Academy Charter School

1551 PRAIRIE HAWK DRIVE

School District

Douglas County Re 1
Grade

PK, K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

charter

School Map for Douglas County Re 1 School District

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 other on July 24, 2024

I recently graduated from acs.Over the 5 years I was at acs I felt like I was not only being drowned out by school work but also the disrespect of not only students, but also the staff. Starting out at the school I noticed a severe case of bullying from other students which I ended up experiencing myself. Some kids were physically hurt and others mentally, and the schools staff failed to punish or take the situation seriously when brought to them.When I was in 6th grade I was being bullied by multiple classmates and when I brought it to the counselor, nothing was resolved nor did she attempt to speak with the students. I have noticed how much the school lacks in providing a safe environment when it comes to mental health and bullying for students. When I entered middle school the sheer amount of work pressed on us caused constant anxiety of failed grades and teacher relationships.Especially in 8th grade I found myself doing homework from the time I got home till dinner, then starting back up until late at night. Many students found themselves falling behind in classes and not having the time to have fun extracurriculars to enjoy. Spending so long on homework caused lack of sleep for students making it harder to focus. Most teachers didn't seem to have the patience for it. If you weren't passing a class many teachers claimed you just didn't have good time management or didn't pay attention, instead of acknowledging how much work they forced on students. However, giving acs one star goes out truly to the few teachers I found at that school that were really helpful and kind. It wasn't until middle school that I found a teacher willing to listen and provide a safe classroom along with stern advice and good teaching that has helped me become who l am now. He will remain an important mentor in my life. I also found that my 6th grade homeroom teacher helped me get through the tough times of that year. If you are planning on sending a child through acs, please prepare to set them up with therapy or consider moving them into online school. Most students I attended acs with have left the school with a lower self esteem, self worth, pride, and joy than children leaving 8th grade should. I even know a student in my grade who moved schools halfway through 8th grade year because of student and teacher disrespect. That student recently told me how toxic the acs environment truly was and how much better his new school ended up being. Reconsider sending your kid please.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2022

Our kids started at ACS when they were both in Kindergarten under the previous school leader, Dean Brown. Dean Brown was focused and successful at creating a high performing school, holding kids and teachers accountable and she created a wonderful environment that we enjoyed for 8 years. Dean Brown created one of the top schools in both Douglas County and the state.Sadly, as is WAY too often the case, politics got in the way of good decision making and a few of the Academy Charter Board members disagreed with a single decision that Dean Brown had made, and she was forced to resign.The Board replaced her with a totally inexperienced 3rd grade teacher as the new school leader (Erin McMilon). By Ms. McMilon's own admission, she had no previous experience as a school administrator, much less as whole school leader.After 8 amazing years, we saw such a dramatic decline in the educational experience that we had to remove our kids. Our experience with the poor leadership, questionable ethics, and loss of teacher accountability was so pronounced that we couldn't justify keeping our kids there any longer.One of our individual experiences was so egregious that we filed a federal civil rights complaint.In summary, inexperienced, poor and unethical leadership make a massive impact on the school experience and quality and can change the success of a great school within just a few short months.I fully expect a steady decline of the school academics over the next 5 years. The school will be able to hide behind some of the problems that Covid created for a short time, but I am quite convinced that as other schools start to rebound, the deleterious effect of the current school leader will steadily show decline in school performance.There are plenty of really good schools in Douglas County. I would not personally risk my child's future with attendance at ACS.
Submitted by parent on August 18, 2021

My child currently goes to this school and in my opinion this is the worst school I have been involved in. The school principal is more worried about liability than what is good for the kids who attend. #1 Apparently they were sued over 5 years ago because a kid was injured on the playground so NOW no parents are allowed to utilize the playground or soccer field in the morning before school nor after school. Last year My son and I went to school early every morning to practice soccer and spend time together without any problems. The new principle Erin McMilon has effectively put a stop to all activities from parents with attending kids. I tried to go early to spend time with my son on the soccer fields and have been “escorted off” the field and told I was not allowed to be there before during or after school due to liability issues. Instead of working with us and figuring out a way for us and others to spend time with our kids enjoying the school and it’s facilities before and after school She instead had us escorted off the field and threatened us with the on staff “officer”Instead of working toward a solution like signing a waiver she and her governing board apparently DON’T CARE ABOUT WHAT THE ATTENDING PARENTS WANT.
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2020

My son attended ACS for all 9 years. As a GT student he was challenged and exposed to so many wonderful and different ideas. He thrived with the Core Knowledge curriculum, grew in confidence due to the school environment and excelled all around thanks to the staff. He recently was accepted into the IB Program at DCHS where again he is excelling thanks to the high quality education and preparation ACS provided.
Submitted by parent on June 30, 2018

