This is a great charter school in the OE Bell building.
Laurie Win
They cherry pick their students and simply expel any child that will bring down their numbers. As they've grown they've lost sight of their mission and anyone who has a concern is told they are a "school of choice and you can chose to leave". It's really said what a terrible administration and school board they have.
Matthew Rellaford
Our son went to what was regarded as the town’s top Montessori and then a public school and we had mixed experiences with both schools. I was ready to move our family out of Idaho altogether to find better schools in a different state but he had just gotten accepted into Alturas. He’s been at Alturas for a year now and it has been wonderful for him. His teacher is incredible and cares so much about the children. The projects and activities they do are inspiring, and our son loves the art focus.I’m really grateful for this school and the teachers and administrators who foster such a wonderful learning environment.
Maja Rellaford
I’m a student of alturas and I love alturas and I think the bestest teacher is Miss Nelson ??? She is the best teacher ever in the world ? she is really nice and I like that a lot so that’s why I’m putting a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review.
Brittany Pickett
We have LOVED our kids going to Alturas this year. One of my daughters was two grades behind in reading, and now she is a year ahead! We love having Fridays off, having the kids work at their own levels, and the small group instruction. They also have really cool project nights. The administration has been helpful and kind, we’ve had great teachers so far, and I’m just so grateful my kids got in.
Matrix
This unknown poor distressed child was removed from the Alturas school. This had a very distressing effect on the physical heal and the childs well being. They insulted the child and further confused him with the number grading system. He has now been checked into a asylum for the mentally challenged. The mental damage done to this child is unforgiveable.
M Jones
I’m writing this review under a different name because Idaho Falls is a small town. We had a great experience at Alturas initially. We appreciated the collaborative environment and high academic expectations. One of our children dealt with some bullying and it was taken care of immediately and effectively. We were quite impressed for a while. However, our son had a teacher who was often unkind and he developed severe anxiety about going to school. We tried talking to school leadership about the situation and were told we should not be too soft or he would never learn to work hard. It was a confusing and concerning conversation. We didn’t want the academic expectations lowered, we just wanted his teacher to be nice to him. Eventually we moved him into a new school and his anxiety completely disappeared. He’s back to his happy, normal self. We’re sad it didn’t work out for him.
Caitlin
The last 3 years I’ve had children attending this school and been a part of the school’s community in different capacities. From the secretary to Mr. Bingham and Mrs. Ball, each person there is invested in providing the absolute best environment for these kids to learn. There is a constant push to embrace higher curriculum standards and seek out the most beneficial tools, programs and resources to ensure their students have access to the foremost education available.I cannot stress enough the absolute dedication the administration and teachers have to creating an environment striving to support every single child in being successful at their specific level. While kids are grouped within their grade levels, each child is monitored and evaluated to ensure the curriculum is geared towards that child’s specific needs. There is no child left behind.All kids are expected to be responsible for their actions and learning. Kids are encouraged to think for themselves, learn how to be leaders, be curious about the world around them; to invest in themselves and their education. The mentality that you’re never done learning, you always try your best and that they should always challenge themselves to grow in all areas of their lives will be a cornerstone in these kids success later in life.Without a doubt, I know my kids are receiving the best education offered in this area.
Caitlin Croft
The last 3 years I’ve had children attending this school and been a part of the school’s community in different capacities. From the secretary to Mr. Bingham and Mrs. Ball, each person there is invested in providing the absolute best environment for these kids to learn. There is a constant push to embrace higher curriculum standards and seek out the most beneficial tools, programs and resources to ensure their students have access to the foremost education available.I cannot stress enough the absolute dedication the administration and teachers have to creating an environment striving to support every single child in being successful at their specific level. While kids are grouped within their grade levels, each child is monitored and evaluated to ensure the curriculum is geared towards that child’s specific needs. There is no child left behind.All kids are expected to be responsible for their actions and learning. Kids are encouraged to think for themselves, learn how to be leaders, be curious about the world around them; to invest in themselves and their education. The mentality that you’re never done learning, you always try your best and that they should always challenge themselves to grow in all areas of their lives will be a cornerstone in these kids success later in life.Without a doubt, I know my kids are receiving the best education offered in this area.
This is truly and amazing school. I have built so many wonderful friendships here and I have learned so much!
Devannte Reese
Its a good school and i really enjoy all of the teachers their all super nice and helpful.
