Kids Express Learning Center

3276 South High Point Road

Madison, WI 53719

26 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-K
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 11, 2024

Hickory Hill is a wonderful school. The K-8 building is brand new, beautiful, full of natural light and colors, with very spacious and well designed, art music, stem, and huge classrooms with enormous windows. There’s even a botanical garden! Hickory Hill leaders put tremendous consideration and creativity put into every aspect of the school, and the love and compassion we’ve been shown is exactly as advertised. My son started first grade here (kindergarten at a different school was not great), and he is excelling not only academically, but even more importantly at this age, socially and emotionally. (He is learning to play the violin there, and also Mandarin and Spanish, which are all wonderful to begin learning at such a young age.) The teachers are very good and treat the kids with kindness and respect, like they matter. Because of this, the kids treat each other with kindness and respect, and have a certain maturity that is wonderful to see. He has received so much love that he is excited for about school and his friends. We are so thankful to Hickory Hill.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2021

Our experience with Hickory Hill Academy (formerly Kids Express Learning Center) has been truly wonderful. The teachers are engaging and caring and have been helpful in making adjustments for one of my children when needed. The administration is so passionate about the school and making sure the kids have a love of learning. The curriculum has been so impressive and it has been so fun to see my kids thrive both academically and socially. The communication from teachers and administration has been so wonderful! I would love to see more diversity in the families enrolled, and I have spoken with administration about this concern and Ive been assured that this is being worked on! I could not be more happy with the experience my kids have had here! I would without a doubt, recommend everyone to this amazing school!
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2021

Both of my children are attending Hickory Hill Academy and I could not be more pleased with the experience that we have had. The beautiful campus provides a safe and engaging environment. Children receive personalized care in a small classroom setting with two teachers per class allowing greater focus on individual needs. The elementary school is relatively new (in year two) and the classrooms from the previous Kids Express Learning Center have been adjusted and retrofitted to fit the bigger kids. One challenge because of the transition from pre-school to full pre-K to 4 is that there are a few needs from classrooms perspective (currently no art room or gymnasium). Kids have utilized outdoor space for physical education nicely and have utilized current classrooms for art. Regardless of the classroom adjustments and space available - this is temporary as the school is starting discussions on a brand-new building and the current class sizes do fit the needs of my 1st and 3rd grader. I would also say that both of my children are thriving academically and offered opportunities through the curriculum that have exceeded my expectations. The campus allows them to learn and grow outdoors (there is an old bus in the wooded area their team and amazing science teacher retrofitted into a classroom) as well as be a part of programs that are not in your typical elementary program (Spanish & Mandarin included in the curriculum).I particularly like the way that HHA works to get parents involved in the learning process and apart of the community. They have a weekly community circle meeting that both allow kids to participate and parents to be a part of. This weekly meeting does a nice job of highlighting school events and shares thoughtful and encouraging messages for the week. The school also does a great job creating fun events outside of school like a Pumpkin Run in the fall and Mitten Festival during the winter. We have seen our children's confidence rise significantly and are extremely happy that our children our attending Hickory Hill. I am looking forward to future evolution and would recommend this school to others.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2020

The campus is very pretty (but the kids really don't spend that much time with the animals, they seem too be for show). They do a great job teaching science topics to kids. They have a lot of specialty classes (Chinese, Spanish, cooking, etc etc) to engage kids. The flip side of it is that a lot of the teachers are floaters, so the student teacher ratios on the website at re more favorable than reality.They do nickel and dime for everything--particularly odd because they are already one of the most expensive choices in Madison. We accepted it because our child had some developmental issues and it seemed like a fair trade off for the highly educated care providers and PhD'ed administrators.That made it all the more aggravating when our child's behavior issues escalated after a rocky transition to a new room. They showered us with "empathy" but refused to try anything other than their initial plan (which made it worse). They demanded we provide extra services (not pay for, but provide) and put near impossible stipulationS on it. They shrugged when we asked for help finding those services (our doctors, MMSD and social services were shocked at their request). When we managed to secure services at great personal expense, they were shocked--apparently they'd ask people to do this before and no one could. Ultimately we missed many days off work, spent thousands of dollar and took on tWo months of intense stress because they wouldn't help.We had great teachers and teachers that may have been great, but were overwhelmed. I think what makes me angry to this day is that i do think they has the expertise and resources to help, but they didn't want to. I think they decided our kid wasn't worth it for whatever reason. So your kid may have a great experience, but you'll never know if administration decides that your spot can be filled with some easier kid that they deem a better use of theIr time.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2015

