Boarding School FAQs

What is boarding school really all about?

The truth about Boarding School

What do the boarding students do during breaks when the boarding houses are closed?

Boarding houses are closed during long breaks (Christmas Break, Thanksgiving Break and Spring Break). Therefore, Brook Hill assists boarding students in finding host homes if they opt to not travel home during breaks. While most students travel home for Christmas break, many of our students take advantage of host homes during Thanksgiving Break and Spring Break. We ask our students to pay their host family $50 for each day that they stay with them. Boarding parents also arrange domestic trips if there is interest that the students can take part in if they choose for a reasonable cost.

Are boarding students allowed to have vehicles?

Yes, students are allowed to own and drive vehicles while boarding at Brook Hill. Students must have a valid U.S. drivers license, be passing all classes and be in compliance with all residential life policies. This is a privilege and not a right that can be revoked or suspended at any time by the Director of Residential Life. Students must honor all curfew times and sign out with the house parent on-duty before leaving campus. The student will give their car keys to the boarding house parents upon arriving home.

How will my boarding student access cash?

Unless a student already has a bank account that they want to retain and use, students may set up a student bank account with Southside Bank, which has a local branch here in Bullard. This account provides students with a debit card but no checks, eliminating the possibility of over-drafting their account. At least five trips per week are taken to the bank branch for those students who need to go to the bank that week.

How will my boarding student get books and uniforms?

Books and uniforms can be ordered after arriving at Brook Hill. Once a student has their schedule of courses, a member of the Residential Life Staff will assist them in ordering their books. If a student already has his schedule before arriving, he can go online and order his text books, having them shipped to Brook Hill. A rough estimate of costs for books is anywhere from $300 to $800.

The Residential Life Staff will also assist students in the purchase of their uniforms. Within the first week of their arrival, students can try on Landsend uniforms. The amount of uniforms students purchase can be determined by how often they do laundry. For example, the more a student does laundry the less clothing he will need to purchase and vice versa. Uniform costs can run anywhere between $200 to $500, roughly.

When my student has a flight, what are the customary arrangements for getting to and from the school?

Complimentary shuttle services are provided from Brook Hill to Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field at the beginning of the school year, before and after major school holidays, and at the end of the school year. We ask that parents and students make every effort to book their flight through to Tyler whenever possible for ease of shuttling. Any shuttle services needed apart from those designated, complimentary pickup and drop-off times will incur a charge. All Dallas Shuttles are $120. Shuttle service to Dallas, apart from breaks and holidays, is $120 each way. Shuttle service to Houston is not encouraged, but when necessary is $380 each way.

How many students are in a room?

Since the girls’ and boys’ houses are laid out differently the number of students per suites varies.

In the girls’ house there are up to four students per suite, with two students in each room. In the boys’ house there are four or five students per suite with two or three per room. Also in each suite there is a private bath with two private showers, two sinks and a toilet. Each suite has its own thermometer for climate control.

What options do the boarding students have for extracurricular activities?

Each semester the students receive a boarding event calendar which shows the many activities available for students. Some of the activities include amusement parks, water parks, safaris, movie theaters, paintball, professional sporting events, shopping malls and many other experiences. The entire costs of these events and excursions are all covered for the students by the boarding program. In addition to these off-campus weekend activities students can also enjoy fun activities on campus like volleyball, soccer, weight and fitness training, fishing and badminton, to name a few. There are also events planned for the boarding community such as International Night, Parade of Nations, and Holiday parties, such as Christmas, Valentines and Lunar New Year. Besides all of this there are a number of sporting events on campus that students may attend or even compete in if they are on the teams, like baseball, football and basketball games as well as soccer matches. On Sundays students choose from among several churches to attend representing a variety of Christian denominations. And finally, students are also afforded opportunities to get off campus at least five times during the week to go shopping at local department and grocery stores, where they can enjoy a vast array of food bars, an ice cream parlor and a coffee cafe all while listening to live music on a relaxing veranda deck. We work hard to see that our students have all the opportunities that they need to enjoy life after working hard in the classroom, on the stage, on the court and one the field, each day all week.

What is the cost for boarding?

Boarding tuition and fees are located on the Tuition and Fees section of our website.

If I want to send my boarding student a package, where do I mail or ship it?

You may mail small parcels to the school’s post office address at:
The Brook Hill School
1051 North Houston St.
Bullard, TX 75757

***Don’t forget to put your child’s name on the package!

Also keep in mind that parents can order birthday care packages for their child to help them celebrate their special day. Birthday care packages are $50 and contain a variety of special treats and thoughtful gifts that tell your child, “I love you” from across the miles.

To request a care package for your child, please contact Mrs. Regenea White, Administrative Assistant in the Res Life Department: [email protected].

When is study hall?

Study Hall is held in the Bell Library and in boarding houses from 6:30 to 8:00 PM Monday through Thursdays. There is no Study Hall on Friday or Saturday nights. Study Halls are monitored by our Residential Life Student Supervisors who keep the environment quiet and conducive for studying. There are also smaller study rooms in the Bell Library and in each boarding house that students can use for group work. A grade check is done each Monday, and if a student is failing a class their Study Hall is extended until 8:30 PM. Students on the Honor Guard (All A’s and B’s) may opt out of study hall and even enjoy off-campus activities during normal study hall times.

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