Cardinal Charter Academy 1020 Saint Charles Place, Cary, NC 27513

"I think Principal Goff has done some great work since taking over last year. She seems to be building a solid foundation that had been lacking with the transitions of multiple principals in prior years. She has communicated well, defined expectations and addressed staffing issues. As a parent new to the area who was concerned about starting school, especially during a global pandemic, I have had a great experience here overall. There are always the typical frustrations associated with any school-and if my biggest issue is carpool logistics (which could probably use an improvement) then I can handle it. I hope that things continue the way they have in the past year and a half because I think the changes implemented under Principal Goff will help the school and the children. The school has listened to and addressed any concerns I've had. I think poor/mixed reviews from prior years probably don't reflect how the school is now and how the culture is shifting in a good way."

"My daughter just finished kindergarten. She had the best teacher and learns way more than I thought she would at the end of the year. The school has had some bumps, but I feel like the communication has been open and transparent. Great experience overall!"

"My son has been attending Cardinal since Kindergarten, and is now in 3rd grade. The school transitioned seamlessly throughout the pandemic from in person to remote, and then to a hybrid of both. They allowed for the parents to dictate this transition according to what we were comfortable with. When other Wake county school kids were running around my neighborhood not sure when they would go back to.school, this schools students were meeting in person with the parents that wanted the option, and did so without one covid incident throughout that time period, due to the excellent precautions they put in place."

"I give it three stars because I believe it is an above average school. There are some positives and some negatives. Positives: K-8 allows siblings to be in the same school for longer. Some teachers we have had good experiences with. Specials are quality. New school building. Parent involvement is good. My kids seem to enjoy it. The parent Facebook group is very very entertaining (some might see this as a negative). Negatives: Carpool is bad - backups into the city streets. Communication (teacher to parent) has been a struggle for some of the teachers we have had. Every student I've talked to dislikes one of the specials teachers, and the school seems to ignore that problem teacher. School has control over the PTC funds, which gives little flexibility to the parents in spending donated money. Uniforms only can be bought at one place, and are expensive. Middle school is not a true middle school environment. They don't get the freedom allowed and deserved of kids that age. But it's the product of being in the same school as the elementary kids. I truly believe it's a disadvantage however when they go into a large high school. They won't necessarily know how to manage being so free vs. so sheltered. In my opinion, this is a good school. Is it the greatest? No, not at all. There are plenty of problems, but the good seem to outweigh the bad mostly. The parents on here who give FIVE stars, seem to be ignoring issues (possibly making themselves feel better about their school selection if reviews of the school are good), and the parents on here that give one star ignore the positives. I've tried to give a level headed review."

"Great school! My daughter has been there since the beginning. She is now finishing 2nd grade. I am very happy with the staff and curriculum. I volunteer a lot in the classroom and have volunteered in the lunchroom and have been around many of the students at the school. I am impressed with the teachers, the facility, and the administrative staff. They are very receptive to my needs and my child's needs. There are many surveys sent through out the year by Charter Schools USA so parents have a means of input and change."