Chapel Hill Academy

School once had a clear view of goals and was on track. Lately, it seems to have turned more into a public school setting. Too clustered, and lack true leadership and direction. Principal and other administration lack certification from he state, why? That should be a red flag. Also, look at the GreatSchools rating which is a 5, why is that? 5 out of 10? I think Academics needs to be kicked up a notch and students need to be challenged more and not so comfortable in just "getting by". Direction is definitely needed!
—Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill is a Super school that keeps getting better each year. My daughter has been going to Chapel Hill since Kindergarten. She struggled in reading her first year. Chapel Hill offered everything from during school tutoring in addition to after school tutoring to help my daughter get back on track. After she was on track, they kept her in the tutoring program until she was excelling in the reading program. I was sad but excited when I was told she no longer needed tutoring. She will be going to the 3rd grade next year and I am confident that she will be on or above reading level. One improvement would be the lunch money process. It would be more convenient if we were able to check balances and pay on line.
—Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill is has its pro's and cons. Mr. Ramirez is by far their greatest assest in administration. The majority of the teachers are compassionate and the classrooms are smaller than your local public schools.Furthermore the children are learning in a structured environment. Cons~ they need to work on implementing the no bullying policy. Verbal & Physical abuse should not be tolerated at any age. In addition they need to opt for more social skills training amonst the students.
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school! We've had 3 kids here for over four years. We've watched this school mature in excellence that's just not available anywhere near us. They always see that each child succeeds in the classroom; i.e., we have a child who struggles in math, and the school steps up without being asked to deliver hands on tutoring plus has great communication with the parents. CHA even has spirit days to encourage school pride and is creative in making school fun. The teachers are Freaking Amazing Too!!! Our kids love them because of the love they give as they teach. Parents are challanged to volunteer and be active part at school which allows us all to take ownership in our kids education. My wife serves every week too. Kids are educated wholisticly and when kids have issues they step up. The VP is top notch! When my son was having a rough emotional day, he brought him to his office, let him play with some Star Wars toys, and gave his mom a call to help soothe him, and help him to be able to return to class for a productive day. Honestly, if you see a complaint, its probably just a reflection of sour parent who is unhappy in life. They don't realize the blessing they have.
—Submitted by a parent

We LOVE Chapel Hill Academy!!! We started at CHA when our oldest was in Kindergarten the first year it opened. We now have 4 children attending and all have loved being here. This school is filled with only the best teachers and administration that strive to make sure each and every student succeeds and is given the absolute best education in a positive and warm environment. Thank you Chapel Hill Academy for all you have done to invest in my children's education.
—Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill Academy really seeks to help kids be successful. They focus on each kid and go the extra mile to make sure that students excel. Our daughter was in the first Kindergarten class they offered and we have been impressed with the teachers year after year. We now have four kids there. Chapel Hill truly excels because of their emphasis on the school-home connection as they seek to connect these worlds for the kids. There is a high level of parental involvement in the school and it makes a huge difference. The administration has also gone out of their way to connect the school with leading businesses in the community so that our children are constantly exposed to successful adults that show just how far you can go with hard work and determination. After all, Chapel Hill kids are college bound! We love Chapel Hill. Our only wish is that the school went beyond 5th grade. I cannot imagine having my kids anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I absolutely love Chapel Hill, my son has made Great progress since he has been there, love the teachers and staff the curriculum is Great he's done so well, been there since 1st grade. We love CHA!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill Academy is home to us. I use to dread sending my son to school evey day when he was in another school. After meeting the staff at chapel hill we were blown away by the warmth and caring atmospher that we found in this school. The teachers are all AMAZING!!! They know all the kids by name and they enteract so well with the them. My son was having a problems in public school because he was not being challanged enough and that is not the case here. He is engaged and active in the class and loves every moment. We are so happy to be a part of this amazing school and recomend it to everyone that we know. You will know as soon as you walk into the school that it different than any other school. I no longer dread sending my kids to school I know that they are in wonderful hands. The teachers and staff care about every single child and want the very best for each and every one.
—Submitted by a parent

We Love CHA!! We have been here since the first year. My oldest started in 1st grade and will be leaving this year from 5th grade! The classroom size has increased since the beginning, but only to 20 versus the 30+ students in the surrounding public school classrooms. This is definitley a managable class size. Our only regret is that we are not able to stay for the remainder of our school years! Each of my kid's teachers have been very caring and attentive. And I honestly wouldn't have been disappointed with any teacher my childen would have had. The administration takes very careful consideration in who they hire. I appreciate their commitment to excellence and know it has benefitted my children. And I know of other families who have gotten help in other areas, not just the educational side. Lena Pope Home and CHA really do care for the children and families they serve. They go above and beyond what anyone could ask. I would recommend CHA to anyone, and I have! Others must feel the same way. People who are not happy should find another school. From my understanding, the waiting list has plenty of other people waiting to get in!!
—Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill is an amazing school some of the comments that are on here about the clubs and library. CHA does have free clubs that students can join like most things they do have space limitations. As far as the library goes they don't offer a system to check out books at this time but I beleive that is due to lack of funds to buy enough books for every child to be able to check out books. Instead of complaining lets do something about it hold a fundraiser, get on the phone and see if there are places willing to donate books for CHA library. I'm sure that if parents get togeather something can be done but stop sitting on the sidelines waiting for others to do, when eveyone has the capablity to VOLUNTEER to get things done! Remember saying "I don't have time" as an adult is the equivalant of a child saying "my dog ate my homework" LOVE CHA STAFF YOUR AWESOME!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
—Submitted by a parent

