Excel Academy Charter School

11500 West 84th Avenue

School District

Jeffco Public Schools
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

charter

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 05, 2024

We chose Excel for our son's middle school experience and could not be happier with our choice. He is SO much more excited about and engaged in learning than he was during his elementary school years. We've found it to be a very inclusive space, where the teachers are dedicated and encouraging. There are also many opportunities for parent involvement.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2024

I have three students at Excel, the oldest is in 8th grade and has been there since Kindergarten. The school has a beautiful facility which is well-maintained and always clean with all the latest safety measures implemented and taken seriously. They have a friendly staff and good teachers with good attitudes. There are sports and afterschool electives offered and the kids are really expected to be kind and good-hearted which most of them seem to embrace. They are very good about identifying and addressing student's strengths and weaknesses, I have felt that my kids get a fair amount of individual attention. One downside is that charters don't get bus service from Jeffco, so drop of and pick up can be a little annoying, but honestly they have done a lot over the years to improve parking and the drive line.
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2023

This is our 2nd year with Excel and it has been a wonderful fit for our family. The team here has truly made an effort to connect with my kids and work with them based on where they are at. They have truly been partners to our family. We also appreciate how they take a very interactive approach to learning. My kids have participated in explorations, field studies and exposure to other grade levels - which truly makes the curriculum engaging and develops their love for learning. The teachers and their teams are passionate about teaching and being part of this community. We've enjoyed our time here - and really have seen a lot of improvements over the past year.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2023

We love Excel! We have four children that attend the school and we are in our third year at Excel. There has been a lot of leadership changes that have occurred in the last year, and I believe that has assisted the school in thriving. Excel is a explorations based school, they use a curriculum that pushes students in learning, and explorations hands on learning supports this curriculum. Whether they have in house or external field studies, the hands on learning, projects, activities, and filed studies support an amazing learning environment. Excel has an amazing teaching staff, the teachers truly care about the kids and their learning. On staff development days they really work, unlike other schools in which these are days off, at Excel the admin team and teachers get together to plan out their years, and work on developing their skills which is a direct win for the kids. Excel is also a community building schools. Whether it is visits from Arvada Fire, the local museums, art institutes, theatre companies, and so much more. Excel cares about making a difference in our kids lives and the community. They have a wonderful mission and vision that gives constant direction. Parent and community involvement is highly encouraged and necessary. The PTO and the Board of Directors are highly committed to the school. Having our children at Excel is one of the best decisions we have ever made.
Submitted by parent on November 15, 2023

We have attended Excel Academy for three years and my child LOVES this school! (The previous poor reviews are related to a leader no longer at the school.) The new leader is experienced and professional and is moving the school in a great direction. My child comes home every day excited about learning. They provide explorations which are like passion projects. There are a ton of field trips/field studies that bring learning to life. And the school has the best after-school enrichment opportunities. My child has done movie making, yoga, show choir, cooking, cheer, and Legos. The thing I like best about Excel is the small school environment. The adults know my child. Would totally recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2023

We attended Excel Academy over the last several years. We had high hopes but recently the administration team tore apart the staff and the community which severely impacted the community negatively as a whole. Families left last year, have left mid year, and now families are leaving this year (many), there are many issues that if protected properly legal action could have been taken. The board of directors was extremely incompetent and very slow in dealing with issues that were raised to their attention which caused even more destruction. People were emotionally manipulated and scare tactics were used on the regular. Administrators bullying students and targeting families and their kids, parents being banned from being able to volunteer in the school, targeting staff and lying about their performance just to push them out. In no way had we ever dreamed there would be a school leader or team who would be allowed to inflict such atrocities on students, families and staff. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS SCHOOL FOR A FEW YEARS until they clean house. The board has appointed another incompetent executive director of which participated willingly in these acts against the community. Surprised? They are that naive and can’t see that the existing administration while still in seat is making sure they are set up to fail. The business manager is inarticulate and incompetent at communicating the important information surrounding the budget and aided the administration team in their efforts to ruin the school.
Submitted by parent on December 26, 2022

Not a welcoming environment. This school just doesn’t feel right. No one seems very happy. Not the kids, not the teachers, but the administrators.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2022

