5/2: Update: It's a different school now. The below review no longer relevant. I have no knowledge…read moreof the current school. The most amazing "little school that could". My son just graduated and we were looking back at what he achieved. It's simply incredible. School plays, lego league, chess, debate, technology club, VEX Robotics World Championships competing against high schools in California and of course solar cars, where Woodlands come home with armfuls of prizes. Great teachers who really care and classes sizes you wouldn't believe. (4-6, but not above 8 was our experience). He learned a lot and turned out a most polite young man. Would strong recommend - contact me for any more details!

A hidden gem! We…read moremoved to Castle Pines in January (from out of state) & only recently found Woodlands Academy in Castle Rock. I wish I had found them sooner. My 10 year old had been in the gifted program at her old school, had been doing well & loved school. While Douglas County school district has an open enrollment policy and a ton of charter/magnet schools, you can't actually get into any of them when you move in the middle of the year (in addition to missing the lottery for the following year). Our neighborhood elementary school was awful. I had a bad feeling about it the first time we visited it & have learned my lesson about listening to myself. It got worse over time until I was desperate to find another place (& had to promise my daughter that she would not have to go back there for 5th grade--no matter what--just to get her to be willing to get up & go to school every morning). She never had any homework, including math, and never had any make-up work when she was out sick--including a whole week she was out when we finished moving which the teachers knew about ahead of time. No assignments whatsoever. And there was no communication about anything they were studying or about any tests/projects/grades or anything. Luckily, I happened upon the Woodlands Academy while looking for another school for the following year, having promised my daughter that she would not have to go back to her old school. After applying, she went to shadow at the school to see if she liked it, while also giving them the opportunity to test her to see if she would be a good fit for their academically accelerated program. As it turns out, we were lucky that a new charter school had opened close by and had taken a lot of their students, so they had openings!!! The school was so fabulous I couldn't believe it. Very small classes with lots of one-on-one attention. They have lots of outside activities like going to the opera and hiking local places. It was so impressive that I withdrew my daughter from the local public school and am having her finish out the year there. I wouldn't normally think that would be a good idea, but she wasn't learning anything at her old school, so I couldn't imagine it being negative in any way. She went to shadow and never went back to her old school. Thankfully, the small classes allow the teachers to help catch my daughter up in things that she missed learning during her months in public school (important things that all 4th graders need to know for future school success). She loves going to school again! Now she comes home excited about debate class, learning a foreign language (they offer Spanish, French, German & Latin) and building a battery powered car (the middle schoolers designed solar powered) in technology class. If you are looking for an alternative school choice for an exceptional 1st-8th grader, I highly recommend Woodlands Academy. We are excited to have a great place lined up for next year. If I had found them sooner, or my about to be 8th grader hadn't already gotten into the STEM School & Academy for next year, I would pull her out of her enormous middle school and gladly send her to the Woodlands Academy where she could get the attention she deserves as an above average student who is clearly not getting enough attention focussed on her with her classes of 30+ students at the local middle school (which had great reviews, btw).

absolute buns DO NOT send your children here I went there for 7 years. I was treated horrible by…read moremost staff. I got my head pushed down BY A SUB, i was told to sit under a desk by a teacher in 4th grade. The ONLY reason this school gets any stars is because its the minimum. There was one teacher who broke CMAS RULES to ask why i was leaving... For her info it was stuff like that, that is the reason i left. In my French classes i got taught NOTHING over 7 years now at my new school i've already learned more. The admin does NOTHING about bullying. I was in the principals kids class and he thought he could do anything and truthfully he could because admin is useless. Mr haslick suspended multiple kids for no reason. The admin here has NO buisness running a school. The only reason people get hired is because the are friends of the principal. One of my friends went home crying because bullying gets so severe because they no admin does nothing. You also learn nothing from this school because half the teachers arnt even qualified. They some how have an award that says "distinguished improvment" but if anything it gets worse and worse every year.

This school is a sin to education. My son took algebra one this year and learned absolutely…read morenothing. They have a ridiculous system where if you don't charge your computer or if you forget to do an assignment you get a detention. Their admin, Mr.Haslick is a terrible person who wants nothing but to see kids suffer. My son was suspended from a field trip on the last day of school because he witnessed a bag of chips being stolen. Didn't even participate in stealing the chips, just straight suspension for the last day of school. They have no idea how to hire staff and they have fired so many actually good teachers. Shame on this school and the district for doing nothing about it.

My child also experienced bullying over the course of many years. After the principal and school…read morecounselor proved they weren't interested in resolving this problem, we removed our children from ACS. I would never recommend this charter school to any parent.