J Lamb
We were thrilled when our kids got into Alturas during the lottery since I'd read the 4- and 5-star reviews here and talked to another parent who loves the school. So when we received notification of the middle-school orientation, we were excited to learn more, meet the teachers and other parents, and get our children situated. We were especially excited about the new location and the fact our kids would be off school every Friday. It all sounded so wonderful on paper.Unfortunately, the orientation changed everything for us. When we first entered the school, I saw materials hanging on the walls that were concerning as they seemed to promote only one culture and leaned rather heavily toward the Liberal Left. My unease grew during the presentation as philosophies and educational ideologies were presented that were rather Marxist. And although Mrs. Ball was nice, she was a little "out there." We left feeling very uncomfortable about the school, but I certainly didn’t want to blow what could be an opportunity for my kids. So, not sure what to do, I went home and did a lot of online research into Alturas International. I read about the program’s origins and also found reviews and pro/con articles from folks across the country whose children are (or were) being educated using the Alturas curriculum. I wanted to get as much information as possible before making a final decision so it would be a fully-informed decision.The information I dug up about the program was not reassuring. A number of parents and students had troubling criticisms of not only the overwhelming workload in the upper grades (especially high school), but also of the program’s overall religious and political bent. Since the local Alturas charter hasn't been around long enough to see any workload concerns come to fruition, I can only go by what others elsewhere have said.But as to the political/religious concerns, I lived among liberal elites for a number of years and learned that any group routinely using buzzwords or phrases like “empowerment,” “global community,” "diversification," “group dialogue” and similar are people with whom I’m very unlikely to agree. In fact, the two biggest criticisms of Alturas International's curriculum are that it's anti-American and anti-Judeo-Christian. When I read that, I knew I wasn’t crazy for feeling uncomfortable at the orientation since that was the kind of vibe I’d gotten there. I also discovered that a local Alturas student had complained about being required to read material s/he felt went against his/her beliefs, but was denied the option of reading an alternate book. There were a couple of other complaints about the local charter that were similarly disturbing.So all of these factors, combined with my personal feelings during the orientation, ultimately led me to pull both of my kids out of this school. I know two families who love Alturas and think it’s the best place ever, but I also happen to know that those families and I don’t often agree in our philosophical, educational, or political opinions. So while I think it’s great for those who enjoy Alturas, I just don't think it's the right curriculum for us.
Joey Ford
We switched to Alturas in the middle of the year, when my daughter was in first grade. She wasn't doing well in school. She was anxious. She wasn't herself. The first day at Alturas, she was singing and smiling. Alturas changed my daughter's life. She went from hating school, to loving it. We love the structure, and the staff.
The Red Paladin
Took the tour of the school. Did not enjoy. they do not have desks instead they do group tables. I am not a big fan of this. They don't do normal grades they do how smart you are. I don't like how they do things there
This is a great charter school in the OE Bell building.
They cherry pick their students and simply expel any child that will bring down their numbers. As they've grown they've lost sight of their mission and anyone who has a concern is told they are a "school of choice and you can chose to leave". It's really said what a terrible administration and school board they have.
Our son went to what was regarded as the town’s top Montessori and then a public school and we had mixed experiences with both schools. I was ready to move our family out of Idaho altogether to find better schools in a different state but he had just gotten accepted into Alturas. He’s been at Alturas for a year now and it has been wonderful for him. His teacher is incredible and cares so much about the children. The projects and activities they do are inspiring, and our son loves the art focus.I’m really grateful for this school and the teachers and administrators who foster such a wonderful learning environment.
I’m a student of alturas and I love alturas and I think the bestest teacher is Miss Nelson ??? She is the best teacher ever in the world ? she is really nice and I like that a lot so that’s why I’m putting a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review.
We have LOVED our kids going to Alturas this year. One of my daughters was two grades behind in reading, and now she is a year ahead! We love having Fridays off, having the kids work at their own levels, and the small group instruction. They also have really cool project nights. The administration has been helpful and kind, we’ve had great teachers so far, and I’m just so grateful my kids got in.
This unknown poor distressed child was removed from the Alturas school. This had a very distressing effect on the physical heal and the childs well being. They insulted the child and further confused him with the number grading system. He has now been checked into a asylum for the mentally challenged. The mental damage done to this child is unforgiveable.
I’m writing this review under a different name because Idaho Falls is a small town. We had a great experience at Alturas initially. We appreciated the collaborative environment and high academic expectations. One of our children dealt with some bullying and it was taken care of immediately and effectively. We were quite impressed for a while. However, our son had a teacher who was often unkind and he developed severe anxiety about going to school. We tried talking to school leadership about the situation and were told we should not be too soft or he would never learn to work hard. It was a confusing and concerning conversation. We didn’t want the academic expectations lowered, we just wanted his teacher to be nice to him. Eventually we moved him into a new school and his anxiety completely disappeared. He’s back to his happy, normal self. We’re sad it didn’t work out for him.
