Humanities and Fine Arts Charter School

Positives-lots of parent involvement, they teach the arts, small classes, rigorous Common Core curriculum Negatives: I loved this school at the start. However, the communication is poor and there seems to be a disconnect between the parents and the school. Homework is willy nilly--sometimes there is some sometimes there is not--sometimes there are spelling tests sometimes there are not. There is no clear pattern. No weekly/monthly newsletters for parents etc. and it takes teachers a long time to get back to parents. High teacher turnover rate. Demographics are deeply imbalanced. Moved on and haven't looked back. I hope they can work out the kinks because they are onto a good thing with the arts!
—Submitted by a parent

My Kindergartener has only been at this school for 5 months and he has already grown by leaps and bounds socially, academically and emotionally. The curriculum is carefully balanced providing students with a mix of academics (reading, math, science, social studies, language arts) and arts education (dance, music, drama, oration, art). Dr Smalley and Dr Haynes are incredibly leaders who have really taken off running with their belief that "every child is a star". The directors, teachers, custodians and even cafeteria staff know each of the 130 children by name, and treat them like family. The teachers are caring and individualize instruction for all children. Students receive targeted instruction in reading and math and will switch groups and classes as their needs change. My child is happier and better prepared for the future than he had been in public school. The level of parental involvement is great compared to local schools, and each family is required to volunteer 40 hours per year. The HFACS is really providing a meaningful and rich education for all children in Lake County. I can't wait to see how much greater the school gets in the years to come.
—Submitted by a parent