Seacoast Charter School

171 Watson Road

School District

Seacoast Charter School
Grade

PK, K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
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 other on January 07, 2024

I use to go here for 3 years until I left in 2021, they do nothing about bullying, I was bullied horribly by everyone and nobody did a thing, their answer for it was just to talk to the guidance consular after getting off the bus and not telling the kids bullying me off. The teachers were worse, they were a few great teachers but the rest were horrible, I got in trouble so many times for doing nothing wrong. I got in trouble for drawing the smallest thing on my paper. One of the teachers legit made one of my classmates cry. I do not recommend this school. They will do nothing if you're bullied or in bad mental health.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2023

We adore the charter school! We’ve had our kids in this school for 2 years now and have seen such a wonderful change. Both kids feel safe, challenged, happy, and heard. It’s a wonderful small class environment. At first I was a little trepidatious about the mixed grade levels, but it really does work. The community feels integrated, kids friends with lots of kids in other grade levels, and the structure allows for growth according to each child’s pace. I think they’ve done a terrific job with the building and property since moving to Dover. I’m jealous my kids get to spend so much time outside each week!
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2019

So happy to have my kids part of the SCS community! Unparalleled support from the teachers.
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2017

Entering our 6th year at SCS, we've been through the ups and downs of moving and the joys and independence gained from getting their own building. The teachers show compassion and connection with each child. My son has thrived in the environment created by faculty. He Loves to go to school and is disappointed every vacation. The connection he has made with each of his teachers is a mutual, respected relationship in which he is developing an understanding of his own learning style and implementing tactics for success. He is at the age that he us able to take this on directly with his teachers and has done well maturing as a middle school student. Thriving in music which he loves, and being challenged in art which was uncomfortable for him but has inspired him to try new mediums and explore beyond his comfort zone. Not every child thrives in sports focused, test driven learning environments. SCS encourages children to learn HOW they learn. Come to a Spotlight Tour and you'll see kids standing at a table in small groups measuring, stretching, planning and writing, or in the same class, same lesson you might find another group of children laying on the floor with clipboards. Again, competing the assignment in a way that works for them. I cannot say enough great things about SCS. Of course it us not perfect. There are times I wish communication was a but better, or a situation not involving my family maybe could have been handled differently--- but any place where people congregate is going to have challenges. I feel the school works continuously at improving policies, communication and needs of the students and families. We are thoroughly pleased with what the school offers our child.
Submitted by other on December 15, 2016

Seacoast Charter School moved into a new facility in Dover, NH in the fall of 2015, renting the old Measured Progress campus on Watson Road. After a year of great change and transition, the school purchased that building in the fall of 2016. Given the turmoil of moving so far from its previous home in Kingston, and losing a headmaster, teachers, and some families in the process, this has been a huge accomplishment. It is also the first charter school in New Hampshire to do so.Through the past year and a half, there have been many changes and growing pains. Due to the turmoil, there was some staff turnover last year, however what's notable is the longevity of many of the teachers. The facility will continue to need physical work in order to adapt it to the school's needs. There is no fancy playground yet, no drama program, no gym. Picking up your child can take a good 30 minutes as the cars snake around the driveway. But there is a strong music program, mixed grade classrooms that don't exceed about 20 students, and everyone knows each other's names.My son has been at SCS since January 2016. The transition was difficult at first owing to the mix of students last year and personality differences with his teacher. But a request for a different teacher was granted and some of the kids moved on to the next grade level (classrooms are grade 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8). So this year has been much better and we're both pretty happy with our choice to move from Dover Middle School.DMS is a large school with class sizes in the 30s and it's easy for students to fall through the cracks if they are neither self-starters nor very poorly performing, but fall in the lower end of the middle. But DMS does have more extra-curricular programs and activities that you'd expect from a larger school. So it is a bit of a trade off. We just supplement with private or city-run activities.So for now, in order to paint a realistic picture to those thinking about choosing SCS, I will rate it as "good" compared to the bad+/average- I would rate DMS (at least as far as my own child was concerned).As SCS continues to grow and mature in its new home with its new head of school and new development director and new art teacher, etc., I don't doubt I will be able to add another star very soon.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2015

The Seacoast Charter School is currently looking to relocate from Kingston, NH to Dover, NH.
Submitted by parent on July 01, 2015

SCS is a fantastic school that's flourished despite being stuck in a poor facility with a landlord and town that doesn't care about them and is openly hostile towards them. The way the SCS parents and teachers have rallied for the move to better facilities shows what a special community that has developed. This isn't something we've ever seen at our town school where no one cares about each other and fights each other, school board, parents and students, constantly. It's exciting the school is finally going to get the kind of facility it deserves. SCS is going to be better than ever. We're really looking forward to it and especially having the stress around the facility finally gone.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2015