I don't agree with the previous review, Chapel Hill Academy is an awesome school all the way from the Principal to the students. The staff has always been very accommodating to the needs of the families and students! As far as the Chapel Hill Academy website, there is nothing written about a teenager and her mother being a drug abuser, that is a success story on the Lena Pope Home website and I would think that the people who are on the website would have to sign a release allowing them to use their name and picture, so they are not blatantly slandering anyone! I know as a parent, I signed a release in order for them to place my child's photo on the website. If you grew up in Fort Worth, you know that the Lena Pope Home has done great things for the community and is all about keeping families together. Not only did I grow up here, but I have done my research!
—Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill Academy is a great school! The teachers and staff are friendly and go above & beyond for the students. students. My daughter loves it. It's not just a school it's a family.
—Submitted by a parent

My children are new to CHA this year. We came from a publich school that was NOT addressing their individual needs at all. In fact, my youngest was behind. Since starting CHA, they have both excelled both academically and socially. They are involved in clubs and we attend all of the extra activities. The administration and teachers are amazing. They include me in all aspects of my child's learning and behavior. They have provided opportunities for me to learn more about parenting. I invite more parents to get involved! My kids love it, and I'm very proud to be a part of the CHA family. They respect me as a parent and love my kids! Thank you CHA and Lena Pope Home for all that you do in our community and for our kids!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended this school since they first opened their doors and this is her last year, I hate to see it end. I really love the school...they push the kids to be the best in every subject, they reward the kids as often as possible. The administration and teachers are always coming up with new school programs to excite the kids & the staff participates too. Some things have changed over the years and some things remain the same but I have no complaints about anything that might have changed, since the changes did not bring about any negative effects. I always feel informed with the mass communication system they use, since it notifies you in various ways (text, email, message on home phone) which is really helpful. And the website online stays very current even down to each teachers newsletter for the week. For the area and for a charter school I think they are doing an excellent job...Kudos to Chapel Hill!!
—Submitted by a parent

Upset with the lack of help from the staff, administration, and teachers. It wasn't like this till this year...
—Submitted by a parent

We have had a great first year at CHA with children in kindergarten & 2nd grade! I am greatly impressed with the teachers/staff, clubs offered (some free & some paid), and security. Volunteering allows me to see the daily interaction between teachers/staff & students, and I am grateful our kids are there. Not many public schools can boast of their outdoor learning classroom and offering music, art & Spanish as a part of the regular "specials" curriculum. When I had a specific concern, it was addressed immediately and handled above and beyond my expectation. We have found the curriculum to be more challenging than the school we attended previously. I could go on and on...we are just so impressed and look forward to our remaining years at CHA!
—Submitted by a parent

THIS SCHOOL IS STARTING TO NOT LIVE UP THE THE EXCELLENCE IT ONCE WAS KNOW FOR . THE CLUBS HAVE GONE TO IF YOU PAY YOU GO. THE LIBRARY IS NOT A PLACE YOU CAN GO TO ,TO CHECK OUT BOOKS . MANY THINGS ABOUT THIS SCHOOL HAS CHANGED TOO MANY KIDS , I THINK PARENTS ARE NOT WANTING TO BE INVOLVED BECAUSE OF THE SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION THAT IS SUPPOSE TO BE CONFIDENTIAL . PARENTS BELIEVE THIS SCHOOL IS REALLY GOOD FOR THEIR STUDENT BECAUSE OF THE AREA IT IS IN MOST OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE UNACCEPTABLE TO BEGIN WITH .ALSO THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW IS NOT SHARED UNTIL AFTER THE EVENT HAS TAKEN PLACE . I DO LIKE A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS SCHOOL BUT ITS ONE MY CHILD WILL LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE . ALSO THERE ARE ABOUT 21 KIDS PER TEACHER ,THE SPANISH MY CHILD HAS ONLY BROUGHT ONE PAGE OF CHRISTMAS SAYINGS HOME AND HAS NEVER BROUGHT ANY ART WORK HOME .WE REALLY NEED TO GET THIS SCHOOL BACK ON TRACK.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great! Two years ago we moved to the city, and my son started public school. He was almost failing every class. Since we were accepted to Chapel Hill he started making all A's and B's. I am very happy with the dedication the teachers use to help the kids. However, I am not too impressed with the volunteers they allow to work there. I saw a woman volunteer yell and grab a little boy by his arm then yank him. I told the principal about it but nothing was done. They should not allow this type of person to volunteer with children, and apparently she has been there for a few years.
—Submitted by a parent

I am so proud to be a part of the amazing staff at CHA. We are a strong partnership committed to growing a community of learners. I believe we have the best parents in the nation and our PTA is outstanding. I look forward to each day of school and seeing our students reach for the stars.
—Submitted by a teacher

Hi my name is Sarah I am the proud grandma of Cameron. 2nd grader\ at Chapel Hill. Cameron has been at Chapel Hill 3 years now starting in Kindergarten. He has been so very blessed with teachers and staff on every level of education each of whom honestly cares not just about his required studies, but with every aspect of his life. They have seen my dear grandson go through some difficult life situations in a short time. At each hurdle they have eased his mind given him solid directions to go in and loved not only Cameron but the family through it all. Chapel Hill is a great solid foundation for our future leaders of this community to begin and continue their adventure in learning not only Math and English,but life. Thank you to ALL the staff of Chapel Hill and the Lena Pope Organization.. Each of you have made a life long impact on our family. See you all next year With much love and RESPECT. Sarah Wood
—Submitted by a parent