When the top is currupt the rest follows
Submitted by other on January 30, 2017

My daughter attended this school K-1. She is smart, sensitive, and wants to please. Her K teacher was very nice and open to my concerns. We chose this school mainly because my daughter is a very quick learner and we wanted her to have the benefits of ability based learning groups. These are a joke. She was bored in the 1st grade math group (as a K), and it often didn't even meet because of "lack of staffing" so her teacher gave me the worksheets so my daughter could do them at home. A good teacher, limited by school resources. But in 1st grade her teacher was a yeller, a "group punisher," which made my sensitive girl feel terrible. She would be punished with the rest of the class and when I would ask the teacher what she did wrong, she would say "oh nothing, she's a joy to have in class." My daughter was still bored in the "2nd grade math group" and would get moved down a group in reading for changing "it is" to "its" while reading aloud. It got to be where she didn't want to go to school. The dean was zero help. My daughter was identified by the school district as highly advanced gifted. We were encouraged by the SCHOOL DISTRICT to have her skip a grade. The teacher didn't buy it, the dean wouldn't allow it (the regular schools are required to accomodate grade changes when testing shows it is in the student's best interest to do so, but she likes to exercise her muscle as a charter school). Report cards are scored 1-4. 4 is advanced. The teachers aren't allowed to give 4s until the end of the year because they need to show progress was made. So my kid is advanced all year long but is shorted on her report card just so the school and the teacher take the credit at the end of the year. I was also told they don't like the "gifted" label. I know, a lot of people don't like the label. But at the end of the day, my smart, we'll behaved, loves-learning kid wanted to stay home from school. So we took her out of there, and now she's in the Discovery Program at Renaissance, a 2nd grader doing 4th grade math, spelling and reading and LOVING school again thank goodness. ACS wants to fit your kid into their mold. They are strict but behavior is terribly uncontrolled. It's militaristic but ineffective. I felt like the staff (save the sweet Kindergarten teacher who was trying) are bullies. This school just didn't work for us at all.
Submitted by other on December 09, 2016

Workload is insane, teachers can be short with students and the dean is a horrible educator. My advise is to find the right fit for your kid and realize each school has different philosophys. This schools philosophy is obscure at best. Dont believe me...just ask about their turnover rate.
Submitted by student on January 16, 2016

Personally, as a student of this school I say that it has been preparing me well for high school academically. I have been going to this school for about 8 years now. Elementary was great, but as soon as I got into middle school things changed. It seems like there would be a little bit more mutual respect, but as I have found out, that gap actually closed. We are treated even younger than how I remember in elementary. The assistants are absolutely outrageous in the manner that they are treating 6th,7th and 8th grade. Even our main teachers don't seem to understand the level of restriction they put us at. Putting that aside, I do believe that I have more than just an edge between myself an students who go to Mesa or Castle Rock Middle School academically. Because of the high expectations, I believe that we are all excelling. Honestly, the academics are the only thing I like about ACS after attending it for so long.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2015

Academically, this school thrives and it prepares students very well for high school. It is also strong in after-school athletics. However; I feel it lacks a balanced approach to developing the whole child. Too much emphasis is given to testing, grammar over literature, and busy-work homework, resulting in unnecessary stress to students who are not getting enough time in outdoor physical activity during the school day. Additionally, respect and kindness needs to be modeled by ALL adults. In middle school, my child was hesitant to ask questions in a class because of the condescending way in which the teacher would answer students' questions. Also, some of the teachers were inflexible when it came to offering accommodations for children with learning differences. My children's early primary years at ACS were wonderful; teachers seemed happy (there was a different admin then), but things changed in the later years. ACS middle school needs more electives (home economics, drama, and health.), recess, and more opportunities for students to develop collaboration and critical thinking skills.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2015

The teachers/academics/families are phenomenal. Unfortunately, the school is not well-governed. The Dean is confrontational and condescending. The governing board does not represent the students or parents but consistently side with and defend the Dean. The tipping point was the PARCC/CMAS testing where children were penalized for opting out by being marked as unexcused and ineligible to participate in sports. This school was one of only 2, out of 80 in DCSD, to do this despite the voice of parents/communicty/district and state support. Also, there are financial transparency issues where two entities (Castle Rock LifeLong Learning Center and The ACS Foundation) receive substantial amounts of grand funds but they are unaudited (see financials published on school website). There are 4 business entities associated with the school and 4 separate sets of financials turned into the disctrict, but the financials listed on the school website are a separate set. The funds are not invested into the students as is apparent with the outdated technology and lack of interactive equipment. The science teacher had to do a fundraiser just to buy 2 $200 microscopes.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2015

My oldest son has been at ACS K-8. This school reflects a community atmosphere, where each student is part of the school, not just part of a classroom. Various staff members personally greet and say good bye to students before and after the school day. Teachers are experienced and attentive to student needs. Students are offered Spanish, advanced math options, an excellent science program, as well as an exceptional well rounded education. Middle school (6-8) offers the option of participating in a variety of after school sports and increased rigor in core disciplines as well as "specials" such as music, computers, and art. It is a safe environment for kids to spread their wings! My older son is now looking forward to starting the IB program next year at DCHS. My younger son is having the same positive experience at ACS. Over the last eight years I have worked with the Dean through roles on the school's SAC, PTO, etc. She has remained open-minded, professional and accommodating. Though we have passionately disagreed on more than one occasion, my kids, my husband, nor myself, have ever been subjected to vindictiveness.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2015

