Bright Harbor School

We absolutely love Bright Harbor! The school has such a warm and welcoming environment, and the teachers truly care about the children. You can see the dedication and passion they bring every single day. Hailey is AMAZING — she goes above and beyond to support families and make sure every child feels valued and safe. We are so grateful to be part of the Bright Harbor community! Highly recommend! 💛

My granddaughter has been attending Bright Harbor School, and we have been so pleased with her experience. She truly loves being there and has learned an incredible amount in such a short time. We are especially grateful for her current teacher, Ms. Hollie. Ms. Hollie is exceptional—she leads with love, kindness, and remarkable patience. My granddaughter naturally gravitates toward her, which speaks volumes about the warm and supportive environment she creates in her classroom. Ms. Hollie’s dedication and care are evident in everything she does, and we deeply appreciate the positive impact she has had on my granddaughter’s growth and development. We are truly thankful for her and for all she pours into her students.

I had the pleasure of touring Bright Harbor with Ms. Haley, and I left incredibly impressed and reassured. From the moment I walked in, she made me feel welcome, comfortable, and completely at ease. She was knowledgeable, patient, and thorough—answering all of my questions before I even had to ask them. Ms. Haley has a genuine warmth and passion for early childhood education that shines through in every interaction. She didn’t just show me the classrooms; she shared the why behind the program, the curriculum, and the care philosophy, which made a huge difference. It’s clear that the children are in a nurturing, stimulating, and well-organized environment. If the tour is any reflection of the care they provide, then this center is truly a gem. Thank you, Ms. Haley, for setting the bar so high!

As parents who once felt confident in Bright Harbor’s environment, we’re deeply disappointed in the direction the center has taken over the past year - and we feel strongly that other families should be aware of our experience before enrolling. Bright Harbor used to be a wonderful place for our children. The teachers were kind, professional, and clearly cared about the kids. For a long time, we believed this was one of the best childcare options in NWA. Unfortunately, that changed after the center was acquired by Premier Early Childhood Education Partners, a part of the investment portfolio of private equity group Tyree and D’Angelo Partners, in 2024. The shift in ownership brought policy changes that were initially minor - like moving from spray sunscreen to lotion-only products - but by summer 2025, things escalated significantly with another change in director. In our experience, the new leadership style has been difficult to engage with. We felt that communication became inconsistent, and our attempts to ask questions or seek clarification on new policies were often met with defensiveness rather than collaboration. For example, we were told multiple times that changes were being made due to “DHS regulations,” but when we asked for clarification on which regulations were being referenced, we were not given clear answers. We understand that change is difficult and that adjusting to a new role takes time. However, we believe that the responsibility still falls on leadership to maintain professional and open communication with families. Unfortunately, that has not aligned with our experience. In addition, we noticed that several staff members left shortly after the change in leadership. While turnover in early childhood education is not unusual, we found it concerning that families were not notified of staffing changes. On several occasions, we arrived for drop-off or pick-up and encountered unfamiliar staff with no prior communication. This made it difficult to feel confident in who was caring for our child. Our concerns were raised with individuals in regional leadership, but we did not feel that they were meaningfully addressed. We believe deeply in the importance of collaborative relationships between parents and early childhood educators. While Bright Harbor continues to promote the idea of encouraging parent involvement, our personal experience was that feedback or questions were not always welcomed. We sincerely hope that Bright Harbor is able to return to the level of care and transparency that originally drew us to the center. Until then, we encourage prospective families to ask detailed questions, meet the leadership team, and seek out current parent perspectives when making their decision.

Bright Harbor and Ms. Haley are phenomenal! The school and classrooms are kept very clean and organized. The building is very secure but also very welcoming! The staff has been amazing and even teachers that aren’t my son’s teacher know his name and are friendly with him. His classmates all are well behaved and have great manners and social skills so I truly believe Bright Harbor is helping their young minds.