Natomas Charter School

4600 Blackrock Drive

School District

Natomas Unified
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:48
Type

charter

School Map for Natomas Unified School District

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 July 30, 2024

This school promotes positivity, andinclusiveness, but in fact, they are far from that. They do not have a good conflict resolution system. My child Was bullied by teachers and students multiple times and the staff and administrators seem to not know The proper procedures in order to create a better environment for my child. I would not recommend the school to others if my life depended on it.
Submitted by parent on July 02, 2024

My review is specifically for the hybrid program at Natomas Charter School called Early College Academy (formerly Virtual Learning Academy). My daughter is heading into her Sophomore (second) year there and we have been very pleased with our experience. This program affords her the flexibility to be on campus limitedly while still enjoying a very educationally rigorous program. Kim Woods, who runs the academy, is present, capable, and caring and it shows. She makes herself available whenever needed and is kind and compassionate to everyone. The teachers are all great and my daughter's favorite is the new math teacher, Mr. Ruhl. I have to give a shout out to the academy admin, Nicole, as she is so helpful and the glue that holds it all together. What a unique program that fits my daughter's needs perfectly. I wish something like this had been available when I was a student. The Executive Director of Natomas Charter School, Joe Wood, is amazing as well and leads all of the academies under Natomas Charter School (Star Academy, P.A.C.T Academy, Leading Edge, Performing and Fine Arts Academy, and Early College Academy with great leadership and a passion for education.
Submitted by student on May 24, 2023

this school is very bad. they try to be welcoming but come off as weird sometimes. they try to make it a positive school but a little too much to where it’s just really weird and uncomfortable.
Submitted by parent on November 29, 2021

Took my child out of PFAA after some time to think. PFAA needs to only accept students that actually want to be there. There are students that don’t care they go there and have got no ambition for any of the areas provided. It really affects the classroom environment. Disruptive and disrespectful students. I was extremely surprised to see students that behaved in that way. If they only chose students that actually wanted to be there, I believe the classroom experience would be better. This school also tries to emphasize safety, but if you’re a single parent, good luck. My concerns were brushed aside without follow up or concern. Another con is the limited number of electives provided. Sometimes I wonder why they would call this a performing and fine arts academy but you could only take 1-2 electives each year and there’s a good chance you won’t be able to get into the classes you need. The worst thing though has to be the time it takes for teachers to return your work graded. You’re often in the dark about what your current grades are, so you either don’t have time to make corrections because grades will finally be submitted right before the deadline or on the deadline and as a result, your chances for a scholarship are decreasing. I’ve never experienced a school who took SO LONG in grading assignments before and I’ve had a chance to attend, observe and work in quite a few schools. I didn’t like the fact that the late grades were messing with my child’s high school GPA. Overall, I am disappointed in the high school experience. The reviews and ratings are definitely inflated. Now I see why some high school students leave or do not return. It’s a shame that this is the only arts academy in the area, but the quality has drastically gone down. I’m very, very disappointed.
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2021

Star Academy the Best school. My daughter love it so much.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2021

My son went from 6th to 8th grade and it wasn't a good fit for him specifically but I do see how it would be a good fit for some. My recommendation is to not just put your child into PFAA or a charter with a specific focus unless it is something they really want. My son was passionate about music and after a few years here lost interest and has fortunately regained it and has started writing music again.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2019

NCS had a great thing going, but I believe the boat has left the harbor they have hit rough waters, causing the school to decline significantly over the past several years.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2018

This school is amazing. The community is inclusive, the academics are demanding but they provide tons of support, and the arts programs are amazing. The teachers really express genuine care for the students, which has not been our experience at some other schools. We've been at PFAA for 3 years now and couldn't be happier.
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2017

The facility is beautiful and they have great technical support with ipads, computers, and a great library. Overall our experience with Star Academy was negative because of the teacher. Parents, check the teachers' credentials. An ineffective teacher can make school so much harder, and a bad school experience can have so much impact on a child.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2017

So far our experience with Star Academy is very good. Pros: beautiful new campus, happy & friendly teachers, many opportunities for parent involvement, good sense of community and belonging among students. My son loves his school!
Submitted by other on June 18, 2016

Natomas Charter School is truly extraordinary. Our special needs son could have never succeeded and graduated without the loving, professional, caring, consistent support of his teachers there. Other schools we tried simply could not, or would not, provide the attention and support he needed to succeed. Our family is forever in your debt.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2016

The school provides a very positive, engaging environment for my student. They focus on new, fun ways for the students to learn while providing a challenge. My student is always motivated to do her best.
Submitted by other on May 17, 2016

