Prospect Ridge Academy

"Uh where do I start..................... I came to this school looking for a fresh start, after a long difficult year of distance learning and being separated by friends and having people talk behind my back. Woo. I decide to enroll in PRA and start a fresh new year. Great right? Not as great as I had hoped it to be. I mostly have issues with the community of students here but that's not necessarily this school's fault. My school year here has consisted of exclusion from other students and worrying that I had forgotten something at home (ex. a pencil/calculator) and if I DO happen to forget something simple such as a pencil I would get yelled at as other students began to stare at me :). As if I didn't have fewer friends here yet. The education is decent though. But in a few classes it only consists of taking notes and listening to the teacher. I appreciate that many teachers have "tried" to help me out since I had been struggling socially which then would proceed to impact me academically. Even if they had hardly done much. I had asked a teacher if I could retrieve my binder from a classroom when I had accidentally left it in the room, but she told me that I was plain stupid for forgetting it lol. Most of the time I get teachers asking me why I don't "try" rather than asking me what we could work on. Lots of kids shoving in the hallways, exclusion, not the friendliest place for someone new coming into middle school/high school. I've found myself drawing constantly and reading rather than making new friends and focusing on school like I had happily done at my previous school. Not an awful school by any means, but for me it was not a good experience especially considering I was new. I have also noticed that the teachers here keep an eye (Especially on 8th graders haha) on students in a way in which they suspect that we're just going to go berserk and misbehave even though for the respectful students it is unfair for teachers to assume that they will misbehave. I do honestly wish that teachers and students had a respect-to-respect sort of relationship though rather than students giving the teacher full respect and none given in return to the student. Edit: Finally the school year has ended and I can go back to my old school :) overall, I cried more than I can count at this school, met only 1-2 actual genuine people, and stayed up late at night anxiety ridden and completing my school work 99% fear driven. I even got to listen to teachers gossiping about me! Super fun and not emotionally damaging at all haha! I do think though that the high school is decent, but the middle school is an absolute wreck. One of the worst experiences i've ever had :') Most of what I can remember from this school year was sitting alone in classes, feeling the lowest iv'e ever felt, and genuinely afraid lol Every morning I woke up sick to my stomach and dreading the next school days to come. A group of kids confronted me one day at my locker and started making fun of me, went to the teachers, they did nothing. I was afraid to walk to my locker now too. Got made fun of for drawing/heavily excluded. At this point, I was counting down the exact amount of days left I had before I could leave. Now that I left (and never returning) I feel like I can breathe again and not tense up every day so that's pretty nice. I'll be able to go back to learning and being happy in the next few months at my old school. (Not to mention the fact that I wont have to be afraid to go to school haha.) Don't make the mistake I did. Please."

"My kids have been at PRA since Kindy - now in 6th and 8th grades, and complete opposites. While we don't have any other school to compare it to, our experience has been fantastic. Teachers, Administration, the Board, support staff, programs, activities, and families truly do contribute to the feeling of extended family and community. Quality of education is overall very good and when an issue with a Teacher arises or quality suffers, contracts end and they respectfully manage the situations. My kids have been held accountable to the school's core values and general expectations. If discipline is ever an issue, they will nip it in the bud. Having said that, sometimes the "deviant" kids can get more attention with the Positive Discipline approach, which can make the well behaved and completely respectful kiddos feel unrecognized."

"This school is absolutely horrible. Their mission statement: "Creating ethical, academic, and social leaders." However, they do NOT follow this mission at ALL. Bad/misguiding teachers outnumber good, educating teachers about 4:1. The science and math department have 0 good teachers. After a hard semester, I was told by many staff members that I would be helped, and plans would be made to make sure I could pass my classes. This was not followed and I was blatantly lied to. During a conversation with the high school principal about leaving the school, I was completely disrespected, mocked, made fun of, and unheard by him. The "lottery" they have is most likely rigged, considering around 90% of kids are white, and 99% of students are from middle to high class. This school has no sense of giving students purpose and freedom of voice or expression, students' safety, students' social needs and aids, or helping young kids follow their passions and be successful. I would only recommend you send your child here if you truly want them to fail, struggle, or just completely crash due to the issues this school enforces."

"eh. They treat the high schooler's like they are children. If you like getting talked down to come here. The councilors, lit teachers, history teachers, and a few other teachers are cool but there are some really rotten ones. I have attended here for many years and I can say with out a doubt this is not a real high school, they treat us like kids. The student council has not power at all. The only good thing is that because its a small school everyone knows everyone. And finally there is no freedom of expression, no petitions, and they do as they please while telling us our opinions are heard. The curriculum dangerous A teacher told the class at the begging of the year "I move fast and it will seem like to much and you will want me to slow down, I wont. And if you try to do a sport you will probably drown in work and a stress". Another teacher flat out told us she has never taught this subject before and even though she messes up she blames all the other students for not knowing what to do. The councilors ARE AMAZING"