Bay Area Charter Elementary School

The friendly atmosphere at the school is great! We love the small size of the school because we are able to know all the teachers and staff better.
—Submitted by a parent

I couldn't be happier with this school. We pulled my son out of a highly rated CCISD school to bring him here. Bay Area provides him the freedom to be creative and he has excelled in school since the change. He was rated below grade level in reading in 1st grade while at CCISD and in less then a year at Bay Area is now at a 5th grade reading level. Bay Area gives children the ability to shine!
—Submitted by a parent

We are so lucky our daughter was offered the opportunity to attend this wonderful school. It is not the usual grandiose facility, with laptops at every desk. It is an unusual Facility with a caring Administrator and teachers moved to educate young minds. There is a waiting list for a reason . . . I am so very happy (as is my daughter) that our last, local school, had such poor luck in picking teachers. If we hadn't run into the usual "study for Taks Testing" scenario that most Public schools seem to offer, my daughter would not have discovered she IS intelligent and she CAN succeed and learn. Better late than never. Thank you Bay Area Charter.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a kindergarden and a preschool student at Bay Area Elementary School, and I am very pleased with their program as well as with the school overall. It is clear that the teachers and administration are dedicated to the students, value each student as an individual, appreciate their initiative and creativity, and listen to them. I feel good dropping my kids off at school each day, knowing that they are in good hands and that the teachers will get in touch with me if they observe anything that concerns them. The teachers are great at keeping in touch, and often send updates on the progress of my children .
—Submitted by a parent

I can say one thing about the elementary school. Each teacher is committed to the needs of the child and making sure they are successful. There has been a shift in how parents raise their child. This can affect the make-up of how the children react to each other. The teachers work so hard to meet the needs of each child and get the information that is needed to meet the states requirements. Each teacher connects to each student and worries about their success in life. I applaud that everyone at BAC and what they do; it is NOT easy yet each teacher will move a mountain so that each child can reach the peck. Kris Wessale wears many hats yet will do what needs to be done for a student. Amazing.

What schools were meant to be. Learning based on learning and not test scores. As a parent, I can visit anytime. Respect is abundant and discipline is evident. Children are learning and not just being babysat.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children who have, attended public and private schools across many Tx districts. The two younger have attended 2 application-only public schools and 1 regular public school within CCISD. I have also substitute taught at all 2ndary & at the college levels. This is, however, our first experience with a charter school. It has been wonderful! Class size is wonderful at BACES. Project instruction and parent participation is great! No "busywork" for children, but meaningful assignments. Good teachers. Good PTO. Recommend!
—Submitted by a parent

Small school means you know all the staff. Great with handling student's dyslexia issues. They also are good at handling ADHD.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids are thriving at Bay Area Charter Elementary. I have a 5th grader, kinder and a pre-K child, and I have been impressed with all 3 teachers in this first year attending this school. The project-based learning technique makes learning memorable, and the group-learning style boosts their confidence in themselves. My 5th grader's self esteem has sky-rocketed this year, thanks to a teacher who strives to lift up each kid's inner strengths. They really go the extra mile and work on the "whole child". The report cards are extremely detailed and give a true picture of our children's growth and development as well as academics. We not only see how they're doing in a certain subject, but what SPECIFICALLY they get and what they need to work on. I appreciated getting a thoughtful whole-picture report about my kids' school experience. Wonderful school!
—Submitted by a parent

I wish I could say good things about our experience at this school! But I cannot! My son was not struggling, or bored with his curriculum or needing help in reading like most of these previous parents, he was coming from a very small school and we felt that a smaller more open school would help this move! He came with a weak background in math from his previous school and much to my dismay, became worse! We had the unfortunate luck of having a Teacher that well, was less than and not equal to! No pun intended! Due to this teacher, the whole illusion of this school went right out the window! No amount of conferences or meetings did any good!? It's basically a school that should teach them to conquer any barriers they may meet, but instead, it makes them lazy to try to do their best! Sad!
—Submitted by a parent

