Court Street Academy

As a parent of two CSA graduates who attended from K-4 through 8th grade I feel obligated to write about their experience and success. My oldest child graduated from high school with outstanding honors and has since been accepted with a scholarship to ODU. My youngest is currently achieving high grades and is in honors classes in high school. While Court Street is lacking in some of the modern refinements, it more than makes up for it with a caring and excellent staff. This includes a teacher team with a lot of experience and several with graduate degrees in Early Childhood who received their training under one of the most respected experts in the field. I would gladly recommend Court Street as an affordable alternative to public school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends this school and we are very pleased with it. She is happy and excited about going to school. The school administration is working to update their curriculum and textbooks as quickly as they can. I know they do the best they can at this school and have faith that they will continue to do so. The school environment is the best to me. We've had only positive experiences in dealing with the teachers, principal, and her classmates. Our daughter is thriving which is the most important thing to us.
—Submitted by a parent

I am pleased with the faculty and staff at Court Street Academy. My child feels very safe and secure at this school. The teachers are willing to go that extra mile to help my child.
—Submitted by a parent

While the teacher/student ratio is exceptional, and the teachers are very good at what they do, the material that they have to work with is very outdated. The textbooks are 20+ years old in most classes, and with new teachers coming in this year, it is finally being brought to light just how behind the school is overall in the curriculum. It is a shame that the children go on to other schools and are behind and have to spend so much time, sometimes with tutors, catching up to where they should be. For the cost of tuition, i would think that the school could at least purchase newer textbooks! while some of the practices at csa have been questionable, i will say that i am very satisfied with the teachers i have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know. They do an excellent job.
—Submitted by a parent

I must say that reading some of the negative comments regarding the school is heart breaking! My son started attending CSA at the very end of the 2006-2007 school year coming from a public school, and I must say he is reading above grade level in the first grade and his teacher is a 'great' teacher who is very hands on and very approachable. My son loves going to school everyday and I am proud to say that I am getting my moneys worth.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has attended Court Street Academy for 21/2 years. I have had problems with not only the teachers but the lack of interest the principal seems to have in regards to the behavior of other students and the parents concerns. My child has been bullied by other children at this school. To date, The principal has not take any actions to correct the problems.
—Submitted by a parent

Both of my chuldren attended Court Street. They were well prepared socially and academically for high school. I have been very pleased. Some of the books were outdated but I noticed they seemed to cover the basics in a less watered down manner than the newer books. Computers were available in every class just not called a 'lab'. Grades were high because the teachers taught mastery of the subject. Just as important to me was the fact that the teachers worked very hard with the students and their families. I always knew if I had a concern about my child the teacher would support me in any way he or she could. Before you decide on a school for your child go see for yourself, spend a day in the school. Be careful that you don't believe every thing someone says. There is always two sides to every story.
—Submitted by a parent

Please review the curriculum at your nearby public school along with the curriculum here before you enroll your child. My child just started public elementary school today and he is going to have quite a struggle this year. The curriculum taught at Court Street is so far behind what he should have been taught up to this point. I am going to work closely with the new school to try and catch him up to where he should be. He made good grades based on what little bit he was taught. The problem lies in the fact that he was not taught the equivalent of what other schools are teaching at the same grade level. This definitely was not worth the money that I spent. Now my child will pay the biggest price! The principal tries to convince you that your getting the most bang for your buck here.....wrong!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I would not recommend this school. My child left with A's in reading & me assuming that he was just a slow reader. He ended up having a reading disability that was undetected. The school has no computers, so the kids are behind what is being taught in public school. The end of year achievement test the kids take was a version from 1985! Textbooks are not updated on a regular basis, and tend to be very outdated. Art is an extra exspense & only offered after-school. Music consist of a twice a year singing program. The school library appears outdated and unused. The children walk to the public library monthly. In the middle school grades, there are no subjects offered beyond the core requirements. These kids appear to roam the school too much.
—Submitted by a parent

The 2006-2007 school year was my child's first year at CSA and we were well pleased overall. His entire attitude toward school has changed since attending CSA. His teachers really nurtured him through his transition period and beyond and the tighter student / teacher ratio allowed for more individual attention and watchfulness. The office staff was wonderful and the principal used the Bible to lead in any disciplinary actions. I would like to see Bible classes initiated. Not having this offered, especially in a church school, was disappointing. Perhaps this will change. Nonetheless, my child is again registered for the 07 - 08 school year. I promote Court Street Academy to others!
—Submitted by a parent

I was not impressed with this school. It is a school in a church but there is no Bible or religion taught and most of their textbooks are over 20 years old. Also, if you have any kind of problem with this school you certainly cannot discuss with the administrator. He will make every excuse in the world for his teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attended CSA during kindergarten. When she transferred to a public school, I found her well prepared for 1st grade. She left CSA reading well beyond her grade level and with excellent skills in all academic areas. Teacher/parent relations were excellent. She also had an opportunity to take swim lessons. French lessons were available. Her exposure to art was much better than it has been in public school. I was reluctant to take her from CSA, and only did so because of moving from the area. The teachers care about the students at CSA and the students appeared well behaved and interested in their school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son went to CSA from k-4 through 2nd grade. When my child changed schools it was evident that all they did was give him 'A's just to satisfy the parent and not because he necessarily earned it. They also DID NOT recognize or were not well-trained enough to recognize that my child had a reading problem and now we are paying the price. The tuition is excellent but as the old saying goes.....you get what you pay for.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm not a parent, but a former student of this school. I attended CSA from K-4 until I finished 8th grade. I feel that the education I received at this school gave me the foundations to do quite well in high school and to complete college at a 4 year university. Great school overall!!
—Submitted by a former student

I have used this school for 4 years and for the most part have been pleased with the quality of the academic program. It is a Christian school using traditional school programs. Most of the teachers have been teaching for 20+ years and the average class size is around 12-15. A select few sports are available from 5th grade on (school only goes to grade 8 at this point in time) and fine arts are available at extra cost. Parent involvement is done through local activities such as class trips, parties, etc.
—Submitted by a parent