Harvest Christian Academy

Weak academics, poor organization, and this school is not worth your money. After just a short time at this school, we are moving our child to a different school next year.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been going to school at Harvest for 13 years and I would never change schools. This school you honestly get treated like a family. There are some kids who choose to neglect this and feel like the get treated unfairly, but they don't. They will tell their parents the only part of the story and then the parents get mad. I honestly could not think of a better place to go to school.

Harvest is a great school! I received my children's testing results for the past school year, and both of them are above average. Athletics are competitive, but the coach's care about the students attitude. You will never find a perfect school, but this school is pretty close. We would highly recommend.
—Submitted by a parent

Harvest is more than a school, its a family. my sister and i have been in harvest longer than i can remember and sure they have had their ups and downs but find me a school that hasnt. The students at harvest are so amazing; from highschool bible studies every weekend, to praying before classes, to chapel lead by an amazing praise band and a Godly man there is no question about the sincerity of everyone's faith! A few years ago, many of the secondary teachers were let go, in particular an amazing science teacher who i looked up to. To be honest i was afraid harvest was going down hill. But now i see that God was just doing his thing and through that we now have some amazing teachers who are role models and i couldnt imagine school with out them! The caywood family is by far one of the sweetest families i know! They sacrifice so much for our school and genuinly care about the school! Other private schools in the area have great and maybe even better athletics or academics, but i know for a fact that the love and christ centered student body cant be found anywhere else. Its my home! and i am proud to call Harvest my Family!

In response to the May 30th post, I feel this person is trying to mislead and is just plain bitter by many of their statements. Academics are top notch, as can be proven by comparing standardized test scores compared to public school as well as percentage of graduates recieving college scholarships and becoming productive members of society. If athletics are a "joke", I will laugh all the way to the state playoffs in most every sport, both male and female, as well as displaying Godly character to each other and their opponents. As far as sprirtual emphasis, chapel is a daily occurence, lead by the students under the direction of a Godly man of character. Many lives have been changed and lifelong friends made during these chapel times. The students also lead worship and share frustrations and accomplishments with each other. Prayer is a daily occurence. I feel that a reviews such as the May 30th and March 4th are nothing but attacks by parents that feel entitled and the need to tear apart a Godly school. Please visit, tour the school, talk to "your" students teachers and coaches, interview the headmaster, but most of all pray about your decision and form your own opinions.
—Submitted by a parent

I attended High School at HCA and it was a great school to attend. It is a Christian enviroment and we attended Chapel onces a week. It was also a very small teacher to student ratio so there was more 1 on 1 learning.

I agreed with the parent who posted on March 4, 2011. Harvest is a total disappointment. Academics are weak, athletics are a joke and any type of spiritual emphasis is seriously lacking. Beware....the Headmaster can talk a good talk, but he definitely does not walk the walk. The School Board has repeatedly failed to find a Headmaster that can set the school on the path to success. This school has and always will be unstable. If you are a family currently looking for a top notch Christian education, keep looking because it is not at HCA. For those families still at Harvest, it is just a matter of time and you will be looking elsewhere too.
—Submitted by a parent

We would give 6 stars if possible! We cannot imagine allowing our children to go to any other school in this area. What they have learned and experienced at Harvest is priceless! We have had one graduate of HCA who has excelled more than we could imagine in college. Our other children are following her footsteps with more and more opportunities each year. But more than all of the academic knowledge our children have gained, we see Christ in our children. There are three major areas of input into a child's life; home, church and school. Harvest Christian Academy believes this and provides excellent input in the spiritual growth of each and every student. Thank you, HCA!
—Submitted by a parent

HCA is great. I have both my sons in the Academy in middle school and high school. They are receiving a great education in a true Christ-centered environment. They love getting to participate in academic competion and multiple athletic teams. The faculty and staff are qualified, certified, and love the Lord. This school truly is partnering with me to build an academic and spiritual foundation in the lives of my boys. I wouldn't place them anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I don't know who paid the people in the previous posts but it's strange that they all posted their reviews within the same week perhaps the people at the school are writing these raving reviews. I would not be surprised one bit. This school was the worst mistake I have ever made as a parent and I know more than one person who feels the same way. They preach about Christ but do not treat people the way a Christian would. These people where mean uncaring and belittling to a small child I have no respect for anyone who would behave the way the kindergarten teacher and the headmaster of this school did. We put our child in this school thinking it would be better than public, but we were incredibly wrong. Knowing then what I know now I would not trust the people at this school with my dog let alone a child. Please don't fall for the Christian facade because true Christians they are not, they are not even affiliated with the church that is attached to the school. There have been a few other honest reviews please consider them carefully before even considering this school it is the worst of the worst.
—Submitted by a parent