I am a recently graduated student from acs. Over the 5 years I was at acs I felt like I was not…read moreonly being drowned out by school work but also the disrespect of not only students, but also the teachers/staff. Starting out at the school I noticed a severe case of bullying from other students which I ended up experiencing myself. Some kids were physically hurt and others mentally, and the schools staff failed to punish or take the situation seriously when brought to them. When I was in 6th grade I was being bullied by multiple classmates and when I brought it to the counselor, nothing was resolved nor did she attempt to even speak with the students. I have noticed how much the school lacks in providing a safe environment when it comes to mental health and bullying for students. When I entered middle school the sheer amount of work pressed on us caused constant anxiety of failed grades and teacher relationships. Especially in 8th grade I found myself doing homework from the time I got home till dinner, then starting back up until late at night. Even after spending hours I still couldn't find the time to do it all. Many students found themselves falling behind in classes and not having the time to have fun extracurriculars to enjoy. Spending so long on homework caused a lack of sleep for the students making it harder to focus. Most teachers didn't seem to have the patience for it. If you weren't passing a class many teachers claimed you just didn't have good time management or didn't pay attention, instead of acknowledging how much work they forced on students. Teacher student relationships often struggled from this. However, giving acs one star goes out truly to the few teachers I found at that school that were really helpful and kind. It wasn't until middle school that I found a teacher willing to listen and provide a safe classroom along with stern advice and good teaching that has helped me become who I am now. He will remain an important mentor in my life. I also found that my 6th grade homeroom teacher helped me get through the tough times of that year. If you are planning on sending your children through this school, please prepare to set them up with therapy or consider moving them into online school instead. Most students I attended acs with have left the school with a lower self esteem, self worth, pride, and joy than children leaving 8th grade should. I even know a student in my grade who moved schools halfway through 8th grade year because of student and teacher disrespect. That student recently told me how toxic the acs environment truly was and how much better his new school ended up being. Reconsider sending your kid please.

PARKER LOCATION: My grandchildren attend this school. We…read morecould not be happier with the outcome of their education. Teachers are above excellent and I can't say enough about this school. Uniforms are required and they have many extracurricular activities that your children may be able to participate in. If you are looking for the best charter school in the south area, make sure to look into American Academy's new Parker facility. You won't regret the education your child receives at this school. The teachers are AMAZING. The ability grouping teachers are phenomenal. Wish I could give them a score of 10 stars. A rarity for me to give this high score.

Leman was a good school until it wasn't. I've heard multiple stories. of different kids leaving…read morebecause of bullying. most of the bullying was towards kids who didn't fit in. But the bullying got really bad in middle school . With all of the bullying and other issues that were going on half of the kids who were there in sixth grade had left by the beginning of eighth grade year.

very good school and my kids love it the education is excellent and the values are the bestread more

Trinity has been such a blessing to us. The small class sizes and amazing teachers and staff make…read morethis place something special. Our kids have thrived socially and academically. We are thrilled to be a part of this community.

Trinity Lutheran Church and School has been like a second home to me. After graduating from the…read moreschool, the church has remained a stable part of my week. They really make you feel at home whether it's your first time going or you're the third generation in your family to attend. In the school, everyone, from the students to the teachers to the rest of the staff, are some of my closest friends and best mentors. The education allowed me to excel in high school, college, and beyond, all because of the Christ-founded, challenging curriculum. I couldn't be more grateful to be part of the amazing legacy of Trinity's church and school!

I can't say enough great things about Gold Rush Elementary School. They just Rock! The principal is…read moreamazing and it's clear, she is well appreciated at the school by all of the teachers and staff. There is no doubt in our minds that she cares for all of the kids, teachers and staff as I'd they all were a part of her own family. Or son is a kindergarten and has grown so much in the last few months. Our son has hearing loss and the teacher does a great job of communicating with him and the entire class. We are incredibly thankful that our son gets to learn at Gold Rush Elementary School.

During my time at this school, I was assigned responsibilities well beyond my role, including…read morecovering ALL kindergarten library times, leading lunch announcements over the microphone, and supervising lunch/recess/hallway lines. Despite these expectations, I received little to no support from the administration. The demands of these responsibilities often conflicted with one another. My coworkers regularly expressed that the lunchroom was difficult to manage without my presence, while I was simultaneously expected to cover all kindergarten library times. This left me feeling like I was expected to be in two places at once and made it impossible to fully meet the needs of either responsibility. The principal rarely interacted with staff and visited my classroom only once every couple of months, often calling me by the wrong name. The vice principal consistently failed to follow through with student discipline and frequently required educational assistants to apologize for appropriately enforcing school expectations. Student behavior was often managed inconsistently. I was told by a kindergartener that the vice principal had given them a phone to watch TikTok. In another concerning situation, a fourth-grade female student who reported being punched in the stomach by a male classmate was allowed to decide whether her parents would be informed. Too often, it felt as though students, rather than staff, were in control. School administrators would often reprimand staff for not awarding Golden Tickets to students whenever a parent complained, even when those students had not demonstrated the appropriate behavior to earn the recognition that day. This created inconsistency in the school's behavior management system and undermined staff members' professional judgment. Instead of teaching students appropriate coping skills, conflict resolution, or self-regulation strategies, disruptive behavior was frequently rewarded with toys or playtime in the office. This approach undermined classroom expectations and made it difficult to maintain a safe, respectful learning environment. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this school as a workplace due to the lack of administrative support, unrealistic workload expectations, inconsistent discipline practices, and overall school culture. Lastly, my child attended this school and was not consistently challenged with work that matched their abilities or academic potential.

Little bears is the best! My 3 year old loves going to school so much and since he's started Iv…read moreseen his confidence and independence grow. I feel blessed to have found such a great school with teachers I truly trust.

We found this school through one of our friends and we are so thankful that we did. We absolutely…read morelove miss Shelley & miss Kathleen. They are so good with the kids. Couldn't ask for a better preschool for daughter!!