Holy Cross Academy

250 Stafford Lakes Parkway

Fredericksburg, VA 22406

32 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 14, 2023

I have two kids in this school and it's been a wonderful experience. It's a great feeling to know your kids are receiving a top notch education while also in a safe environment. My only hope is that the class sizes don't get any larger per teacher. Also, the teachers at HCA are very dedicated, caring, and we have yet to have any complaints about any teacher.
Submitted by parent on July 05, 2023

If you are a minority, please do NOT send your child here. They will be bullied and the “administration “ will do nothing about it. Academics are questionable. My child’s teacher claimed that he had learning disabilities yet when I had him tested independently it was determined that he does not have ANY learning issues…. In fact , he’s reading at 6/7th grade level and his other scores were above grade level as well.
Submitted by other on June 01, 2022

I was a student at holy cross for 8 years.Homework: for 1st grade, all the way up to 8th i had from 1 and a half to two hours of homework and once i made it to 6th it was a hour a subject with test and quizzes being the same day for most of my classes. teacher would never communicate and when a student would tell them we had a lot of homework they didn’t care. teachers: they didn’t really care about us and i only had a couple good teachers but they left after the nuns got kicked outspecial ed: they tried to kick me out in first grade cause i have dyslexic but they legal couldn’t and they special ed reading was really bad and made me go into normal english and spanish once i got to middle school even though i was still struggling. bulling: I am not white and most people at holy cross are white. anyways during 2016 a classmate told me to go back to mexico, also this kid had bullied me all year and i had told my teacher all year he had, and when i told my parents about they called the school and “action” finally happened. I got to the office and learned this was the first time my principal had heard about the kid bullying me and told him to apologize and he didn’t, also told me to say sorry “because that is what Jesus would have done” i did not and will forever remember that.the new principal: the new principal told me i was the “child of satan” because a teacher falsely accused me of sleeping in class and i showed him my notes which proved i was awake and then my teacher had to apologize. this sucked cause i had to miss a entire history class that day. notes: don’t send your kids to this school (especially if your not white) either send them to public or send them to another private school.
Submitted by student on March 16, 2022

Eh, it's not great... The staff working there are stuck up and annoying.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2020

My son loves it here. He is miles ahead of the kids that live in our neighborhood that go to public school
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2019

The site has been flooded with an overwhelming amount of good reviews by parents who are upset with the impeding change of administration. The lack of accountability for teachers and administrators, the unpunished bullying, the lack of diversity is to be blamed.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2019

Both of my children spent 8 years at the school and have gone on to be very successful in both high school and college. I feel the foundation they received at Holy Cross was fantastic both spiritually and academically. I love the smaller class size and the way the Principal knows each student.
Submitted by other on January 28, 2019

Definitely a bad experience that makes me mad to think about. Bullying on the basis of race was plentiful when I attended. School work was overwhelming for being in the elementary side. It was very annoying going to a new teacher to meet them and they tell you "oh I've heard about you." The comment not recognizing first honors, but rather your reputation as a problem student. The school is very disconnected from the outside world and doesn't help kids feel like diversity is normal. Its lead to many xenophobic high-schoolers I had known. If you're not white, I especially do not recommend sending your kid here. Save the tuition money and focus on getting your kid into advanced programs in public schools. They usually allow for students to be on the same math and language level as HCA students when entering high school, and can even let them be a grade level above. Public schools teach the value of diversity better, and people find more people like them, whereas at HCA bullied children may not even find another kid they can rely on or relate to. This is all aside from the fact that Religion is a class and only teaches Catholicism. This is a part of the curriculum and distracts from learning more applicable classes. Also forces kids that may not be Catholic, to participate in this class. I do not recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on January 02, 2019

