Springs Charter Schools (Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts)

"I definitely recommend taking your children to this school! We had an amazing experience here. I love that it is a smaller school, there aren't too many kids so the children are able to get more one on one help. I have loved every single teacher here, they were always positive and willing to help. My children excelled at this school and their academics were right where they needed to be or higher. The learning is more individualized so if your student is ready to learn more then they will give them harder work to see if they are ready for more advanced work. The kids have a way to express themselves here. My children were able to think for themselves and they even learned how to research in 2nd grade! I love the projects and I think that is way better than just handing children a bunch of paperwork to do. Unfortunately we moved, but I really wish they could still go here. This will forever be my favorite school. It worked well for my family. They do have a homeschool day but that didn't matter to me because California schools have half days any way so it isn't much different. If you can stay home on Mondays or get a babysitter then I definitely say go here! We didn't have any bullying issues, but I'm sure it did happen. Bullying happens everywhere but from what I could tell it didn't happen. This school is awesome! 10 stars!"

"I had an overall good time here, but it's advertised a bit inaccurately, at least in my experience. The website(and name) talks about art as a huge part of the school, even saying something about music echoing and art in the halls. I'd say it fit that description pretty well when the school first opened. There were electives and periods dedicated to art and similar activities. Then, they slowly started to get rid of more and more activities as the years went on. It seemed like teachers dedicated to these subjects left and they eventually stopped hiring them. By my last year it seemed like a normal school. Once, in one of my later years there, I heard a student ask about why it's advertised as an art school, and they were told by the principal something along the lines of "We study the arts; Math, History, ELA, and Science." It seems as if the most artsy activities are projects you get every once in a while. Basically, it's a good school as long as you're not looking for one that is heavily dedicated to art."

"ORAA is an amazing school with sincerely dedicated educators and staff! The teachers and kids are happy and the staff clearly love their jobs. (There is literally dancing in the parking lot at drop off every morning.) Every Monday is a homeschool day and children are provided with an assignment usually involving a project that they will present to their class. This is a great way to stay connected and ensure that your child is engaged. The projects also give children a deeper understanding of the class material. This school is great for those with time to devote to their children’s education. The best thing about this school is that they differentiate lessons for kids depending on the level of their academic development. This means kids are given assignments catered to their individual levels of development in each subject. I no longer have bored kids stuck sitting through lessons they’ve already mastered - I also see that they get extra help in areas they struggle with. The bottom line is that I would recommend this school to all actively involved parents looking for a more catered educational experience for their kids!"

"This school has been stellar. The teachers genuinely invest in the children and I can see the growth. As a previous reviewer stated, there is one homeschool day on Monday every week. This is how the charter operates and is adequately explained up front. Morning drop-off and afternoon pickup gets a little crazy. This is mostly due to parents not being considerate but it gets done without too many issues. The regular school performances are fantastic. This is where the teacher-student investment really shines as a whole. Prospective parents might want to try and attend one of them if possible. Overall I am very happy with our experience at this school to date."

"Really wanted my twins to attend that school , we got accepted but had to decline because it's more of a home school setting, if that makes sense. Kids don't go to school on Mondays :( not much options for after school care. It would be perfect if I was a stay at home mom, which i'm not. Wished they would change that Monday off and run the school Monday-Friday to accommodate the working parents."