A few years ago I would have recommended this school without hesitation, sadly that just isn't the case anymore. Opinions are one thing, but I would encourage someone to look at all the facts on enrollment numbers, teacher attrition, comments, reviews, and budget to see the truth of what is going on at Excel Academy these days. It isn't pretty no matter how the current administration and board of directors try to spin it into something positive. Excel used to PRIDE itself on differentiation within and ALP or IEP- it is practically non-existent now- to the point I wonder how they are getting away with it legally. The admin and the board have no real vision other than to try and salvage their own poor decisions at the expense of everything else. The main focus of the school and the board and all the meetings should never be argumentative over the Executive Director, yet that is what it is for the past couple years. Talk to some current students and parents or teachers and it'll become clear.
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2022

I have an elementary school child who attends Excel Academy, and we have had a phenomenal experience in the two years we have been here. The new focus on explorations has made learning very engaging. Teachers are phenomenal! The PTO sponsors great community events. While some parents have complained about recent changes, my perspective is that all of these have been much needed and have made the school even better! I would definitely recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2022

I am a long time parent at Excel and 2 years ago I would have written a much different review. The school hired a new principal June of 2021 and her leadership style has resulted in more than 30 teachers and staff members to leave the school. Some of which leave mid year, causing gaps in learning for the students. This is especially true in middle school. The students frustration and anxiety levels are high as they do not know what to expect in the classroom when a teacher leaves. We had considered moving away from the school for this year and thought we would give it another chance. This past week 3 more teachers have left. I am sad to say this is not the school it used to be. I would recommend looking at the other Charter schools in the area.
Submitted by teacher on November 01, 2022

The person that is listed on this site as the administrator is NOT the current administrator that all the people that are on here are complaining about. Please go to the school's website to see who the current administrator is. The person listed here on Great Schools was an interim director for the school year of 2020-21.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2022

Current administration has driven this school into the ground and it's disappointing that the Excel community my child and I were told so much about has gone the way of the dinosaur. Admin ignores bullying and has even gone so far as to encourage the bullying and targeting of specific special needs students that she doesn't care for. It's to the point that I'll likely be pulling my child from the school and homeschooling in order to combat the utter lack of care shown since the BOD made the grave mistake of choosing the current director. With any luck, their charter reapplication will be denied.
Submitted by teacher on September 07, 2022

This school has faced a lot of admin turnover over the last decade, however, the newest principal has caused an extreme amount of staff turnover. I have way more to say than the amount of space this review allows so I’ll just keep it short and to the point. Close to 20 staff members (many who had been at the school for 5, 10, even 20 years) left after the current principal was hired. That fact alone should be a huge red flag for anyone considering sending their kids here or working here.
Submitted by parent on July 05, 2022

This school is a shell of what it used to be. Excel was a community that thrived on support and relationships. Parents, students, teachers and admin were a family. All of that is gone. Nearly 20 teachers/para/staff have left since the new principal started in June 2021. The sense of family is gone. Teachers are berated in front of students and most don't feel supported, which directly impacts the students. Parents are shunned if they speak up or question what is happening. All of it is being driven by the BOD (all of whom have pulled their kids once they got to middle school). They give lip service when parents reach out to them with concerns and tell families they are welcome to find another school. The Excel we all knew just a few years ago is gone and it may not recover even after current admin is gone. I have loved this school and been a proud member of the community since my child was in kinder and, sadly, have made the choice to not have them return in the fall. I wanted to give a higher rating because they have amazing teachers and paras. But, unfortunately, they are dwindling away one by one.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2022

Unprofessional principal she is not fit for the job
Submitted by parent on March 31, 2022

I liked it when my kids started here at first but i wish i had chosen a different school. My kid will be going to a different school next year.
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2021

I had my kids at this school since kindergarten and loved Excel till this school year 2021/22. The new leadership is not child oriented and the principal's poor leadership's skills forced a lot of good teachers to resign. It's more like a daycare program with no expectations and very poor academic support. This school is not anymore a place for students that want to grow academically and socially. It's sad to watch what happened to this school.
Submitted by other on May 04, 2021

I actually went to this school. Most teachers were fine, but not stellar. Students were given a large amount of homework to complete every night and extensive projects that were mostly completed by the parents. The experience in elementary school was much better than that of middle school. Most of the teachers in middle school couldn't be bothered to try and help the students if they were struggling and mostly rewarded the smarter kids (especially in science classes). Overall, not the worst school ever, but a different teaching approach and better administration could improve the school a lot.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2018

The school favors kids, and treats others as 'bad kids'. The rules have changed and is run more like a prison than a warm learning environment. I would not recommend this school to any parent.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2017

We love our school! Wonderful principal, great teachers and great community! Parents are very involved in the school :-)