The teachers, staff, and volunteers are amazing. They genuinely love and care for the students and…read moreas a parent we couldn't ask for anything more. Unfortunately, the current Principal Angela Stevens is not someone we trust with our child. If not for the love that the teachers have shown we would have already left. We are determined to finish the school year knowing that the teachers wouldn't let anything bad happen, and to ensure we don't interrupt our child's education but next year we will be at another school. In speaking with our child's teachers it's obvious we are not the only family with these concerns nor are we the first to voice our opinions. Unfortunately, it appears the school administration would rather keep an inept leader in place at the expense of everyone that walks through those doors each and every day.

July 2016. St. Joseph Catholic Academy is a treasure located in the downtown area of Springfield…read more The pre-K through 8th grade school has small class sizes, with a maximum of 16 students per grade. All the teachers are certified and experienced. My children have attended for years and I am extremely pleased at their progress. The students have physical education, computers, Spanish, public speaking, art, vocal and instrumental music. The religion education program is appropriate for most Christian traditions. There is a very high percentage of non-white students and 3 teachers from central and south America.The variable, income-based tuition rates make the education a great value. If you are looking for excellence, look no further.

Please read before enrolling your child…read more I attended this school in middle school for one semester, and it was one of the most disturbing and harmful environments I've ever been in. I've waited years to write this because I needed distance to truly understand how wrong it all was. But now, as an adult in college, I feel a responsibility to speak up -- for myself, and for any family considering this school. During my time there, I witnessed staff justifying slavery using religion (Mr. Arnold). I heard Black students referred to in dehumanizing, offensive ways (We were called blacks all of the time). These weren't slip-ups or ignorance -- they were intentional, repeated, and normalized by the culture of the school. I was a mixed-race student trying to survive in an environment where racism was brushed off and spiritual language was used to mask harm. Let me be clear: this didn't happen "nine years ago" like the school's Google response claimed. I transferred there six years ago, right after a family vacation, and I remember everything clearly. The school is lying to downplay the truth and discredit former students like me. That alone should raise concern. The physical environment was just as unsafe. The building had visible mold, and the facilities were unsanitary. It wasn't a place that felt safe, supported, or clean -- emotionally or physically. To the parents reading this: I know how hard it is to choose a school that feels right. But please don't let the word "Christian" blind you. What I experienced here was not Christ-like. It was damaging, dismissive, and deeply hypocritical. This school hurt me in ways I'm still unpacking. I would never send a child there. No one deserves to feel what I felt.

Heartbreaking how religion was used here…read more I attended this school briefly and I still think about how damaging it was. Not just because of what was said -- but because of the way it was said in the name of God. This school openly excluded and shamed people based on their beliefs. I specifically remember being told that "Catholics don't go to heaven." That moment stuck with me -- not just because it's wrong, but because it made me realize how twisted things were here. The leadership didn't just allow discrimination -- they taught it. Students of color were talked about in ways that were absolutely racist, and any concerns were dismissed. The environment didn't feel safe, spiritually or emotionally. It felt like control masked as Christianity. Even as a teenager, I knew something wasn't right. Years later, I still carry those memories, and I can't stay silent knowing other kids could be walking into the same experience. This school does not represent the love or compassion that faith is supposed to stand for. Parents, please look deeper. You deserve to know the truth.

This is our third year having our child at NCA and we honestly could not be happier. We love…read moreeverything about this school. Our child is excelling academically. NCA also really focuses on character and it shows! All of the students are so kind and well mannered. We are very happy having our child here and plan to keep her here until she graduates.

From the owner: Mission Statement -With the Bible as its foundation, New Covenant Academy will provide a quality…read moreeducation from a Christian perspective that prepares students for postsecondary study and equips them to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Vision Statement -New Covenant Academy will educate college-bound students who can defend their Christian faith, achieve their God-given potential, and impact the world for Christ as leaders in their chosen professions. Christian Education with Academic Excellence. Serving Jr. Kindergarten 12th grade for over 30 years.

Amazing organization! Abilities First and Art Inspired is a wonderful place full of people who care…read moreso much for the individuals they serve!

We went to Art Inspired last month for a First Friday Art Walk event. Art inspired is a great…read moreconcept that I am not sure the last reviewer understood. The store there offers classes to people who have special needs or different abilities. They recycle paper into works of art. People who might be on the autism spectrum can take a class on paper making and then sell their artwork at the store. Young adults who might not have other avenues of work, can work in the store and sell their products. It is a store that offers people with special qualities an outlet for their art. Art Inspired also has art that people off the street can create. The night we were there people were buying the plain recycled paper made christmas ornaments and personalizing them at the art table. The kids were having a great time. They also have a green screen photo booth that the kids were loving. I think that last reviewer did not understand the concept for the store. This store is a great resource for our special community. They offer a service: recycling paper and make it into something awesome and inspiring.

Our son has been here since he was 16 months, he's now almost 3. He's potty trained (big thanks to…read morethem). He's well mannered. He cleans up after himself... and my wife & I truthfully didnt really teach him most of that stuff. Now we did encourage the same behaviors at home and we did listen to his teachers and communicated with them to be sure we were all on the same page, but it's mostly all been taught to him at this school. 5/5 highly recommend and would do it again

A superb facility allowing toddlers thru elementary school students the ability to ignite and…read morediscover their greatest passions!

