Covered Bridge Academy

My son has been at Covered Bridge for the last two years. We tried to hold out through last year after administration fell apart in hopes it would get better. However, I have been extremely displeased ever since. There is extremely poor communication with parents, the owner of the school is unprofessional and rude, teachers do not feel supported. My son's teacher left the third day of school this year, and his teacher last year left in the middle of school. My son was behind academically last year because the classroom was so "dysregulated", and these were the teacher's words, not mine. I did feel like my son was safe at the school, and the afterschool teacher was awesome. However, I feel the quality of education is greatly lacking, and the organization and communication of administration is poor at best. There is a reason why the enrollment at this school has dropped significantly over the last 2 years. Please really do your homework and talk to parents before you enroll here. We will not be returning
—Submitted by a parent

66% of students in 4th and 5th grade qualified for Duke Tip gifted program last year while attending CBA. 80% of students leaving CBA elementary in the last 5 years are in public or private school gifted programs. 98% of Covered Bridge Academy graduates of college age graduate, some with multiple degrees. Every year, many graduates from CBA contact the teachers who made a difference in their lives. Every school has problems, but this school has proof in the outcome for children. The big picture is the children who become adults.
—Submitted by a parent

This school should not be on a website called "great schools." We had been very happy at the school until November 2011 (my eldest child had been there since 2006). The school director resigned suddenly, and after several conversations with the "management" I understand why. The school owner micromanages, does not listen to parents or teachers. The atmosphere of the school became tense and uncomfortable. They did not hire a new director, but split the director with the sister school down the road. The director was never at the school, at least not when parents were there. The admin assistant is not smart - every single e-mail to parents has gross typos and/or grammatical errors. This is a school and they do not look professional. The only reason that I didn't pull my kids out mid year was the teachers. Out of 11 staff members (not counting afterschool) only 2 were returning for the 2012-2013 school yr. Less than half of the kids in my children's classes were returning. That says something. I give the manage management 0 stars. Teachers would get a "5" but they are gone. I am sorry that we had to leave, but it has gone from a great school to someplace we couldn't wait to leave.
—Submitted by a parent

I have to say that I am very disappointed in recent events at CBA. My child has been at this school for six years and we have seen a steady decline in the administration and management of the school.I love the Montessori philosophy and have been very happy with my child's progress over the years. However, this year has been difficult and I have not been impressed with the administration and their handling of challenging situations. They have had an excellent staff, but the administration has changed and I have no confidence in the abilities of the current leaders. The owners and top administrators are unprofessional and lack common decency. The teachers are unhappy and the atmosphere is tense. The owners held a parent meeting after the last long-time administrator resigned. They could not answer basic questions about the direction of the school and shared information that was very inappropriate. I regret that we will be leaving CBA at the end of the year and I am unable to offer my recommendation to prospective families. I can not give them even an average overall rating based on the school's rapid state of decline. Submitted by a parent
—Submitted by a parent

I have to say that I am very disappointed in recent events at CBA. My child has been at this school for six years and we have seen a steady decline in the administration and management of the school. I love the Montessori philosophy and have been very happy with my child's progress over the years. However, this year has been difficult and I have not been impressed with the administration and their handling of challenging situations. They have had an excellent staff, but the administration has changed and I have no confidence in the abilities of the current leaders. The owners and top administrators are unprofessional and lack common decency. The teachers are unhappy and the atmosphere is tense. The owners held a parent meeting after the last long-time administrator resigned. They could not answer basic questions about the direction of the school and shared information that was very inappropriate. I regret that we will be leaving CBA at the end of the year and I am unable to offer my recommendation to prospective families. I can not give them even an average overall rating based on the school's rapid state of decline.
—Submitted by a parent

Covered Bridge Academy has a diverse community of students and lends itself to providing an enriched education. Although there have been some changes at the school, the leadership and teachers alike have been empathetic and quick to accomodate any concerns. CBA strives to provide a nuturing and structured environment to foster optimal education.
—Submitted by a parent

Covered Bridge Academy offers an enriching and rigorous curriculum for primary students during the regular school year. The Academy's summer program, however, could be much better. The first two years of the summer program were fabulous...swimming lessons, great activities and themes. This past summer was a different story...the school's swimming program fell through and there wasn't any attempt to replace it with another activity(s) or program. The summer theme started out well for the first two sessions but by the middle of the summer the 'theme' disappeared. t went from "physical education' i.e., learning about the human body, movement and different types of physical activities to coloring sheets about butterflies. I hope that the program next year will be better.
—Submitted by a parent

My son was in the summer program last year which was terrible. He takes medication daily and they forgot to administer and were not even aplogetic.
—Submitted by a parent

My son's teacher is very good and he is doing very well academically. The administration is not very friendly or helpful, they create a negative environment. The summer camp program was terribly last year, disorganized with few activities and a high pricetag for nothing but baby sitting.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a new parent at CBA elementary, and I cannot sing its praises high enough. Already they have had an overnight campout which was a huge success. My child will remember this experience forever.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree that the school runs on the strength of the dedicated teachers and staff who work there. They know all the children and parents on a first-name basis and are always willing to do whatever is needed to help each child.
—Submitted by a parent

All four of my children attended CBA over the last 20 years. It was a positive experience for all of them, even when one or all of them had an issue that needed to be resolved. The owners are committed to Montessori. This school is a lab school for a Montessori teacher training center, so you know they mind their P's and Q's. Overall, their strength is in the teachers. This school attracts A+ teachers who are committed to Montessori. My children still talk about the teachers they had at this school. They are in highschool now, making great grades in gifted academic and performing arts. We went for a visit recently, and my children went directly to the shelves of Montessori material and started doing the work with big smiles on their faces. Montessori works!
—Submitted by a parent

CBA has the best kindergarten program.
—Submitted by a parent