is nice to see. In a world where everything only goes up in price, tuition actually decreased this year and there’s now a sizable discount for families with more than one student. As far as the quality of education for the money St. Matthew is an incredible value and we highly recommend the school.
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2024

We have been so pleased with our experience at St. Matthew Catholic School both academically and socially. Our son has attended St. Matthew since Preschool. The smaller class size and great teachers have ensured that his academics are above grade level, even through the pandemic. The school's commitment to Christian Morals has mean that he and his fellow students are encouraged to treat each other with respect.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2024

Our son has been at St. Matthew's for two years now, and we think it is a great school! The teachers and staff are excellent, and the small class sizes and individual attention really help the students thrive and get the lessons that are right for their level. The students are tested three times a year using the standardized STAR test, which has been really helpful for us as parents to understand where our child is at and have metrics for how he is improving. We are very impressed with the quality of the education, and we love the school community - all the students know each other, and it really feels like a family. Highly recommend as a caring and safe environment with high quality academics.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2024

Class sizes are small and everyone gets the attention that they need to learn. The whole school is like one big family. My daughter who is a student at St Matthew’s knows everyone at the school. Older children mentor younger children. which is great for everyone. Academically, it is leaps and bounds ahead of public school. Oregon is the only state to not have rebounded at all in test scores since the end of the pandemic.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2024

My first two children went through public school and I can totally see a BIG difference. Enrolling my two younger children at St. Matthew Catholic School has been the best decision we could have made for them. Our children are thriving in all educational domains. They feel a sense of community and belonging. My children talk highly about their teachers. All staff are amazing! For me knowing that my children feel happy at their school is very important, they love their school, friends and teachers. My husband and I are very satisfy with the education our two children are receiving at St. Matthew Catholic School in Hillsboro. I highly recommend St. Matthew Catholic School! Español:Mis dos primeros hijos asistieron a la escuela pública y puedo ver una GRAN diferencia. Inscribir a mis dos hijos más pequeños en la escuela católica St. Matthew ha sido la mejor decisión que pudimos haber tomado por ellos. Nuestros niños están prosperando en todos los ámbitos educativos. Sienten un sentido de comunidad y pertenencia. Mis hijos hablan muy bien de sus profesores. ¡Todo el personal es increíble! Para mí es muy importante saber que mis hijos se sienten felices en su escuela, ellos aman a su colegio, a sus amigos y a sus maestros. Mi esposo y yo estamos muy satisfechos con la educación que nuestros dos hijos reciben en la Escuela Católica San Mateo en Hillsboro. ¡Recomiendo ampliamente la escuela católica San Mateo!
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2024

St. Matthew Catholic School has provided what I have been unable to get for my children in my local public school the past several years - an education. It has been a breath of fresh air to see teachers and staff united around the goal of providing children with the opportunities an education offers. I believe my child will have a solid foundation in math, English, science and social studies before entering high school. She will also have the benefit of classes in Spanish as a second language, and development of healthy learning habits and character.As reference, my alternative in Hillsboro Public Schools was an elementary school (one of the top 2 in the district) that no longer gave spelling tests "because children can use spell checkers." It did not require children to learn their math facts, and the district shared a document with its teachers from the Oregon Department of Education explaining math that teaches right answers is racist. Our public middle school math teacher explained to parents that correct answers are not important in algebra. Homework was forbidden because "it is contrary to equity." So instructional days are sacrificed to reinforcement days, and no alternative to the habits and life skills taught by appropriate amounts of homework was offered - responsibility, delayed gratification, reinforcement of lessons. Proficiency in math and English are no longer required to earn a high school diploma, and the current superintendent lead the charge to remove all honors classes from the district's middle and high schools. I needed a place where my child could receive an education, and all the opportunities in life offered by an education. I'm so grateful St. Matthew is an option.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2024