While Natomas Charter School is a great school overall, the focus of my review is the elementary program, Star Academy. The teachers are very knowledgable, kind, and always striving to try new approaches to engage and support students. The school has whole-child focus taking time to work on both academic and social/emotional needs for all kids. I've seen amazing growth in my child since coming to this school where his previous school often ignored his needs. Like other great public schools Natomas Charter is popular and has to have a lottery each year for available spots. I always feel bad for students who don't get in. All students throughout Natomas and Sacramento should have access to such a high-quality school.
Submitted by parent on January 04, 2016

Despite what other comments say about bullying, there is an awful lot of bullying that goes on here and nothing is ever done about it. The administration does not inform parents when bullying occurs, even when the bullying was serious and threatening to my child. My advice is to take a good look at the school to determine if it is the right school for your child. If it is, ie dance, vocal, or acting, it will be great. Otherwise there are better options.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2015

Of the 40+ students I know at PFAA's middle and high schools, I have heard the following words, "I love this school!" Four simple words that all kids should feel about their school but that, sadly, most do not. I can talk about the arts, the academics, the teachers, the parent boosters and the administration. No school is perfect and this one is no exception. There are always places for improvements. However, they do a great job overall and it shows. The kids are inspired while they attend and ready for college when they leave. I can ask no more for my children and I am so grateful that this school exists.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2015

My review is solely on Star Academy, which is one of the youngest programs here at Natomas Charter. It goes from TK - 5th grade. Our experience here has been horrible year after year. The administration is awful and unprofessional. If your student is above average, you should seek education elsewhere as teachers will not be able to (or are not allowed to) meet his/her needs. Differentiation is virtually nonexistent. Some assignments are optional (hence differentiated). The main focus they use to market the school is technology. If you want your student to consistently have access to Minecraft, look no further, this is where you want to be. It is definitely a technology-oriented school. Your child will get to play Minecraft during school hours. Several teachers here have had no previous teaching experience prior to being hired here at Star. They gained their first year teaching experience after a year of teaching at Star. Freshly graduated teachers receive minimal support from the Admins. Therefore, the school's mindset is not for the best interest of its student body, but more for the administration. They need to use due diligence in acquiring their staff including teachers and principal, especially when they are the people who create the curriculum for your child. They do not follow the "box" curriculum, but if they don't have a competent team, the rest is no-brainer. The school's turn-over rate is amazingly high. It is truly a "testing" laboratory with "trial and error". If your child is "lucky" and is assigned a teacher who can create a good curriculum and is able to educate, then you're set for the year, hopefully, otherwise just pray that this year too shall pass, and you might be in a better luck the following year. The playground is just so hazardous that students get hurt on a daily basis, from bruises and cuts to broken bones. With over 350 students, the front desk lady is your only "nurse". It is not certain whether major accidents have been reported to the main campus as little being done to alleviate the situations. Kindness is being discussed days in and days out, however, actions speak louder than words. Bully issues were brushed under the carpet.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2015

This is a great school and my daughter loves it here. The academics are strong and she is learning a lot. My only disappointment has been with sixth grade math. It dose not seem that the teacher has been trained or is equipt to teach. The administration seams no more equipt to address the issues either. I still recommend this school but plan on spending a summer redoing sixth grade math to stay on track. If a math education is important to you, apply to the Leading Edge Program instead. My understanding is that there are some really good math teachers there.
Submitted by parent on December 22, 2014

Two of our children go to this school. The staff, administration, and faculty are very caring and go above and beyond to make everyone happy. The academics are excellent too. The parental involvement is also very high thanks to P4A.
Submitted by other on August 18, 2014

The skills taught at this school in the performing arts are perfectly suited to prepare the students for life in the real world. I use the digital art teachings of this school to increase my income from marketing, the acting experience I learned here to boost my confidence and prepare for interviews and sales, and finally the academic skills to always present myself in the best professional way possible This has resulted in great success for myself and I'm proud that to say this school provided the tools for me to succeed in life. I feel the schools greatest strength was allowing the students to have a safe place to express themselves and push through personal boundaries. In the end by the time I graduated I have both lifelong friends, as well as many memories of both failures, which provided valuable lessons, and great success. As I understand it the school has become less accepting to freedom of expression, and the student body has changed, but as I see it the spirit is still alive and well on campus. Someone can find their voice and hone lifelong skill while attending this school. John Class of 2009.
Submitted by other on August 15, 2014

Natomas Charter School is all about tolerance...except for tolerance toward Christians. Homosexuality is celebrated here, in a big way- witness this school's production of the highly sexually referenced, profanity-laden "Laramie Project," which glorifies homosexuality and denigrates Americans of faith. Shame on this school's administration for it's promotion of the sexualization of children- 6th graders- who are exposed to frank sexual talk from 17 and 18 year old high school students on a daily basis. Parents- you should know what you are getting your kids into- be warned