Academy Schools

14601 Interurban Avenue South

Tukwila, WA 98168

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 19, 2025

This so-called "school" has been a colossal failure, and I am absolutely livid at the way my child was treated during his time there. It was meant to be an institution of learning, a place where students are nurtured and prepared for the future, but all it has done is set my child up for nothing but frustration and hardship. My kid is now in college, expected to graduate in 2028, and still, he struggles to even get a single question right. Despite his relentless efforts and determination, the school provided him with absolutely no tools to succeed. The utter lack of homework and meaningful academic challenges is beyond infuriating—he was left to fend for himself with no preparation for the academic rigor of higher education. How is anyone supposed to succeed under such neglect?But it’s not just the academic failure that infuriates me—it's the blatant disregard for my child’s emotional and social well-being. My child had to endure racism, a horrendous and unacceptable reality in a place that should have fostered inclusivity, respect, and safety. That this issue was allowed to persist and was never adequately addressed by the administration is absolutely unconscionable. The school failed to protect my child from harm and subjected him to an environment where he felt less than valued, where his dignity was stripped away, and where his very identity was attacked. For any institution to allow such behavior to go unchecked is disgraceful and unforgivable.And if that wasn’t enough, the lack of support from both the faculty and administration is infuriating beyond measure. My child, clearly struggling, was left to navigate the system on his own. The teachers showed no interest in his success, no effort to engage with him on a personal level or offer help when he needed it most. The administration, instead of stepping in to address these issues and provide the support he needed, turned a blind eye to the situation. The complete and utter failure to provide the proper resources, guidance, and assistance is a betrayal of everything education should stand for. It is beyond frustrating to see how my child’s potential was crushed by a system that simply didn’t care. And on top of that, a student was beaten some kid!! The student who got beat up is now traumatized mentally but hides it. I feel sorry for kids who go here! Also, racism is huge here.
Submitted by parent on January 30, 2025

This school provided absolutely nothing for my child during the time I put my child at this school. This school WILL take so much money from you and in return they give you no learning opportunities at all. The way this school works is they give you an A even if you do not work. And they don't report any bullying or discrimination faced in this school. Which is why this school looks safe but on the inside. It is an incredibly unsafe environment for young minorities and women. As recently a student has attacked multiple students including a young 6th grade female who just joined. And he had no consequences. And lastly of your child is special Ed PLEASE stay away as far as you can. The teachers will baby and manipulate your child and isolate them so much from other students.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2025

This school is praised for being a safe haven for children who need extra help socially, and learning wise. This is the opposite of the truth. The school has major bullying problems, and has been accused of discriminating against people with darker skin. Many teachers left the school in the middle of the previous year, and many students are leaving this current year. The staff is extremely lenient, and will let students skip as many classes as they like, with no consequences at all. Ever since the math teacher died, and the English teacher was fired for having a second job, there has been nothing holding the school together. The students do not get punished for physically hurting someone. For example, one student hit another in the neck with a yardstick after he lost a game. He has threatened to choke a girl, and has slapped another. He was never given consequences any of these times. The learning experience at this school is terrible in all of the classes, mainly because of the students who refuse to do their work, taking the teachers attention away from the students who are actually willing to do the work. This school is harmful for your child's future, and it teaches them that everything will be handed to them on a silver platter.Overall the school is dangerous, harmful for your child's future, and will let them slack off. Do NOT send your child to this school if you want them to succeed in life.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2025

Academy Schools was a buoy for our family after several years of struggling to stay afloat. The staff are compassionate, patient, and deeply dedicated to providing an individualized education in an environment that allows many students to feel accepted and safe in school for the first time ever. I’ll forever be grateful for the tools and community they provided for both my kid and myself.
Submitted by other on May 15, 2024

DO YOUR RESEARCH before considering this school. The past several months of 2024 have been tumultuous, with staff leaving like rats off a sinking ship. Current interim head of school is awful, instilling fear to keep kids enrolled. New contracts for 2024-25 include questionable access to kids medical information which is surely a HIPPA violation. New web site doesn’t even include public board of directors information or anything. Used to be a great school and has gone steeply downhill. Don’t sign anything or enroll a challenged kid here without fully vetting what is really going on there right now.
Submitted by parent on November 01, 2020

Excellent! I can't recommend them highly enough!
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2020

The teachers are fantastic, always smiling and ready to assist. It has made my Job easier as parent. Such a wonderful school! The class size is small. My child has grown not only academically, but also gained self-confidence. The friends that he's establishing as he moves each year is awesome. The teachers have all been so loving and nurturing. I am extremely happy with this school.
Submitted by teacher on September 11, 2019