I wish I could say good things about our experience at this school! But I cannot! My son was not struggling, or bored with his curriculum or needing help in reading like most of these previous parents, he was coming from a very small school and we felt that a smaller more open school would help this move! He came with a weak background in math from his previous school and much to my dismay, became worse! We had the unfortunate luck of having a Teacher that well, was less than and not equal to! No pun intended! Due to this teacher, the whole illusion of this school went right out the window! No amount of conferences or meetings did any good!? It's basically a school that should teach them to conquer any barriers they may meet, but instead, it makes them lazy to try to do their best! Sad!
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending Bay Area Charter Elementary for 3 weeks, and I've already seen a significant improvement in his reading ability. His teacher, Ms. Lawley, is excellent. He is loving their project based approach to education, he can't wait to go to school every morning.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is more about educating your child than taks testing. They build self-esteem and well rounded, polite kids. I can't say enough about this school. If your child is struggling bring them here.
—Submitted by a parent

Bay Area Charter School has been a real blessing for my son. He has a September birthday so he was older and more advanced when he started school. Since the Charter school is more 'ability based' rather than 'aged based' in their curriculum, he has really thrived. He is being tested for the Gifted program and he is reading more than 2 grade levels above where he would be. The public school was unable to 'cater' to a child who was clearly bored with the normal curriculum. In fact, they told me that they didn't have time to deal with him. I got him in to the Charter School immediately, and haven't looked back. Now my daughter is attending the PreK class there. She is also very bright and appears to be thriving there as well.
—Submitted by Julie Pace, a parent

I have been very pleased with all of the support from all the staff at BACES. The superintendent, the principal, and my son's teacher have been so helpful in helping my son have a wonderful education that he deserves. I am the most impressed with the extra services have provided that a few school districts would not. They definetly leave no child behind and have the right approach. My son loves going to school and I feel very comfortable leaving him in great hands. Thank you so much BACES for all of your support.
—Submitted by a parent

The level of academic learning this year has been dismal in math.I personnally witnessed the math teacher working on a math problem, on the board and getting the wrong answer! My 14 year old raised her hand and gave the correct answer. Everyone make mistakes but this evening she told me the teacher is incorrectly teaching pre-algebra. We looked the problem up on math.com and guess what? The teacher is showing the children the incorrect way to find the answer. The other teachers have been professional and caring individuals. The math situation at the middle school is disturbing!
—Submitted by a parent

My children have attended BACS for three years. Our commute time is 60 minutes round trip, but is more than worth the time. Parents are welcome and even encouraged to be involved. Kids are treated as individuals not numbers and creativity is everywhere. The children are taught how to work together and there is a very strong sense of community. My children have gone from hating school, to begging to go back. There is much more time spent with each child due to the small classes, and they are taught to work together and help each other out. Something frowned upon in most public schools. Teachers dont just try to discipline, they use conflict resolution. It is a true preparation for real life. I can't say enough.
—Submitted by Stacie, a parent

Parental invovlement-excellent; project appraoch to learning made clsses more interesting-100% of 5th graders passed taks-math; music-art once a week-p.e. 3x a week; we loved this school! Awesome principal and caring, professional teachers
—Submitted by a parent

My children have gone to Bay Area Charter Elementary for 3 years and they love it!! Even though this school is a public school, it is like a private school. This school is project-based with small class sizes and this enables the students to study subjects they are interested in and it also enables the teachers to do more 'hands on' teaching with the students. To me, this is like a private school for free and my children have really benefited tremendously from going to school here. If it weren't for Bay Area Charter Elementary School I would definitely home school my kids because traditional public school does not cut it for me. I want something better for my kids.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 3 children in Bay Area Charter school. One is a senior this year and 2 are 6th graders. The reason I put them in this charter school is for a smaller student ratio. One of my children has add and needs less distraction. I am happy with my kids grades, and they are happy with the school! They are all doing very well and love the school. We did have some problems with the teacher this year, but all that has been taken care of. The kids have a new teacher and are very happy now. Thank you Bay are charter for listening to the children and parents of the school. That is the key to a good learning envirenment. Communication!
—Submitted by a parent