I personally enjoyed my time at OTC. I attended here for a couple of semesters before graduating…read morewith an Associates Degree and transferring to a different school for my Bachelors, but to get so many basic credit hours out of the way and so cheaply with the low cost of tuition and the option to buy used books is incredible, and will save you so much money towards a four year degree. The college also offers trade school courses in cooking, automotive, and several other options, so it's not like you're stuck doing only Bachelors prerequisites. The biggest downsides would be the lack of parking during peak hours, and the need to take a standardized exit exam in order to get an Associates, but outside of that it's such a great school to get a quality degree and to massively help cut costs.

OTC is a community college funded strictly off tax payer; so why does tuition continue to rise?…read moreDon't get me wrong it is still much cheaper than other colleges, but the entire program needs an overhaul. Some teachers there are great, and supply amazing curriculum. Other teachers just keep adding more material to existing ones; making you do more for less point. Some teachers also seem like they are trying to prove something; such as trying to move onto a "real college" or that they are a value at the current one. Prepare to take classes that are demanding with unclear teachers who feel your 1000 word paper is worth 10 points.

Evangel is the best university and has been such a blessing in my life. All the staff and…read moreprofessors truly care about the students and the quality of education is so good. Even after graduating with my bachelors, I was accepted into a masters program at a state school. Although, the program was lousy in comparison to my education at Evangel, leading me to transfer back to Evangel online to finish my masters as well. The psychology department, specifically Dr. Johnson, is the best. The school truly cares about students from a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual perspective.

I cannot agree with the latest review of this school. In fact, I agree with the one made about this…read moreschool from 9 years ago. This school is not made for people who want to truly advance in a real career. I will break down my experience in each of the main areas that people look at for a school. FIRST, the price. In my opinion, I did not receive what I was paying for. Without any financial aid, a typical school bill here is $40K for a singular school year. But consider that your first two years are mostly your gen-eds (this would be Math, Science, English, and maybe one or two classes pertaining to your major sprinkled in there). To live on campus, consider that you will also be paying for a meal plan (I will go into that next), technology fee, science lab fee, new student orientation fee, ID card fee, amongst other monotonous charges. SECOND, is the meal plan. As a young adult studying almost every day, food is something we look forward to every single day. However, the food quality here is NOT worth the price we pay for. In the Cafeteria, they are notorious for leaving the vegetables sitting out all week unwashed, as well as dried out desserts, meat that is not fully cooked, etc. The only dorm hall with a kitchen for you to cook your own meals in is Walther. So, if you're reading this and you're thinking of cooking your own meals, you would need to invest in your own portable stovetop or air fryer (But wait, that isn't allowed!). THIRD, the dorm halls/dorm room. In the beginning of the school year, there is this short-lived feeling of excitement to living on your own and preparing for a fresh start. I can only say my experience with Burgess as this is the dorm hall I lived in while being at Evangel (the all-girls dorm hall). Most of the lights in the room and bathrooms are dull. The thermostat is set specifically to only emit cold or hot air during certain months, which is not ideal when the weather becomes uncertain and it is cold outside for a few days, but your vent only has cold air. As for ALL of the dorm halls (excluding the new one they're building), there are NO ELEVATORS. The FOURTH thing I will discuss is the community. This particular portion will most likely be the longest one of everything I have discussed. The first person, the person who is supposed to lead this whole school, will be discussed first. That is, President Mike Rakes. As a leader, he is currently under fire from students and some staff who may not want to discuss it. He is misleading people over and over again with messages that he will even take the time to admit are "not sermons." After receiving feedback from anonymous students about this behavior, he proceeded to deny accountability and even blame teachers (whom he is also leading) for the student's weakness of faith and so on. Remember that new dorm hall I mentioned earlier? He is continuing to use money towards that while the school sits in over 4 billion dollars of debt. But let's get back to the community. As a person of color, specifically black (this is relevant), this school is not that diverse. They make sure that you know that. To the school and to a lot of people here, you're just another number. I did not feel welcome over half of the time here because the people here do not truly want to speak to you if you look like me. They fake smile in your face, and then when that smile starts to crack, they just look at you like you shouldn't exist. What is even more concerning is that most of the people like this here are probably leading your child (or leading you) in "small groups" or they are majoring in a ministry degree with plans to be leading churches or traveling countries to "spread the gospel." I will wrap up this review by saying this: there could be serious improvement if we, as a generation and as people who call ourselves followers of Christ, truly learn how to follow Jesus and love our neighbor. Many people here assume they follow Jesus without truly loving the people around them. I write this review also to not necessarily dictate your decision to this school, but to share with you the things they don't want to discuss during your tour, your welcome email, or on social media. This school will continue to raise prices and make things more expensive for a mediocre education and a weak headship. Please use discernment before coming here.

All of my diving classes have been outstanding and having the great pool facility to practice…read moreskills is awesome. They have a decent selection of gear that's been improving but I wish they carried a few more . . . economical lines. Waiting for various sales is always a good idea - I got some great deals at their ScubaFest.

My son's teacher Kailee (sorry if I spelled it wrong!) is amazing! My son is making so much…read moreprogress with the teaching methods they use. Kailee has great class management to keep the kids safe, clear communication on what skills are needed for advancement, and she seems to be having fun with her classes as well! Absolutely recommend these learn to swim classes.