My, my! Look at the campaign somebody went on last spring to get a slew of people to put up 5-star reviews. The dean has issues. She is unfair, vindictive, and behaves in underhanded and inflammatory ways to seemingly innocent issues. Last spring: Upset parents and mass exodus from the school=low approval ratings. No wonder she needed to get some 5-star reviews up in a hurry. Control and power direct her behavior and communications above all else. I have seen her make ridiculous, baseless claims to discredit parents who have contributed lots of service hours to this school so she could win her point. I have watched this dean vindictively sneak behind the school board's back in order to undermine students' academic success. The school would benefit greatly if she learned to be fair and get over herself. She knows how to keep the board in her pocket with her well-practiced, two-faced behavior (they can vote her out). The school also struggles to practice the Love and Logic techniques they purport to follow. The teachers (they have been wonderful here) have it figured out in the microcosm of their classrooms, but the aides have made poor choices at a grade/school-wide level.
Submitted by other on May 11, 2014

ACS is a good tight nit community, they are always looking out for one another. I went to the school from K-8th grade. Did i want to go to another school at the time? of course i did. i mean what 5-8th grade kid wants to wear uniforms...? but I'm glad i didn't, personally i think i got the better education then looking at some friends who did not attend a charter school. My class alone has had a girl go onto Stanford University, someone else went to Westmont a private college. Every school is going to have their fair share of rotten apples, teaches who just have no spark left in them and they are only in it for a pay check, to say this school doesn't have a few of those would be untrue. that doesn't mean that the school is awful or unfit for ones child/children. Majority of the teaching staff loves what they do and are happy doing it. Bullying has been an issue in the past but the school is making great strides to eliminate the problem.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2014

All of my students middle school teachers word hard and are active outside of just the classroom, they are truly invested in making sure that every student has a place in the school community Yes, the students come home with homework and yes, they are held to high expectations. Each teacher has been easy to communicate with and provides my student with engaging and high quality learning. Two of my students have gone through ACS and are now in high school, one is in 7th grade; all have had great educational experiences. As a parent I am thankful to have a community that is so close and one in which I can actively be a part of regularly. We love our school and love our teachers!
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2014

I have a child at ACS. She has enjoyed the curriculum, teachers and friends. When my older child transferred to high school. She was beyond prepared for the rigors of high schools. Supportive teachers, administration have an open door policy, ready to support.
Submitted by parent on April 12, 2014

As a parent at ACS I completely disagree with the parents that complain out the administration and bullying at this school. The unfortunate truth is that we have parents that only hear one side of a conflict, their own child's. Bullying is an over used term and this school provides more anti bully programs than any other school in the district. They use Challenge a Day, Rachel's Change, Core Virtues, Love and Logic, Second Step and many other programs to promote a positive environment. The administration is wonderful and in my dealings with them they are fair. It stinks when your kid makes a mistake and finds themselves in trouble but I'm thankful to have someone that will hold them accountable. Unfortunate we live in a society of helicopter parents that rescue their children at every turn, I approximate a school that doesn't allow that behavior. This is a great school and I would recommend it to anyone!
Submitted by teacher on April 12, 2014

ACS is a great school! The staff works hard to ensure that every student achieves success and feels loved, safe and appreciated. The Deans are amazing and as a staff member I feel supported by the administration. I would recommend this school as a great place to work and send your kids.
Submitted by teacher on April 11, 2014

Academy Charter School is a great school! It has a caring atmosphere where adults keep kids accountable for their behavior and choices. The academic rigor has truly prepared my oldest child for high school. I would highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2014

Academy Charter School is an awesome school! We have moved a lot and my daughter has been to a lot of different schools and I can say Academy Charter is THE BEST to date!! They teach the kids good core values. The teachers seem to want to do their jobs and are there for the kids. My daughter loves all her teachers. Academy Charter has high standards and expectations. The kids want to live do well in school. They care about their grades. From what I can tell, the kids seem to get along well and my daughter has not experienced any bullying (which was a big problem at her last school). My only regret is that the school does not go up to 12th grade.
Submitted by other on April 23, 2013

This school has a good curriculum and very smart students. Everyday when I walk down the halls I see kids being bullied. One of my friends is a victim of it and the teachers know, the deans know, and the counselor knows... Nobody has done anything to help him. The deans are also liars! Especially with the parents. My friends and I had to talk to the deans about an issue and we clarified multiple times that our other friend was not involved in any way, shape, or form. The deans blamed the entire thing on her, said that we told them it was her, and gave her a lunch detention. Her father, who was extremely upset, emailed the deans. They told her father she was in no trouble at all, and that she wouldn't be getting a lunch detention. They also promised to talk to her. They never talked to her. And they made her do the detention. He emailed them again after finding out, but they never replied. I would also like to point out that some of the middle school teachers are very bad. The social studies teacher doesn't help you with an assignment. She will give it to you and expect you to do it without help. Over-all, this school is pretty bad. I hope I helped. Sincerely, A Student