Spring Creek Academy

6000 Custer Road

Plano, TX 75023

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

3-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on March 02, 2024

Spring Creek Academy was the perfect K-12 school for me, alongside many other students. School days are roughly 3 hours, and parents may be weary of this “short” schedule, but the experience resembles a college environment to a tee. The curriculum is structured for students who come from disciplined backgrounds; for example, my graduating class was filled with world-class athletes, movie actors, and individuals who needed flexibility in their demanding schedules.In addition, Spring Creek has an incredibly high placement rate with the top universities in our country. Multiple of my classmates went on to go to Stanford, (3) Columbia, UT Austin, ext… Alongside this, the careers the students tend to land post-college are excellent, as my friends and I are entering corporate law, tech, & banking jobs. I believe the strong track record stems from the students learning to live with rigor & discipline at a young age. Diversity is not an issue at this school, as it seems the reviews may speak about. The school consistently had international students enrolled from China, Kazakstan, Yemen, etc. This allowed the school to excel in state/nationals, specifically with basketball! There is a large student group that comes from wealthy areas of Dallas that may "lack diversity," but you will find that in every private school. Spring Creek Academy is phenomenal if your kid is a self-starter and has an intensive extracurricular activity.
Submitted by other on November 06, 2023

Previous Student -- Spring Creek Academy fit my learning style, busy schedule, and personality more than other schools. When initially looking at the program, my parents hesitated to put me in the school due to its small size and unusual teaching style of roughly 3 - 4 hour school days. Once they put me in we were all ecstatic with the quality of teachers, student involvement, and flexibility regarding travel. SCA taught me at a young age to work independently as a college student would, as well as meet strict deadlines; especially for mathematics & history courses. This allowed me to succeed both in my extracurricular activities & academically. Last but not least, you would be surprised by Ivy League / Top School placement from SCA. Due to the high concentration of top-tier students/student-athletes; placement rates are strong. The only con I felt was there was too much tolerance for immature students who were extremely "jocky." You'd expect that from any place that has a high concentration of athletes though. They are also teens so it adds up. From the parent's perspective -- You will receive clear guidelines and communications on student performance due to the small size of the school. The students are connected well to the teachers which allows a strong trusting learning environment. Most of the kids are quite motivated & intelligent, so bad habits don't really start in SCA.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2021

Spring Creek Academy is a hidden gem. The school provides high-quality education, while allowing the flexibility for students to pursue their extracurricular activities and outside endeavors. The administration and staff are fully dedicated to student success in the classroom. Although it is a shortened school day, student connectivity and engagement are not lacking. I highly recommend Spring Creek Academy to families that are seeking a school that prioritizes academics, yet nurtures their students' unique ambitions outside the classroom.- Parent of a Spring Creek Academy graduate
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2017

I have seen first-hand how supported, safe and comfortable students feel and I saw Spring Creek's core values in action as kids thrived using their resources, showing compassion and asking teachers for help. I have seen respect and genuine caring from teachers that I hear about from other parents. This school has given my child a tremendous amount of freedom to pursue knowledge and experiences far beyond that of a typical high school, and has challenged her to explore her interests in greater depth. Because of Spring Creek, she is different; she is better... more confident than she has ever been.
Submitted by parent on October 01, 2016

My child continues to excel not just in academic pursuits, but also in the development of self-esteem and confidence during these early high school years often plagued by social anxiety and uncertainty. I feel that Spring Creek Academy's environment and culture, from the teachers and staff to the students, provides a safe place for children of all ages to grow and mature at the right pace.
Submitted by student on August 25, 2016

As a student at Spring Creek Academy, I can say the years I have attended have been some of the best years of my life! The feeling of a loving and close community is rare in a school environment. The small class sizes eliminate "cliques" and "groups" and everyone is truly a part of a big, happy family. The welcoming environment is not the only upside to Spring Creek Academy. The academics, though rigorous and challenging, are exactly what growing students need to succeed in the real world. I have personally noticed vast improvements not only in my overall knowledge, but also in my note taking and studying skills (two skills vital for college). I feel more confident, especially in my writing skills. Overall, Spring Creek Academy is not only a marvelous learning environment, it also welcomes students to a family of highly motivated students and people!
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2016

Spring Creek Academy Is an absolute gem for parents who are looking for a challenging academic environment that allows flexibility as their child seeks to excel in non-academic areas. Coming from an exemplary school district with a child in all honors classes, we were concerned that the curriculum would not be challenging enough, but that has not been the case.
Submitted by other on May 23, 2016

A positive educational environment where students can pursue academic excellence while pursuing personal excellence in their dreams for their future.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2016

My daughter is finishing her second year at SCA, and we are very happy with the school. She was previously enrolled in a public middle school in Plano and was not academically challenged, even in her honors classes, and even when she missed school extensively for her extra-curricular activities. The accelerated curriculum at SCA has challenged her, and we are quite pleased with how her writing ability has improved. The writing requirements in both English and History are extensive.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2015

Our daughter is preparing for her second year at SCA, and we couldn't be happier. Zero complaints. We were worried that she would sacrifice the strong academics she was used to at a very tough private school that left her little time for training in her sport. This proved to be no worry and in fact with the small class size is given leeway to move ahead.It is so wonderful to have a peer group also at the highest levels of their chosen sport, or music, dance etc ...each of them understand they are on a personal journey that requires dedication and hard work. SCA makes it possible for these talented kids to have a real school life as well and excel with additional hours of training. I have been perplexed by the negative reviews.....some sour grapes for sure. If the child is not prepared to work hard and keep up, this isn't the right place for your child. These are highly motivated, driven students. So glad to have found this school!
Submitted by student on May 06, 2015