After being in the highly rated Keller school system for 11 years, we decided it was time for a change. While Keller ISD does a great job of educating students we felt a need to take it a step further. We wanted to see how are child would respond in an environment that cared about her spiritual development as much as her academic development. Two years later we could not be happier with Harvest! We have had great experiences with teachers. She has had the opportunity to play several different sports and has been a part of student council. She has shown growth in character and a real desire to please God in all areas of her life. I very much trust that the administration is prayful in all decisions. We would not change a thing!
—Submitted by a parent

We moved into the Keller ISD area for the schools. After reviewing the elementary school in our area, we were not pleased with the class size, and other areas that were lacking. Our desire was for our kids to be taught by Christians in a school that was small enough to know them, but big enough to challenge them. HCA is that school. Amazing teachers and dedicated staff. Best decision we ever made! GO SAINTS!
—Submitted by a parent

My grandchildren have attended Harvest for 9 years, and I can't tell you how very pleased I have been with all aspects of the school. It provides a safe and encouraging environment where learning on all levels occurs. The entire staff knows your children, and loves them> It is truly a refuge from the liberal, undisciplined pubic school system.

Harvest Christian Academy is a discipleship model school, which gives it a distinct and different personality than other private and Christian schools in the Fort Worth Area. We found HCA after hearing wonderful things about the spiritual atmosphere, academics and athletics. We have been very happy with the social and academic development of our children over the last 8 years. HCA has an incredible heart, and works to constantly improve all areas of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Harvest Christian Academy is a great Christian School. Yes, they are going through some changes and 7 years ago when our oldest son attended, they went through some pretty drastic changes then. However, they are a better school today than they were 7 years ago. Personally, I really miss some of the teachers that no longer work there, but my faith and trust are in God to direct the path of the school. "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.. " 2 Corinthians 5:17
—Submitted by a parent

We enrolled our son at HCA in the 2009/2010 school year in kindergarten but after one challenging day the teacher decided this was not the place for him. I was very disappointed in the school not even caring enough to try again or to help him adjust. The teacher was a very unfriendly rigid woman and I now thank god we did not stay at this school he is attending another school and has had tremendous success and has been blessed with wonderful, smart ,caring teachers for kindergarten and now first grade and we could not be happier. Please do your kids a favor and don't subject them to this harsh unkind environment.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attended HCA the past school after having attended a different private Christian school for his entire school career. We have been so pleased with HCA. Our child is an excellent student, and HCA has been more academically challenging and rigorous, which we very much appreciate. We have been pleased with the open communication from the administration. It is difficult to adjust to change sometimes, and HCA is making changes to some of it's staff and curriculum for the upcoming school year. The new curriculum is not some wild ride, but in use in many private Christian schools. It is sad to see some teachers leave since they were good teachers. However, in setting higher standards for certifications and qualifications, change is required. I feel that my child is receiving an excellent education in a respectful Christian environment. We also love the many extracurricular opportunities.
—Submitted by a parent

Harvest has had 3 Headmasters, 2 Interim Headmasters, and 3 Principals. The school is constantly changing direction. It is doing it again this year. They have decided to let go of many fantastic long-term teachers and replace them with new teachers for "change" sake. Some teachers are even resigning. The headmaster and principal are trying a new unproven teaching technique next year. Parents and students are upset and families are leaving the school.
—Submitted by a parent

As a former parent at Harvest Christian Academy I feel this year was phenomenal until shortly after we had ALREADY paid the registration fee for the following year. Then they decided to let us know that there would be changes for next year. The administration is VERY EXCITED about the new changes, but as a parent it is fearful. They are making drastic changes to the current curriculum and there are no guarantees the new curricuium will work any better. With this change, they have let go of atleast 25-30% of their faculty, which means many new faculty members next year learning the new curriculum while the students are in the process of learning as well. This "change" is not well established, and the administration did not do a good job at making the parents feel comfortable with the change. So, we are leaving HCA as a result of this.
—Submitted by a parent

My sons attended Harvest for 4 years. We left after a particularly difficult year when both of my sons' teachers quit right before school started which meant they had temporary teachers for part of the year. When it looked like the same thing was going to happen the next year, we decided to leave. Leadership was lacking at the school and we were concerned about what in our opinion was a lack of control in the classroom.
—Submitted by a parent