My daughter just finished her first year at Seacoast Charter School (SCS) and I am pleased that the school exceeded my expectations.A few items that stick out for me:1. They hold a whole school meeting every Friday where 2-3 classes present in front of the whole school. To me it is fantastic that she is already learning to speak in front of 250 other students, plus teachers and parents, holding a microphone at such an early age.2. I love that art is integrated in all of the subjects, helping them concretize the learnings. For instance when learning about light and shadows, they did a piece of art where the moon is reflecting off a body of water and another piece where a grove of birch trees is casting shadows on the ground.Like any school, it is what one puts into it. She started reading this year and is already reading one full school year ahead (per Scholastic book's reading level charts).On our tour of the school prior to going, I remember a parent saying that her son was shy and a wallflower prior to going and that at SCS he found his voice. She said he still feels shy but now speaks up in spite of that.I look forward too to 3rd grade and above when all of the students are required to take a musical string instrument. My daughter in the past was resisting piano lessons (even though she was good), but think that once all of her friends are taking class with her, she will be excited.While the school is having some bumps on finding a new location, it's worth the bumps.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2015

My sister is a sixth grader who has always struggled with academics. In her old school, she was overlooked because she isn't a huge behavioral issue. Here at SCS, individual learning goals are set and each child's needs are met. This is the most dedicated group of innovative teachers the state has ever seen! If your child is interested in hands-on, minds-on learning then this is the school for them! They are enrolling for the 2015-2016 year at their new location in Stratham, NH. Give them a call and you will be changing your child's life for the better!
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2015

SCS is the right school for our family. We live in a town with a highly rated public school. Unfortunately the school did not meet the needs of my daughter. Our town school uses lots of worksheets and tends to teach down the middle. My daughter is very bright, loves hands on learning and needs to be allowed the freedom to move ahead instead of being held back. She also loves the arts! After four years, I can say that the education she receives at SCS is exactly what she needs! Her peers are wonderful and so are her teachers. The sense of community is strong! The children develop respectful relationships without bullying and cliches. They learn about values and openly discuss the positive values their classmates possess. In the fall we are excited to have our son attend too. The move to Stratham will make our commute to school 40 minutes. We are willing to make this drive everyday because the school is that important to us and right for our kids. We even revisited our town's public school. After a long visit we left feeling even stronger about our decision to send our children to SCS. This is a wonderful school for children who want an arts focused education with hands on learning.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2015

My two children attend SCS and they are thriving. They love, love, love their school and are actually quite upset that the school year is ending. I remember that I couldn't wait to get out for summer! We are constantly amazed by what they are learning. One of my children struggled with math earlier in the year and now she actually tells me it's fun. To watch them play their instruments together is such a joy. They express their creativity through their amazing art work. The other thing they learn is how to present their work to their classroom or sometimes the whole school and to also work in teams. There are no rows of desks with kids just being lectured. They can actually interact with adults with confidence. Real life skills. They want to be there, they want to learn and they want to work hard. That is the environment this school fosters. What more could you ask?In recent years there has definitely been turmoil but now there is now a great administration with head of school, Mr. Durso. There is also a solid, engaged school board. It's very difficult to look at the past couple of administrations and what happened and compare it to where the school is now. Apples and oranges. There is a particular culture and style to SCS and not everyone can fit that mold but now SCS is back where it should be. SCS is a place where you get out of it what you put into it. SCS depends on the community to succeed. This means volunteering and fundraising. It means being part of your child's education. The way the community has rallied around the school's need to move and fund-raise to stay open says a lot about how parents and children feel most. It's a community. It's a family. Sometimes it takes some adversity to get people motivated. Scarcity breeds innovation. I continue to be impressed by the amount of time and effort administration, staff, parents and students are willing to put into this. Some might spin this as negative but when everyone cares this much it's obvious there is something very special here. Yes, the new space will cost more but since we're all being asked to "read the minutes" also notice there are plans to move forward, organize and meet the challenge.At SCS my children thrive. They want to be there, work hard and learn. They express their creativity through their work. They love their school. I couldn't ask for more.
Submitted by other on June 03, 2015

SCS is an amazing school with talented, creative extremely dedicated teachers and administrators. I have had three children lucky enough to go there and it is so refreshing to see kids actually enjoying learning. My kids would actually WANT to go to school - academically I feel the curriculum is strong and the kids learn by completing projects that are meaningful to them not just by memorizing facts for a test .This is the type of learning that sticks with kids. My son also excells in math and is a grade ahead without my input at all - the school simply put him where he needed to be. Taking vlacs is an option for any student in NH so I am not sure how that would be a struggle for anyone... Charter schools are a unique experience and require a lot of parent involvement- it does require effort but it is well worth it!
Submitted by other on June 02, 2015

