Jefferson Preparatory High School

16635 North 51st Avenue

School District

Choice Academies Inc.
Grade

7-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:8
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 April 16, 2022

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!! We thought this would be a good school for our son because of small classes, availability of sports (primarily basketball), clubs, how close it was in proximity to our house and most of all the life skills classes taught. Everything was going fine until just after Thanksgiving when they fired the principal all the students loved and had the elementary principal take over. Since that happened, she canceled clubs, canceled an international trip (causing parents to lose out on hundreds of dollars), fired the basketball coach in the middle of the season, protected a student (with no discipline) who threatened the lives of the entire basketball team and allowed student to even attend games (parents themselveshad to file police reports becausethe school would not), called the basketball team bullies for no reason also telling them they wouldnt even get to play at other schools, stands behind a teacher whom screams at kids (parents have audio evidence) calling them liars over & over, does not communicate with parents (no emails, phone calls, etc), refuses to meet with the parent group (PTO) who is supposed to help support the students & the school thereby having to cancel fundraisers and events and the list just goes on from there. The CEO and school board refuse to do anything about it either and ignore the concerns of parents or won't even discuss concerns or issues with you. Based on just these events alone at least 7 kids (that I personally know) have already left the school with about 15-20 more at the end of the 2021-22 school year. When you consider that there's only about 230 kids between 9th-12th grade, this is a significant number who are switching schools. You'd think the admin would be concerned about this but they really don't care. This school also does not offer much in the way of elective type classes for students because they really only have about 12 teachers and 12 classrooms. When you look at the options available on their course selection sheets besides the standard academics, kids have only about 10 options to choose from (3 are PE classes alone). I highly suggest finding a school with better staff who actually care about the welfare of your child.
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2021

So far, we have been very happy with this high school! We like the uniforms and the small, charter school feel. Student behavior overall is much better than at large, public schools which creates a safe, respectful, efficient learning environment. Class sizes are very low and students generally focus on learning. The academics are good but not stressful. We appreciate that the school uses actual textbooks, instead of having students spend the entire day in front of computers and screens. Administrators are helpful and know each student individually. We like the block scheduling which allows for more electives and more flexibility. We have also been impressed with the amount and quality of extra-curricular activities provided at a small school. We had a long search for a high school that would meet our needs and are glad we found JP!
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2020

This school was awesome until the CEO and Board stepped in and started making cuts to programs and took creative control away from the Administration. Over the last year they have refused to listen to parent concerns for their children, and have cut important classes from upcoming curriculum. Instead of hands on learning and classroom discussion, they are cutting corners by putting foreign language classes required for graduation into an "online learning" availability only. The CEO has NO education background, yet is making all of the decisions for the curriculum and education for students. And no one will listen to the parents when they ask questions. The teachers, the principal, the parents, and the students are what make this place great, but when you take away funding, programs, and push them away, it shows what the Charter truly thinks of the students. To them, they are numbers in a ledger, nothing more. The current high school is 163 students who are currently confined to the upstairs floor of a small building for their learning environment. They have a Hallway. They have no designated outside space for themselves, they are always told that they are too loud at Pep Assemblies, they are constantly reminded that they are "guests" on the elementary school campus. These kids are not being given a high school experience, they are being corraled into an area and expected to sit quietly and not ask for anything. Meanwhile, the Charter continues to pocket the money. Before enrolling here, reach out to parents on social media that have had experience here. Do your research and then make a decision.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2018

We have been very pleased with our experience at JP. Our kids don't do well in large schools (they either get lost in the shuffle or try to get away with things), so JP really saved the day! The Life Skills classes are amazing! They teach real world skills like balancing a checkbook and changing a tire. I'm impressed with the number of sports they manage to offer despite being a small school with more limited resources and funding. The teachers are really invested and the kids are great! It truly feels like a community at JP. It has been perfect for us.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2018

so far we have loved this school and how they handle the students and their policies. they really help students learn responsibility and nurture their academic growth
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2018

We are going on our 3rd year w/ Jefferson Prep and continue to be impressed. Curriculum is challenging, teachers are exceptional, the campus has a family type atmosphere and the administration is in tune with students needs. Highly recommended.
Submitted by other on September 12, 2018

A bunch of parents from the same church got together to create a school. They use homeschooling curriculums. This place is a joke if you are an “outsider”.
Submitted by principal on June 20, 2017

My daughter just graduated and it has been a wonderful high school experience. She was accepted to to a private university and already has 26 college credits under her belt.