Pettengill Academy - Brunswick

Very happy with Pettengill and the care my kiddos receive. I also have seen a big change as a parent and how the building has been run and changed since they underwent new management changes!!

I love Pettengill Academy!! The staff are great and take amazing care of the kids!! The attention to detail is impeccable. The parent communication is amazing I love the updates! 10/10!

I chose this daycare because of the location and decent reviews, but it hasn’t been a good experience. At first everything seemed fine, but over time I realized there’s very little structure. Kids are constantly being moved between classrooms, and even younger kids are mixed with older ones, which makes it hard for them to have a consistent routine. There also seems to be a lot of staff turnover, so the kids are always adjusting to new teachers. Cleanliness and communication are big concerns for me. I’ve seen kids with dried snot on their faces, and the center often seems like it’s not being properly cleaned. The app isn’t always accurate either; there have been times it says my child ate, but at pickup my child or other kids are clearly still hungry. I’ve also noticed changes in my child while there may be some social development, there are also behaviors that seem like regression, which is concerning. Clothes are also constantly missing. This place is presented as high quality and high standard, but from my experience and what I’ve heard from others, that hasn’t matched reality. The cost is high for the level of care being provided, and it honestly seems like negative reviews don’t stay up for long. Overall, I’m just not confident in the level of care when it comes to routine, hygiene, and communication, and I’d recommend other parents pay close attention and trust their instincts.

⭐️ 1 Star I truly wanted to love Pettengill Academy. I’m not someone who enjoys leaving negative reviews, but after my child’s time here, I feel like other families deserve honesty. From the outside, Pettengill Academy looks warm, structured, and enriching. In reality, our experience was frustrating, inconsistent, and emotionally exhausting. We expected professionalism, communication, and a safe environment where children are supported and treated with care. Instead, we dealt with constant disappointment, avoidable stress, and a feeling that concerns were brushed off or treated like an inconvenience. Communication was one of the biggest issues. It often felt like I was left trying to piece things together on my own. Important details weren’t shared clearly, follow-through was inconsistent, and I constantly felt out of the loop about things that directly impacted my child. Parents should not have to chase down basic information about their child’s day, progress, or wellbeing. The overall environment also felt chaotic and poorly managed. It did not feel calm, stable, or thoughtfully organized the way a school should be, especially for young children who thrive on predictability. There was a noticeable lack of consistency, and it often felt reactive instead of intentional. What made this even harder to ignore was learning that staff are not actually completing the full forty hours of training before being placed into classrooms. That is not a small issue. Training is the foundation of safety, supervision, and quality care. Parents trust that the adults responsible for their children are fully prepared, not learning as they go with children as part of the process. For what families pay, this is unacceptable. Pettengill Academy is marketed as a high-quality program, and the standards should match that. Staff should be fully trained before being responsible for a classroom. There should be no grey area. I would strongly encourage any parent considering this school to ask direct questions about training requirements, how training is tracked, and whether staff are fully trained before being placed with children. We left feeling disappointed, frustrated, and relieved to be done. I would not choose Pettengill Academy again and would not recommend it to families who value consistency, transparency, and proper standards.

Pettengill Learning Academy has been a wonderful experience for our family! The natural playgrounds give me peace of mind—and the warm, family-owned atmosphere makes every drop-off feel like home.