St. Matthew is a wonderful school. Our daughter has been going there for nearly a year now after transferring from another Catholic school. What we really appreciate about St. Matthew is that it is just a loving, reasonable, even-handed, safe place for our daughter to to learn. They really do teach to the whole child, teaching the kids about respecting each others differences and being good people. This is what Catholicism is all about. The church community is wonderful as well and all the priests there are really outstanding. The school masses are good and the kids get to participate a lot, much more than my daughter's former school. We really like the multiage classrooms, as my daughter is one of the older students in her class and able to help the younger students, really reinforcing what she has learned. She went to a multiage preschool as well and this philosophy has done wonders for her. The principal is one of the most loving people you will ever meet and the parents of the school are really bought in to what the school is all about and are sending their kids to St. Matthew for the right reasons. One of the things that has been a nice surprise is that one of my daughter's best friends at the school is a native Spanish speaker that isn't great at English, so she has all the incentive in the world to really learn Spanish. She has said she is learning Spanish faster here than at her previous school where pretty much everybody spoke English. The homework load is in reasonable amounts with a reasonable level of difficulty. The discipline at the school is good, but not over the top strict. My daughter likes that she is able to learn, as there are far fewer interruptions during the school day. The teachers actually watch the kids at recess and keep them safe. This was not true of our former school. Getting our family to agree on anything is a pretty tall order, but we all agree that switching to St. Matthew truly was one of the best decisions we made as a family. From the parents on down to the kiddo!
Submitted by other on November 19, 2021

Absolutely love this school. Wonderful community, fantastic faculty and staff. Lots of opportunities for parents to be involved. The school prepares the students to be leaders of the community. They have service projects once a month and students learn how to serve others. Social and emotional learning is huge at Saint Matthew. Saint Matthew teaches to the individualized student. They have a staff that works with students on all levels. So blessed to be part of this community.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2021

We love this School! We have had our children enrolled for 5 years now and the level of education they are receiving is phenomenal! Great sense of community, Faith and education. If you are looking for a school that has those traits, this is your school!
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2018

I love this school. They are excellent with communication activities for the school. The teachers are fantastic and keep an open line of communication with the parents. They truly believe in working together to raise great scholars. My son is only in 3rd grade, but I wouldn't move him to another school after experiencing this great dynamic.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2017

Our experience has been quite good, especially in contrast to the Hillsboro Public Schools
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2017

Awful. We moved as a result. I wouldn't recommend this school to train a dog.
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2014

St. Matthew is an excellent school. I have had two children attend .My son is now in High school. St. Matts prepared my children with an excellent academic foundation. This is verifiable by their outstanding standardized test scores. The principal is outstanding. There is excellent student/teacher ratio. Faculty very vested and involved. Physical structures are being improved. The school is very clean and neat. I would not hesitate to recommend a child attend this school
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2013

Parent volunteers are running the school, dictating small details of kids lives (like where kids sit in class, who plays with who). Kids watch non-educational movies in class. Teachers play favorites. School is in poor physical condition. The preschool is wonderful, though, and there are some wonderful staff members. Overall, it is not worth the money and pain caused by the judgemental clique of parent hangers-on.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2013

St. Matts is a great school. I have two children who attend. We love the community feel and the staff is excellent. The principal is kind and runs the school very well. We love it here! The school building could use some attention- painting and renovation to get a perfect score.
Submitted by other on September 13, 2012

The principal is excellent! She is caring and kind and has the best interests of every student at heart. Our son 4 years ago graduated from this school. It was because of her and some of the other teachers that he got into a high school that was college prep. He is now going off to college and I credit their help that he is. Our grandson now attends St Matt's and loves it! It has been a very positive experience for our family. I didn't rate it a 5 star only because I think there is always room for improvement, but it really is the best school around. Thank you St Matt's for the excellent care and teaching you give our kids!
Submitted by other on March 04, 2012

This school is in poor condition. I, as a student, go here (against my will) and have found that it is WAY less than structurally sound in the terms of an earthquake. The staff members can be crude and unaware of the current state of science.This school has driven me away from Catholicism. Thank you, St. Matthew!