KELC is an amazing place for daycare in Madison. When we moved to Madison with our one-year-old, we scheduled appointments to visit as many daycare facilities as we could but stopped our search after visiting KELC. The teachers in all of the classrooms so far have been superb – you can tell in your child’s reaction to saying a teacher’s name just how much they like the teachers as people as well as educators. Additionally, the grounds themselves are awesome – the emphasis placed on nature, animals, and gardening is something that we value and KELC thoroughly provides. Some days it is hard to leave because our daughter wants to keep feeding leaves to the goats. Amusingly, a relative keeps commenting on how our children won’t have anything remaining to learn once they get to kindergarten – the teachers and curricula are certainly effective. All in all we love KELC for our children and couldn’t imagine sending them anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2015

Our son has been attending KELC for the past year. WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT AND KNOW HE DOES TOO!! The learning experience is amazing. From learning about gardening to some pretty awesome art projects and much, much more, there are days we wish we were attending KELC. We have gotten to know the Dahl's quite well and are feel as though our child is treated not only as a student but as part of a family. We have recommended KELC to many others and will continue to do so.
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2013

We are a family of four, currently sending our second child to Kids Express, and feel the money we have spent on sending our kids to KELC has been money well spent. Not only are we appreciative as parents whos kids are preparing/prepared for kindergarten; as a teacher, my wife has seen many kids come thru kindergarten and first grade that previously attended KELC and she is thankful for the parents that did the same!
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2013

Hands down I love this school! My son has been attending Kids Express for several months now in their nursery. I can't say enough about how good it makes me feel to know that he is spending the day there while I'm at work. The teachers are very kind to him and work with him everyday on his physical, social and cognitive development skills. The teachers have also done a great job in communicating with me on a daily basis to inform me of how he is doing and answer any questions I have. His classroom is always clean and compliant with code. If you are looking for a place to help your child grow each day in a beautiful enviornment, Kids Express is the place to go.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2013

Kids Express is a creative haven for children. The staff is fantastic and the campus is unbelievable. What a great place for youngsters!
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2013

An outstanding school for our two boys. They loved it and now are thriving academically because of KELC. My wife and I are forever indebted to the teachers, administration and staff. A wonderful environment conducive to learning.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2013

Our experience at KELC was very positive. My kids especially loved summer camp. We attended for three years and I believe it helped prepare my boys for a very successful transition into elementary school.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2013

We attended private schools K-12 abroad, exposed to rearing pets, farm animals and cultivating crops. We wanted our toddler exposed to similar experiences, in a caring, captivating, challenging, enjoyable, highly organized pre-K. Who offers children an extraordinary academic environment and exposure to enjoy nature, animals, vegetable and flower gardens? KELC! Added bonus teachers and management (distinguished educators) were immensely nurturing and caring our village /extended family. Our child flourished during 3 pre-K years and KELC summer camps from K-4thgr. For 8yrs KELC s administration expressed and demonstrated a zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination. One summer, when a 4yr-old made a derogatory race-related remark about our child, playground teachers informed us immediately of their conversation with the child and parents. Next day KELC s principal/owner told us how mortified she and staff were, and that she d also spoken with the parents. We re grateful for their expressed and demonstrated concern. We always felt that KELC s management had all the children s best interest at heart. We highly commend and recommend the school, staff and management!
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2013

Our family has been attending Kids Express for 5 years and we have had a wonderful experience. The teaching staff is amazing, and they are extremely devoted to our children s development. We have been extremely pleased with the balance of education. There is a strong emphasis on social and emotional development, nature and community, in addition to conventional academics. From the many animals on the farm to the nature school bus and gardens, KELC teaches a true appreciation for the environment as well as fosters curiosity and teaches respect and responsibility. In addition to all of these things, our children find Kids Express to be just plain fun! There is a wonderful energy within the classrooms, and the teachers are warm yet enthusiastic. We also have been very pleased with the teachers willingness to address our children s individual needs. Overall our children have an enriching experience at Kids Express. We could not be more pleased in the care our children receive each day.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2013

