Trinity Christian Academy

We sent two children through TCA. It is a good school but I honestly don't think it was worth the tremendous amount of money we paid. Our priority was a Christian environment, but unfortunately many of the same problems of public school are at TCA - teachers who don't always have a student's best interest at heart, teachers who should have retired or been fired a long time ago, and teachers who do not model Christian behaviour. Also the vast majority of TCA families are wealthy, and it can become a problem to keep up if one is not also wealthy. There are also few families who really walk the walk when it comes to their faith. They talk about their faith, but then let 12 year olds watch R movies - same problems as public school friendships. I think that I might recommend to a young family with children to use all that money in a more productive way, and just keep your children very active in a good Bible church and stay very involved in their lives, and put them in a public school where they can develop empathy for those less fortunate.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two children attending TCA lower school. Very happy with all aspects of the school. Teachers are very dedicated and caring. The student:teacher ratio is about half the public school ratio. Excellent use of technology with extensive use of iMac equipment in classrooms. If you want a very high quality education in a Christian environment, TCA seemed the obvious choice to us after looking closely at all of the top private schools in the Dallas area. Other considerations: TCA has lots of extracurricular activities, such as sports and performing arts. The academic standards are very high, although it may not be quite as rigorous as a specialized gifted program. They do demand, and get, top results for the capabilities of the majority of students. Be aware that the school academic and child development culture of TCA expects a lot of parental involvement. There is also an emphasis on directing the students to become independent, self-motivated. The cost is not insignificant, but comparing it to the cost of other private schools and what you get at TCA, we concluded it is a bargain. Also, you can pay monthly, with no interest charge, rather than all upfront lump-sum.
—Submitted by a parent

The bulling situation is terrible my son attending the school in 7 th grade he was bullied form day one. cried everday afterschool, spoke to the owners which are the principals and she stated that they made fun of themselves aswell, that school is a joke , parents they are there to make money .
—Submitted by a parent

Not happy with the quality of the teachers here at all. If you have a child that iis gifted- I mean truly gifted- do not send him or her here. As far as the Christian aspect of the school- it would be nice if they practiced what they preached. The teachers can be very judgmental if you don't fit into their norm. I was just told at a conference that this is very much a "niche" school and that we may be better off someplace else because my son is very shy, not an athlete and does not have friends. He is not a behavior problem and gets very good grades- but not good enough at this school. So unless you are pretty sure you fit into this very tight knit community- look at the many other quality schools that Dallas has. Also- the class sizes are way too big at the elementary level. They do not have a gifted program and are weak in fine arts, too. I have also found that in the lower school- they pretty much give them nothing but worksheets...not much in the way of creative writing or science. Also know that teacher's kids get free tuition, so all of them have kids at the school which is great for them, but maybe that is why the quality of teachers is not as competitive.
—Submitted by a parent

This school features high academic standards, kindly and highly skilled teachers, and devoted parents. The Christian environment makes this school great. I'm surprised at the recent spate of one star reviews. Honestly, I don't know of an unhappy TCA family. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but this school's strong administration and Christ-focused point of view, its challenging academics and its caring teachers combine to produce a truly impressive school environment. My three children feel devoted to TCA. I DO wish our school had an orchestra and debate squad. I wish there were a few more moderates there. Our children are blooming in this environment, so we stay. They are dearly loved and well educated at TCA. Avoid the formal admission events; they feel false. Call Mary Helen Nolan for a tour instead. We feel glad we didn't get chased away by the dog and pony show events.
—Submitted by a parent

Do not believe the five star reviews they are placed here by the staff and administration. The school is overpriced and the admission is controlled by an elitist religious fanatic. Check out Prestonwood its about the same money with friendly people, new facility, and normal people.

