Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy

8283 East Kemper Road

Cincinnati, OH 45249

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 10, 2024

My daughter attended CHCA from 2019-2023. During that time, we had a mostly positive experience. Most of the teachers were wonderful. As she aged into late elementary / middle school years, it became very apparent which students were favored more (which was directly correlated to how much money their parents donated to the school). Since we had been there for 4 years, we applied for my son to start kindergarten there as well. They refused to admit him into the K-prep program, so we held him back in preschool another year. Then they refused to admit him to kindergarten. They completely botched the admissions process, and because they strung us along for 3 months, they nearly sabotaged his ability to get into another private school as enrollments were filling up. We were lied to by the Admissions department repeatedly and just generally treated unprofessionally - which was especially upsetting considering that were already a school family.The admissions process for kindergartners also goes blatantly against evidence-based educational standards. Five year olds are taken into a conference room with one of their business development staff members (read: NOT a teacher, and NOT in a kid-friendly environment). Then they are asked to academically perform on an admissions test. My son was scared, uncomfortable, and anxious. They refused to tell you why your kid isn't admitted, but my guess is that we aren't millionaires that can pad their donation scrolls, and that my kid couldn't perform at his best in an environment that wasn't kid-friendly. When we applied to another private (and better ranked) school in Cincinnati, I told the kindergarten teachers what had happened were appalled at how CHCA went blatantly against all academic standards in assessing kindergarten readiness. Once my daughter learned that her brother was not welcome at CHCA, she told us immediately that she did not want to return there. We fortunately found another highly ranked private school for both of my kids and they are both THRIVING. If you don't plan to donate generously above the $16K+/kid tuition every year or your kid isn't perfect, then this probably isn't the school for you.
Submitted by other on May 15, 2023

I first started at this school in second grade and i would say it overall great school. BUT the school doesn't care about bullying or students' mental health or wellbeing AT ALL..... if you want your kid to felled loved don't go here ALSO, this school HATES kids that have dishabilles or need special care.
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2018

This school I would give a lot of credit for the academic enrichment it provided for my child. He is definitely ahead of the learning curve. I do believe that when my child had difficulties his first year I receive a phone call very frequenctly about correcting his behavior. Which is understandable, in some cases. But I had to find out third party that my son was struggling academically. I never received a phone call about areas where he was struggling up until they began testing. I’m not saying I wouldn’t recommend this school, but that to me is not ok. As a parent, I would just encourage asking more questions about your child’s academics and not just assume they are doing ok.
Submitted by principal on May 22, 2018

CHCA is a school like no other. Students have countless opportunities to flourish in their gifts, soar academically, and grow spiritually. As an employee and parent at the school, I cannot imagine being a part of a stronger school community.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2018

We’ve been blessed to be at CHCA for nine years now and cannot imagine our two sons anywhere else. The education they’ve received has been excellent. They’ve grown and matured spiritually. And they’ve each grown in their gifts in amazing ways. The teachers and staff see their gifts and challenge them to grow in them. They’ve tried new things, and have been supported each step of the way. I’m thrilled with our experience in the Upper School so far and can’t wait to see how God continues to grow the school. I’m already amazed by what goes on there each & every day!!!
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2018

I have three children at this school and it's such a blessing for our family. My oldest loves her first year in the upper school and has such a confidence and passion for learning. My middle child is thriving in academics and sports. And my youngest has already developed such a joy for learning thanks to the teachers in the lower school. I love that all three of them are receiving a quality education, while increasing their faith. The teachers genuinely care for the students and it's a wonderful environment from PreK-grade 12.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2018

If you want your child to be locked in a room and berated by a teacher then this is the place for you. The students are bullies as are some of the teachers. Staff prefers to sweep things under the rug to save “appearances”
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2015

My excellent experience with CHCA began this year with my son's enrollment into 4th grade. I chose to avoid a lot of the public school Common Core curriculum problems and give my son a more challenging education. The Christian based curriculum is unmatched. The kids welcomed my son so easily and he fell right into many new friendships. I made the best investment for my son's future, hands down.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2015

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy has been a blessing to our family and we are so thankful to be a part of the community. The academically rigorous program combined with a focus on Christ was just what we were seeking when searching for an Elementary school. It s amazing to see the intellectual curiosity and daily excitement from our children they have developed a true love for learning! The Christ-centered approach that CHCA takes in every aspect of their program has exceeded our expectations, and our children are truly prepared to lean into life.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2015

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is a school like no other! The founders, faculty, families and friends that work to help guide our children to success through a Christ-centered approach are the best. We are thrilled to be a part of this school and highly recommend it. Teaching our children to think, guiding them to challenge themselves, reminding them of God's love with every step -- we love CHCA!
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2015

We are very pleased to be part of the community of this terrific faith-based school. CHCA has been a wonderful fit for our two sons, where each has found close friends, a strong academic environment, and the ability to stretch out and grow through extracurricular programs in music, robotics, and service to others. It also has a diversity of parent and student backgrounds, and an experienced faculty who are committed to helping their students grow and achieve self-discovery and independence.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2014