This is a great school. I’ve worked here for four years, and it’s the best school I’ve found in my 15 years of teaching.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2018

My son has attended for 6 years. The staff is incredibly caring and knowledgeable. He has shown improvement every single year and likes school--which is huge!
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2017

Disappointing! My daughter and family were promised a far different experience!No AthleticsNo Technology to speak of (even though we were sold on it during the tour)Majority of the teachers practice yelling or negative feedback which I highly disagree with.Revolving door of staff with little or no commitment Our daughter had one of the few truly gifted teachers they have and we will miss her. That being said not much else is worth missing. Disappointed.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2015

My Son has been going to Academy Schools since 2nd grade. He is now in middle school. I think it ranks amongst the best schools in the Greater Seattle area. When he started out in Academy Schools, my son was academically behind his grade level . In just a few months in Academy Schools, he started showing significant improvement. He started talking more, he was more motivated and his academic skills were improving. His confidence grew . But the best part was that he was happy. The teachers are phenomenal and the curriculum is very good. But what really sets this school apart from the rest is the way the teachers teach each student. They adapt the curriculum according to the learning style of each child. This works wonders for the students who are enrolled here. Besides academics they have a very good arts and drama program and lots of after school programs like chess, robotics, computer programming etc.
Submitted by other on October 30, 2013

all around great school, teachers are very nice and are always there if help is needed. small class sizes means more 1 on 1 teaching, would recommend to anybody :)
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2013

Through the years we looked at different strategies for helping my struggling son succeed in school. By the middle of 10th grade he was behind in credits and it became very clear that if we didn't do something he would not only not graduate on time, but maybe not at all. His grades were sliding, but even more alarmingly his attitude and behavior were as well. Thank goodness we found Academy Schools! The small class sizes and the fact that it is a small school have helped him where nothing else ever could. Everybody knows everybody there. My son can't just fade into the background, hope to go unnoticed and barely squeak by. His teachers know him. They know his strengths and see where he struggles and are therefore truly able to teach him. As a result his self confidence and self-esteem have increased dramatically. He is finally a person with value, not just a statistic. He has a good attitude towards school and has worked so hard and made such progress that he is on track to graduate on time! Public schools may be a good fit for most kids, but my son needed more than they were able to offer. Academy schools is the right fit for him!
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2013

Our son started attending Academy Schools when he was entering middle school. We are so glad we made this decision. He receives truly individualized instruction. It is clear that the teachers and staff are committed to each child's success. We feel that we are truly working as a team. And, he is enjoying school and the new relationships he quickly made there.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2013

Academy Schools has been fantastic for our high school freshman son. The small class sizes provide an amazing learning environment thats unheard of in most all schools today. The staff is all very attentive, educated, and uniquely qualified unlike so many public instutions. Wouldn't change schools for our son for anything and highly reccomend Academy.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2013

Academy Schools is an excellent school. My children have attended nine different schools from DC to Seattle. This school gets it! Learning is focused on the child and his specific learning style. Education is not limited to the classroom. The school makes use of every advantage in the Seattle area. Each child is able to reach his full potential with the assistance of dedicated professionals.
Submitted by parent on October 21, 2013

This is an amazing school! Academy schools offers small class sizes, an individual based learning environment and patient and caring staff members. Our family is very happy to have found this school.
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2013

Academy school is a school that is greatly geared towards children that are Autistic or have some type of learning disadvantage. Individualized curriculum and teaching methods for these students are hands down right on track. In our situation our children where typically developing and never received tailored curriculum or were challenged at any time. We found that the enrollment dropped significantly by more than half while we were there. We found administration to be unprofessional and had seen many times screaming and yelling from office staff members. Hidden costs and fees are charged throughout the year for different activities that we felt were unnecessary. Overall our experience was very disappointing but we can see the benefit to those that are forced to have a small classroom setting due to learning disabilities.
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2013

My 2 boys have been in this school for 5 years now and because of the excellent individualized teaching methods, they are both working above their grade levels in many subjects. My oldest is now in Running Start at Green River Community College taking Calculus 3 (while taking all of his high school courses at Academy Schools plus 3 online courses offered by the school) and has tested in the top 2% of the nation's juniors in the PSAT. He will most likely be applying to a few ivy-league colleges in the fall. This school is not only for special needs children.
Submitted by parent on August 07, 2012

This is an outstanding school. As a parent of two students, we were impressed by the small class size (no more than 10), individual attention and academic strength. The school has the flexibility to challenge each child based on her or her potential - whether they are gifted or need additional assistance. Our son was strong in math and science and joined the higher classes for those subjects. He was encouraged to advance to as far as he wanted. You do not get that type of attention or flexibility in many schools. This is a place where each child is truly valued.