We attended this school for 7 years and recently left due to ethical issues in the administration. The administration told a lie about our family. Word travels like wildfire. The teachers were nice but always pushed the ADHD issue with my son. When evaluated my son is very mild ADHD and doctor said my son could function fine without medicine. The teachers hassled us about it. I would say the kids are nice but the main colleges these kids go to is Baylor and OSU. Good schools but you can go to public schools and get to those schools. The Christian teaching and size of school is the only reason to attend this school if you're debating between public or private. We have found our public school AP courses comparible to Trinity's. Why? Because colleges make up those courses standards, so Trinity's can't really be better. So unless you have an extra $$$ you don't know what to do with, then by all means.
—Submitted by a parent

We went through the interview process at Trinity. The school building is dated and feels old. For the money I expected a newer or at least remodeled campus. The Director of Admissions interview was odd. I left feeling like the victim of an overzelous religous nut. We spent the last nine years at Grace Academy of Dallas and never experienced anything so over board. My son has a one on one 15 minute interview with the Director and came away confused about his beliefs. I dont recommend this school solely because of the Admisssions Director. O
—Submitted by a parent

I attended school here from 5th-12th grade. I will admit I received a great education, but as a student from a family that was not super wealthy I struggled to fit in. Some teachers were wonderful, but many played favorites. I will never send my children to this school because of what I have observed.

TCA has such helpful,caring teachers that really know their stuff and want you to succeed. im in college and i keep up with a few of them still, because they really are interested in what i'm doing with my education.

The community is amazing. It's like being part of a small town in a big city. The teachers are very good, and the administration is very thoughtful (not impulsive) in their actions. While there are resources available for students with mild LD's, it may not be the best fit if your student is not a traditional type learner, especially in the high school. I've seen dyslexic kids make it all the way through, and even thrive in some cases (one valedictorian was dyslexic) but my ADD child with dyslexic tendencies struggled and was overwhelmed by the reading. A lot depends on the child and their work ethic and desires. My average and social child loved TCA and flourished there. My very bright, yet not very social student also loves it. There is a very strong social community there, both among the parents and the students.
—Submitted by a parent

Everybody knows everybody. The teachers always get to know us. Our homework is tough, but we know it's good for us, because most of us want to attend a top-level college. Hence, college-prep school. The parents are so involved (though you don't have to). TCA has the best visual art department in the state.
—Submitted by a student

TCA is the best! Amazing faculty, high test scores, low student-teacher ratio! We love it!
—Submitted by a parent

I attended TCA from my 7th grade year till graduation. I strongly recommend getting your kiddo into TCA earlier in thier school rather than later. It was a hard transition and consequently I missed out on a great deal of mathmatical education. Dollar for dollar TCA matches up to Jesuit-level education.
—Submitted by a student

Okay, so I have been going to TCA since kindergarten, and overall it is an excellent school. The high school administration is so much fun and, because of the small amount of high school students, they know everybody and joke around with us all the time. The History and English classes are combined to one class you, and is very difficult, because every student is in Honors and/or AP class. The homework load is awful in my opinion, it seems you have no time to rest, if you play a sport. The sports are competitive, and the school spirit is amazing. All the teachers do care about you witch is great. It is hard to enter TCA in high school unless you know someone because it is so cliquey, which I despise...but all the people I know that have graduated from TCA have remained closes with their TCA friends.
—Submitted by a student

Both my daughters graduated from TCA. The education they received was superb. Both were prepared academically and socially to make that next step to college. As a former parent, I am so thankful for the caring faculty and administration who made each child feel important. Any Christian parent who doesn't send their child(ren) to TCA has missed out on a tremendous opportunity!
—Submitted by a parent

I sent 3 kids to this school, 2 to First Baptist, and 1 to Shelton; all for different reasons and for different 'fits'. For kids that learn in a main stream way, this is an expensive school that is worth well over twice what we paid. I believe that it is by far the best co-ed college prep education in the DFW area. But, they are geared to merge kids into a top university. Their History and English curriculum is better than I had in College, in a Science major. Their Math curriculum is amazing. My daughter went straight into Calc 3 from high school with no problem. Football, Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, and Track are well regarded and competitive at the top levels in the city. With only 100 Srs, they routinely compete with and often beat some of the top 5A public schools in the state.
—Submitted by a parent

this the worst school i have ever been to. u pay so much money and in most grades it is so easy i love public school in AP courses it is harder than than trinity.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school! Great student to teacher ratio. Sports teach discipline and they always pray before games.
—Submitted by a former student

I attended Trinity from 2nd grade through graduation. The education I received was superb. Most importantly, the emphasis on training the whole child for the glory of God prepared me for the 'battles' of life.
—Submitted by a former student