Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in West Covina. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.
Best Teachers
Earned the highest teacher quality score in West Covina. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in West Covina. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.
Best K-Ready
Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in West Covina. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in West Covina. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarepreschoolchristianprivate
South Hills Academy is a CCLD-licensed child care center at 1600 E Francisquito Ave in West Covina, California, serving preschool-aged children from 2 to 4 years old with a faith-based, play-based curriculum. Established in 1957 and operating on a five-acre gated campus with small class sizes, the center benefits from a long institutional history and strong parent satisfaction reflected in 4.57 out of 5 stars across 28 Niche reviews and 45 recent Yelp reviews praising caring teachers and holistic education. The center emphasizes purposeful play alongside structured academics, including phonics via the Abeka program, math, writing, and science, with enrichment in art, music, and language exposure. However, the newly issued CCLD child care license (August 2024) carries a limited regulatory track record, and a Type B citation in August 2025 with 14 documented violations warrants direct inquiry into compliance status; limited operating hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday) and a strong Christian curriculum may not suit all families, and private tuition likely exceeds West Covina area averages.
Safety5.0
Curriculum7.0
Art / Music6.0
Infant care3.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality7.0
Compassion7.0
Management5.0
Culture7.0
Extracurriculars6.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Faith-based, Christ-centered program combined with play-based learning. Uses the Abeka reading program for phonics and early literacy (ages 3+), emphasizing purposeful play and hands-on experiences.
Programs & activities: Programs for 2s, 3s, and Pre-K 4s covering reading, math, writing, science, and cooking. Enrichment includes art, music, outdoor activities, and basic Spanish through songs; diapering and potty-training support offered in the 2-year program.
What sets it apart: WASC-accredited and a Title 22 licensed facility with emphasis on safety. Hours Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:00 PM; sibling discounts and scholarships available.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Top 10 in West Covina
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 10 in West Covina</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in West Covina. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.</span>
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Best Teachers
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: South Hills Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/west-covina/south-hills-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teachers</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in West Covina. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: South Hills Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/west-covina/south-hills-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in West Covina. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best K-Ready
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: South Hills Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/west-covina/south-hills-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best K-Ready</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in West Covina. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: South Hills Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/west-covina/south-hills-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-culture.jpg" alt="Best Culture - South Hills Academy - West Covina, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Culture</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest culture score in West Covina. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
</span>
</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