Both my boys attended KELC starting at age 2, until my older one "graduated." They both love the school. We still go back to visit! Both have transitioned well into their 4K/5K program. I have kept in touch with other parents who also have found the same to be true and that KELC graduates are the more advanced students in the class academically and in general school performance. I attribute this to the quality of the preschool teachers at KELC as well as the unique and beautiful learning environment. They got to have science classes on a school bus, nature walks in the wood behind the school, gardening experiences with a chance to taste the produce at the end as well as having their very own farmer's market. All the teachers always seem genuinely interested in my children. They all seem to really invest their time to make learning fun. My goals for preschool were that I want the boys to be excited about learning, to have their natural curiousity be nurtured and for them to learn the basic social skills. The goals were far exceeded. I only wish that KELC has classes up to high school! One of the best parenting decisions I have made was to choose KELC.
Submitted by other on March 13, 2013

We have lived across the street from Kids Express for almost 20 years and I couldn't wait for our grandkids to be able to attend! Not only are the grounds and buildings awesome but now I know the teachers are too. The leadership is excellent. Our granddaughter continues to amaze us with what she learns both academically and socially. We are very, very happy with all aspects of Kids Express!!
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2013

Kids Express has exceeded our expectations since we first took our daughter there (~1 year ago). The teachers are awesome and personalize their care toward the children. They have higher requirements for the teachers they hire which I appreciate. They are always giving us updates on our 17 month old regarding words she says, connections she makes, food she likes/dislikes, and shares pictures/video frequently. Our daughter gets excited to go to 'school' and is always smiling and happy when we pick her up. The campus is beautiful. It's relatively expensive compared to others and doesn t have a meal program like other places, but you get great facilities, fantastic teachers, and great care for your child. Worth every penny. I have read the prior poor reviews but I have seen nothing but kindness and respect for the families by Kids Express admin and staff. As our family grows, we plan to put all of our children through Kids Express.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2013

I agree with the poor reviews for this center. There are many teacher turnovers, processed and CHEAP foods given to children for snacks (even though they charge families an additional fee for snacks!), the administrative staff are not sincere (upon initial tour of center, we were impressed, but it was ALL talk and everything they do is for show). Please do not let the sweet talk and outdoor grounds fool you....you will soon find out that you are paying $1000.00's for a center than is below average. We learned our lesson and have much happier kids (and mom and dad) at their current center.
Submitted by parent on August 21, 2012

I have had four of my children attend Kids Express Learning Center. My youngest just "graduated" from Kids Express and will attend kindergarten in the public school this fall. We have had nothing but great experiences at Kids Express over the last six years. I work at the UW and many of my colleagues also send their children to Kids Express because of the valuable learning experiences that the school provides. We will be sure to recommend the school to our friends in the future!
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2011

My 2 year old has been attending KELC now for a month and we couldn't be happier. His teachers are wonderful. Not only do we receive his daily note, emails, and photos his teachers talk to us each night at pick-up. Yes, this is an expensive school but it is well worth it. My son LOVES going to school and usually wants to stay and play. My son's classroom is full of age appropriate toys/educational materials. None of the facility appears to be outdated. They do a great job with discipline, by having cool down time (time away from the situation) and always tell us about any issues when we pick our son up. Kids will be kids and your child may be hit by another child but that doesn't make the KELC a bad preschool. Regarding another parents "robot" comment, the school has done a wonderful job of learning my son's personality and learning style. They evaluate your child to see where he/she may need some extra help and in turn provide it. We have definitely seen our son flourish at KELC and make lots of friends.
Submitted by parent on June 29, 2011

This school is ok...not excellent, not above average, and not worth the sky high tuition and extra added fees (snack fees??). i think your happiness as a parent depends greatly on the teachers you have for the year. my child had teachers last fall/winter that were "meh". They had a class full of children and it always seemed hectic and someone was ALWAYS crying. My child was also hit several times and it was always just blown off by the teachers. but, this summer (so far), my child's teachers are really great and i notice a HUGE difference in my child's desire to be at school. we stay only because we are on a wait list for another place right now. and....if you decide to enroll, be prepared to pay fees for everything......including a "classroom material fee".....and then you will be asked to bring in MATERIALS, like glue, markers, kleenex...what the??