The last 3 years I’ve had children attending this school and been a part of the school’s community in different capacities. From the secretary to Mr. Bingham and Mrs. Ball, each person there is invested in providing the absolute best environment for these kids to learn. There is a constant push to embrace higher curriculum standards and seek out the most beneficial tools, programs and resources to ensure their students have access to the foremost education available.I cannot stress enough the absolute dedication the administration and teachers have to creating an environment striving to support every single child in being successful at their specific level. While kids are grouped within their grade levels, each child is monitored and evaluated to ensure the curriculum is geared towards that child’s specific needs. There is no child left behind.All kids are expected to be responsible for their actions and learning. Kids are encouraged to think for themselves, learn how to be leaders, be curious about the world around them; to invest in themselves and their education. The mentality that you’re never done learning, you always try your best and that they should always challenge themselves to grow in all areas of their lives will be a cornerstone in these kids success later in life.Without a doubt, I know my kids are receiving the best education offered in this area.
The last 3 years I’ve had children attending this school and been a part of the school’s community in different capacities. From the secretary to Mr. Bingham and Mrs. Ball, each person there is invested in providing the absolute best environment for these kids to learn. There is a constant push to embrace higher curriculum standards and seek out the most beneficial tools, programs and resources to ensure their students have access to the foremost education available.I cannot stress enough the absolute dedication the administration and teachers have to creating an environment striving to support every single child in being successful at their specific level. While kids are grouped within their grade levels, each child is monitored and evaluated to ensure the curriculum is geared towards that child’s specific needs. There is no child left behind.All kids are expected to be responsible for their actions and learning. Kids are encouraged to think for themselves, learn how to be leaders, be curious about the world around them; to invest in themselves and their education. The mentality that you’re never done learning, you always try your best and that they should always challenge themselves to grow in all areas of their lives will be a cornerstone in these kids success later in life.Without a doubt, I know my kids are receiving the best education offered in this area.
it the worst school ever
Restaurantji Recommends
This is truly and amazing school. I have built so many wonderful friendships here and I have learned so much!
Its a good school and i really enjoy all of the teachers their all super nice and helpful.
We were thrilled when our kids got into Alturas during the lottery since I'd read the 4- and 5-star reviews here and talked to another parent who loves the school. So when we received notification of the middle-school orientation, we were excited to learn more, meet the teachers and other parents, and get our children situated. We were especially excited about the new location and the fact our kids would be off school every Friday. It all sounded so wonderful on paper.Unfortunately, the orientation changed everything for us. When we first entered the school, I saw materials hanging on the walls that were concerning as they seemed to promote only one culture and leaned rather heavily toward the Liberal Left. My unease grew during the presentation as philosophies and educational ideologies were presented that were rather Marxist. And although Mrs. Ball was nice, she was a little "out there." We left feeling very uncomfortable about the school, but I certainly didn’t want to blow what could be an opportunity for my kids. So, not sure what to do, I went home and did a lot of online research into Alturas International. I read about the program’s origins and also found reviews and pro/con articles from folks across the country whose children are (or were) being educated using the Alturas curriculum. I wanted to get as much information as possible before making a final decision so it would be a fully-informed decision.The information I dug up about the program was not reassuring. A number of parents and students had troubling criticisms of not only the overwhelming workload in the upper grades (especially high school), but also of the program’s overall religious and political bent. Since the local Alturas charter hasn't been around long enough to see any workload concerns come to fruition, I can only go by what others elsewhere have said.But as to the political/religious concerns, I lived among liberal elites for a number of years and learned that any group routinely using buzzwords or phrases like “empowerment,” “global community,” "diversification," “group dialogue” and similar are people with whom I’m very unlikely to agree. In fact, the two biggest criticisms of Alturas International's curriculum are that it's anti-American and anti-Judeo-Christian. When I read that, I knew I wasn’t crazy for feeling uncomfortable at the orientation since that was the kind of vibe I’d gotten there. I also discovered that a local Alturas student had complained about being required to read material s/he felt went against his/her beliefs, but was denied the option of reading an alternate book. There were a couple of other complaints about the local charter that were similarly disturbing.So all of these factors, combined with my personal feelings during the orientation, ultimately led me to pull both of my kids out of this school. I know two families who love Alturas and think it’s the best place ever, but I also happen to know that those families and I don’t often agree in our philosophical, educational, or political opinions. So while I think it’s great for those who enjoy Alturas, I just don't think it's the right curriculum for us.
We switched to Alturas in the middle of the year, when my daughter was in first grade. She wasn't doing well in school. She was anxious. She wasn't herself. The first day at Alturas, she was singing and smiling. Alturas changed my daughter's life. She went from hating school, to loving it. We love the structure, and the staff.
Took the tour of the school. Did not enjoy. they do not have desks instead they do group tables. I am not a big fan of this. They don't do normal grades they do how smart you are. I don't like how they do things there