I am graduating from Spring Creek Academy this year. Sadly, it has really gone downhill in the past 3 years or so. The school was started by a committed and loving teacher who had started to hand control over to her daughter, a teacher/counselor. Then the daughter's new husband needed a job, and it all fell apart. He started out doing random maintenance and suddenly he is the director of the school. With only a few general studies classes at community college, he knows nothing about teaching or running a school, he is arrogant and ignorant about the classes, especially at the high school level. He makes some very ill-advised policy changes, with no understanding of their consequences. But because he's a family hire, his random edicts go completely unchallenged. Any problems get a blank stare, and a shrug - "you'll have to ask Mr Thomas." Sadly, he never answers email or his phone, and is rarely at school. On Facebook, we see her manic obsession with inappropriate selfies and his pictures of his alcoholic drinks and various gambling activities. Many good teachers and even some serious students have left; the school is a complete slack fest. It's so sad.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2015

Read all the other reviews. Notice how almost all of the positive ones were written over the summer of 2009. (Many of them on the same day, June 30.) Coincidence? Nope. They were going for accreditation, so parents were told to write good reviews all over the web. The school was a good little niche school, now is just a sad little gravy train for one self involved family who really couldn't care less about students or their education. "Gifted and Talented" school? Uh, not even close.
Submitted by parent on January 14, 2014

This school is designed for highly motivated kids. It would not suit a student that needs a great deal of extra help or support. Much of the work is done outside of class (the school day is short and no class on Fridays). This is not the school for every family, but it is a wonderful situation for self-managing and highly motivated kids who are bright/successful students, but also wish to pursue outside interests or competitive sports. My child attends SCA and he is definitely more academically challenged here than he was in a west Plano public school. He also has more time to pursue his sport and spends less time in a school building each day. He says that it is much more enjoyable than public school. He tells me that there are fewer social issues, and less distractions from the "trouble-maker" kids that seem to drag everyone down in some of those huge public school classrooms. It makes sense- smaller classes with teachers who get right to work on the day's lesson.... and no wasted time! Like I said, for the right kid, this school is perfect!
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2013

Spring Creek Academy, Plano Texas This school offers a condensed schedule (3 hours/day) so that students can have 6 or more hours available each day to pursue other special skills such as music, acting, or sports. It is a good idea, however, due to inconsistent academic standards, teacher quality, and administrative leadership the school falls short of its potential. The school frustrates the students and parents with poor communication and uninspired administrative leadership. Families who use this school need to push their children to work above and beyond the demands of the curriculum and teachers in order to prepare them adequately for AP tests, college entrance tests, and for college level work. The biggest plus for the school is the peer group of very exceptional athletes, musicians, and actors who attend world class training programs and compete/perform at the highest levels. Most of the students will earn scholarships to Division I college sports teams, fine arts, and music programs. The greatest advantage of the school is the peer group of highly motivated, hard working, goal oriented students who can relate to the challenges and ambitions of the other students.
Submitted by other on May 02, 2013

Not for the college bound. I am a former SPA student and I have almost completed my first year of college. I was mostly an A and sometimes B student at SCA. After graduating from SCA I was not prepared for college at all. At SCA I rarely wrote papers and never read a novel. We only practiced vocabulary once, which affected my SAT score. The teachers put no pressure on us and were satisfied with below average work. I realize now that I should have attended a more competitive high school. My parents sent me to SCA so I would have time for my sport and because it is accredited. After comparing my education to other college kids I don't know how they got accredited. I got into a decent college but it was because of my athletic ability. If you are serious about school go somewhere else.
Submitted by parent on November 12, 2012

Our daughter has attended Spring Creek Academy for 9 years. The school has excellent teachers, a strong principal/school leadership and challenging academic programs. They are terrific at working with students and parents through difficult educational situations . We would recommend SCA to any family, but especially those with children in the arts and/or athletic programs wanting a high level of high schoold education.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2012

I am happy that my child attended SCA. He was able to get the education he needed to prepare for college. The staff and curriculum is getting better each year with a continuous improvement program.
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2012

SCA is an interesting school - we've experienced all levels of the school - elementary, MS and HS. The most important thing to understand about SCA is that it is very much like life - you will (as a family) get out of it what you put in. I think that's why there are such diverse reviews. It's not for every kid, and doesn't pretend to be. It's absolutely true that many of the kids there are enormously involved in an outside activity - some of the world's best young athletes, musicians, etc. attend SCA. Those kids are extraordinarily motivated, mature kids - they need a compressed schedule, and they want an accelerated curriculum. They get both at SCA. The school will accomodate, support and facilitate almost any advancement a student needs - we've experienced some wonderful examples of that. What it won't do is tolerate disruptive, destructive behavior, which I completely support.
Submitted by parent on May 25, 2012

We just finished our first year at Spring Creek and were very happy with our experience. I believe both our children received quality education and have re-enrolled for next year. We had positive experiences with the staff and administration when we had questions and I feel like they truly care about the children.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2012

This school progressively gets worse as your child approaches the higher grades. In middle school and high school some of the teachers do not know the subjects they are teaching. The Director does not have an education background or a college degree and still makes academic decisions. There are bright kids at this school, unfortunately with the unqualified staff these children are not reaching their full potential. Many of the people that work at this school are family members so change is unlikely.