My older daughter attended Holy Cross for Kindergarten and First Grade and it was simply a fantastic experience. Unfortunately, we ran into financial difficulties and with our younger daughter getting ready to enter school, we decided we had to stick with the public schools. My older daughter did fine in the public schools until she was bullied two years ago. My younger daughter has not. I'm considering applying for financial aid for next year (2019-2020) and, if financially feasible and she is admitted, switching her to Holy Cross for 6th - 8th Grade. Even though I actively participate in the school's "PTO," and have regular teacher conferences, I am very unhappy with her current public elementary school, particularly with its administration. I remember Holy Cross with great respect, admiration and fondness.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2018

Overall for a private, paid, Catholic education, it leaves a lot to be desired in the way of teaching Christian values and practicing discipleship anongst the students and staff. We have had three children attend and this will be our last year at this school. It is unfortunate because there were a few great teachers in the lower grades in the past. If you do choose this school, plan on pulling them by the time Middle School rolls around.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2018

Going to Holy Cross Academy benefitted my children tremendously. Throughout High School and College they often referred to things they learned here and I felt tremendously blessed to have the Sisters to help guide them spiritually. They have had long lasting friendships that remain to this day well into their adult years. Holy Cross Academy is a place where parents are super helpful in and out of the classroom and the staff is dedicated to a higher purpose, making it an exceptional environment to help guide your child on a path to developing character and responsibility.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2018

HCA is a great school with fabulous teachers and administrators. There are pros and cons of every school. I have found that those who support the school and its teachers have a better experience. Most of these negative remarks on this site are coming from those who were not supportive and did not see true reality. HCA might not be the best school if your child has learning issues. Parents need to realize the capabilities of their children and find the help their child needs. Parents are their child’s first teachers and they must work together with the school ( whatever school they choose) to benefit their children. The teachers at HCA want to work with parents to help each child. It is a positive, safe learning environment where each child is able to feel success. Our experiences at HCA are positive
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2018

Excellent! My children attended holy cross all 9 years and have gone on to be very successful in both high school and college and I feel the foundation they received at Holy Cross prepared them very well for the complicated world we live in.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2018

We had 2 good years out of 5. This school was not a good for fit for us and we should have left years ago. They do not follow through on their policies and many children and teachers face little to zero repercussions for their actions. We left the school and would not recommend it to anyone. Several families that had been at the school with multiple children as long as we have left this year as well. We weren't the only ones very unhappy here. The school needs major changes.
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2018

The elementary school side is EXCELLENT. The middle school side needs improvement with the way they handle behavior issues, treating both boys and girls equally (just because boys are harder to handle, doesn't mean they should be treated unfairly), and improving the caliber of teachers.
Submitted by student on May 08, 2018

I have many friends and teachers that I will remember always. However I have also had the worst times of my life there. Sometimes I feel like I am a overwhelmed and that teachers won’t do anything about it to help. I would rate 4/5 for elementary and 1/5 for middle school. This is a current student.
Submitted by parent on July 16, 2017

Very happy in moving from private school
Submitted by other on May 29, 2017

Non Catholics are at a disadvantage. Teachers educational backgrounds are unimpressive and in question.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2016

The teachers and administration have far exceeded my (high) expectations during the past three years that my child has attended K thru 2nd there. Each year I am amazed with the creativity and passion of the teacher and each year I worry that the upcoming year could never be as wonderful. AND each year we are again met with a heartfelt teacher and a challenging but exciting and engaging curriculum. It is difficult to send your child away for 7+ hours each day and trust that they will be taught, guided and loved the same as if they were in your own care. Here at Holy Cross, it is not difficult to drop my child off there every morning. The teachers, faculty, and school community provide an environment that lives their faith, supports and encourages one another, and where my child is met with both academic challenges and success.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2016

My son just completed Kindergarten. He was very happy and loved going to school. He loved his teachers and they loved the kids as well. I used to teach Kindergarten myself. He sang songs, played, made things. I went in once a month as a helper and saw what it was like. It was a very loving environment. I did not give 5 stars because I feel that there is always room to grow I never give 5 star to anything.