I encourage everyone to read the board's minutes within the past two years before deciding to attend this school. There have been ongoing internal problems within this school that many don't even understand. This school should never have been in the situation to have to fundraise in a panic mode to stay open. While the initial goal has been made, it is difficult to imagine that if the initial move is made, there will be sustainability. The census is decreasing, if you read the latest minutes, this place may relocate and then need to close in December. If the school is not upfront with new recruits, how awful! Education is not about simply filling seats. These are families and children's lives not just numbers.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2015

This is a great school both my children have been going here the last 2 years and they absolutely love it. They do their homework all by themselves and want to , They respect each other and adults, the teachers here are wonderful they go above and beyond, music and arts program is fantastic children deserve a chance no child should be left behind my children seem to do better with the Seacoast charter school than in public or private when in doubt please check the seacoast charter school out you will be so glad that you did .
Submitted by other on June 02, 2015

I have two children at SCS - a 3rd grader and a 6th grader, and this is their 4th year at the SCS. SCS is an arts-integrated charter school, but this does not mean that it is a school for artists or even artistically-inclined kids. By embracing the arts and teaching through the arts, the children experience what they are learning using all of their senses. No matter what their individual strengths or natural proclivities are, by teaching through all of the arts, every child finds a connection to at least one aspect of the lesson and their learning blossoms. The arts pervade everything the children do at school. If they are studying Native Americans, they are learning about Native American art in their art classes (which are 2-3 times a week). They are learning about Native American music in their music classes (also 2 -3 times a week). They are learning about Native American dance and storytelling, and the list goes on. Our children have become creative problem solvers and multidimensional thinkers thanks to the teachers at the SCS. My eldest was a "square peg" at our local public school, and when we went to the SCS, he was no longer alone. This school has star kids and square kids, round kids, oval kids, and rectangle kids. And even better – the teachers are all of those things as well, and everyone fits. What results is a culture of understanding, acceptance, and joy. As a parent, I cannot imagine a better school.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2015

Our daughter has excelled academically, socially , and emotionally at this school! We are so glad we found this wonderful place for her, and we wouldn't have it any other way!
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2015

I wish I had made the switch to SCS from our local public school years ago. Our daughter was "silently" bullied for about two years and because it wasn't seen or heard she suffered both socially and academically. We also couldn't get her learning disability identified properly which greater reduced her academic abilities. When we brought her to SCS it was like a light switches on. She enjoys going to school, is learning to play an instrument, is able to use her art skills in her work so it relates to something she's interested in and when her teachers recognized that she was struggling we were finally able to get her diagnosed with ADD. She only needs a little support to refocus because she's happy to be learning in a way that makes sense to her. She's also found a network of friends that "get" her and she "gets" them. The teachers and staff seem to know each child by name and personality very quickly. I don't believe there's anyone in the school our daughter couldn't go to for help/questions/concerns which is very reassuring.
Submitted by other on May 26, 2015

I would like to comment on a couple of the earlier reviews. Someone can not honestly review a school YEARS after they have attended there. Especially at a Charter School. The heads of school change, staff changes, and board members change as we try to improve our school and how it is run. The Seacoast Charter School has had a few hiccups in the last couple of years due to reasons beyond our control, BUT it still remains an OUTSTANDING SCHOOL!!! The teachers there are the most dedicated teachers I have ever met. The children LOVE their school and the parents also are very proud and happy to be there. Is it the right fit for everyone? Probably not, but that is why it is a CHOICE to send your child there. The negative posts are obviously from people who are not even part of our school family. My children have attended there for 4 years and we are extremely happy with the school and the staff. They are all extremely professional and go above and beyond for their students and their families. The parents and teachers that are there are dedicated to keeping this school thriving in whatever way possible. WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2015

I have seen recent headlines of this schools trying to relocate and it is with mixed emotions I right this review. My kids attended a few years ago for a brief period and I will say the music and arts education is excellent. The academic environment, continual squabbling over funds, and hostile parent and staff interactions I observed were not. I am really not surprised this school seems to be having trouble "getting its act together" because in the time we were there, it felt like a very unsettled, disorganized place. Teachers would complain openly to me about administration and vice versa, and they hardly knew me. On the whole, it struck me as a very unprofessional environment, and even my kids could see that. I don't understand how other charter schools in this state seem to do OK, and this place can't get out of its own way. Think twice and really do your homework, talking to former parents, before you commit your kids here. I really wish I had.
Submitted by other on May 17, 2015

Lack of strategic planning and solid fundraising, coupled with many people's heads being in the sand expecting government to bail them out has brought this school to their knees. Everyone is currently in panic mode as they scramble to relocate. It is sad that this is happening the last month of school. All one needs to do is review archived minutes to know that the lease was up. Best of luck, but throwing money without fixing internal problems is not going to be a solution.