Our family has been part of the CHCA community for 5 years. I have children who have been at the elementary (EBL), Middle School, and now a graduating senior at the High School. My children are completely different learners and have vastly different interests, yet CHCA has more than enough to challenge and enrich both. They have been involved in athletics, fine arts, service/outreach, faith based groups, and technology clubs. The academic rigor is equal to or greater than that of other private schools in the area, some costing much more. Theological integration permeates all facets of the school, and we have found that our children not only know about their faith, but they are eager to live ti and share it. Although both kids have at times dealt with social/peer issues so common in adolescence, the responsiveness of teachers/administrators to help all parties work through things helped. We have found the teachers to be true professionals who love their work and the school. We highly recommend CHCA .
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2014

Since switching my child to CHCA, he has grown socially, academically and spiritually beyond my expectations. I was raised in public schools and believed in them wholeheartedly. That was until last year when I lost hope in the quality of education and too much government control. CHCA is part of my life, my child's life and it has secured an excellent education for my child's future.
Submitted by other on April 12, 2014

CHCA is a great school to get you well prepared for college, currently a high school student, I can tell you some nights I have only a hour of homework and the next night I have over 10 hours and yes i have stayed up till 3am some nights studying, in order to get a 3.0 you have to be working very hard and study a lot, you cant get above a 2.0 without trying and being motivated to study. I would recommend this school to any student that is motivated and can take the work load. The lunches seem a bit unhealthy though and the students are extremely cliquish. I do seem to see many asian and some blacks around the school, most are exchange but they still add to the diversity of the school. The high school is the least diverse out of the 3 school it seems with the elementary being quite diverse for its area. They arent very strict when it comes to dress code, electronics though. Here comes the bad part, some of the teachers are just downright terrible and others are very good though.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2014

I am amazed each day by what goes on here at CHCA. The faculty and staff have built into and transformed my sons in such incredible ways. The experiences here are like no other. In addition to the top notch education they are receiving, knowing our amazing teachers are praying for our children each day is meaningful beyond words. We are so blessed to be here!
Submitted by other on September 23, 2013

It is my third year at CHCA, and I am in 11th grade. While the academics are excellent, and I love all my teachers, I am not a fan of my fellow students. They were very mean to me when I first came, and almost caused me to transfer. Sometimes I wish I did. The kids say they are Christian, but many of them do not act that way. While there are some good kids, they are reluctant to let new people in, preferring the people they have known for years. If you don't want your kid to feel unaccepted by their peers do not send them to this school. They have tried before to fix these issues, but those same snobby kids that think they are so cool just go back to their ignorant ways. If this school truly wants to change they have to give those kids a good yelling, and get it drilled in their minds that disrespecting your perfectly nice peers and teachers is neither okay or Christian.
Submitted by parent on July 19, 2013

Despite what you may hear, CHCA is a good school. Actually it is an exceptionally good school, especially for young children. The elementary school gives students an amazing foundation in reading, writing, and maths. It even has a small gifted program for more precocious minds. My son loved every minute of it. But after fourth grade it goes downhill: the middle school. It is a topsy-turvy time in any child's life and the middle school's social pressures, lackluster teachers (incredibly high staff turn-over rate), and lack of advanced/gifted programs create a brain drain that lowers the reputation of the rest of the school. I remember my son coming home from school frustrated that he wasn't being challenged, begging me to look elsewhere. My husband and I decided on a highly rated public school and transferred him out after eighth grade. He wasn't alone... many other parents of gifted children made the same decision. My son was a National Merit Scholar, at the top of his class, and now is at an Ivy League school. The CHCA High School, as it turns out, is an incredible school and if the middle school wasn't so bad he would have been a CHCA graduate.
Submitted by parent on July 02, 2013

This rating is based on the inability of the elementary school to implement their own bullying policies, the "hit and miss" quality of teacher instruction (some are great, others terrible) and the Christian veil that the administration hides behind as prayers are nothing more than talking points and are enitrely inappropriate in a prayer context. This rating is also based on the middle school's poor academic teaching in math. While they continually espouse that they are ahead of the public school system, they are not. The accelerated math is on par with the public school system (regular math) and the regular math at CHCA is an entire year behind the public school system. In addition, the administration here also uses prayer in an oddly non-Christian way actually praying "Help us understand that it is not about the cirriculum, but about the people". All this time I thought I was paying for them to educate my child. One last issue I found with the middle school is that they require parent volunteers during certain events. By definition "volunteering" is a gift, not a requirement. I actually had to take off work to "volunteer" if I wanted my child to be able to participate.
Submitted by other on May 16, 2013

I attended CHCA from 2nd grade through high school graduation. I am now a high school educator and have developed a deeper level of gratitude for the education I received. Because of CHCA, I was well over prepared for college (I actually think my high school experience was, in some ways, more challenging than college). I had teachers at CHCA that genuinely cared for me and inspired me to follow in the same profession. Something even greater that I took away from CHCA was my lifelong friendships. Most people I have met in my adult life no longer keep in touch with high school friends (except through Facebook, of course), but I have about 4 girlfriends that I know will always be close. I know this is rare and very special. However, I know there are many who attend CHCA and have very different experiences than what I had... I think it is harder for new students to break through the cliques that have been established since elementary or middle school when just joining the scene at the high school level. Something the school could work on: encouraging a welcoming and inviting attitude to new arrivals amongst the student body. There seems to be a lack of open-mindedness on this front.
Submitted by other on March 26, 2013

I attended this school from 7th grade until I graduated high school. It was a wonderful, supportive environment. Now I have a child of my own and am trying to figure out a way to get him in the school. It is worth it to send your child there.