Fort Caspar Academy

Fort Caspar Academy is an amazing school. The teachers are compassionate, flexible, and exceptionally competent. The curriculum is rigid, and there is a strong expectation regarding homework. It IS a good school... the best in Natrona County. With that said... this school is NOT a good place for a child with Learning Disabilities such as ADHD/ADD, Dyspraxia, or Dysgraphia. There are multiple reasons for this observation. The school counselor ONLY knows how to test for ADHD. She does not know what Dyspraxia or Dysgraphia are, both of which are debilitating for a child at a school this demanding. Our son has all these conditions, and the school was not equipped nor knowledgeable enough about them to provide him the best care. They did not know how to fill out a 504 plan, he was bullied by his P.E. teacher, and it was a horrible experience. When the principal was approached about all this, with documentation in hand, he was speechless. He could not respond, and he did not offer solutions. I think because he had none. If your child has diagnosed or suspected Learning Disabilities, consider a different school within this district.
—Submitted by a parent

My kids attend Fort Caspar Academy and LOVE it! My husband and I LOVE it too! Academically it is the best, the children perform well and learn quickly. But they are taught more than reading, writing and arithmetic, they are taught respect, service, morals, responsibility, ethics and more. The dress code isn't terribly strict, but it's nice to know that children will look decent when coming to school (no halter tops or pants hanging down around the knees here!). The office staff is friendly, the teachers are enthusiastic and work well with the parents, and the nurse (I saw some negative comments in older posts) is great. My daughter is constantly getting bumped and scraped on the playground (just clumsy) and I always get a note or a phone call to update me, even when it's nothing serious. The principal takes time to set up meetings if I'm ever concerned about anything. And my kids definitely have FUN in class! I could go on and on. We may be moving soon and the thing I am most upset about is that I have not been able to find ANYTHING that comes close to this amazing school. I may end up homeschooling!
—Submitted by a parent

We have had children at this schools for 12 yrs. The education provided is 2nd to none. It is not for every family, but that is made abundantly clear at the parent meeting before school starts. Randall Larson is a fantastic principal, and the office staff is wonderful. Our 3 children that have and do attend this school enjoy every day. The teachers are amazing and the structure is how school should be. We have had nothing but positive experiences here. The study habits that children learn carry them through high school. Children at his school receive an education that costs thousands per year in other states. Take advantage of a rare opportunity to get this kind of schooling for free.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is proud that it teaches a full grade level ahead of the other schools in the area which is fine for the students that have gone there all their school careers however it penalizes the matriculating students who have to work to catch up. They are proud to say they are a partnership of parents and teaching staff yet when a concerned parent calls they blame the parents and take no ownership of any issue raised laying blame solely at the parents feet. Despite the advanced curriculum or maybe because of it,the rest of the school operates in a form of chaos with no one knowing what is going on. Our child was hurt on the playground and despite going to the nurses office was never seen by the nurse and sent back to class with out medical attention.A office staffer with no medical training determining she was fine. The office staff is rude and argumentative. I am very disappointed this school's reputation has far exceeded the reality. Lastly the parental involvement they so proudly crow about has become a situation of too many cooks spoiling the soup.If your family can fit their rather narrow mold they will do well otherwise I would keep your children well away from here.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our first year at FCA and I am thrilled at how well my son is doing in his Kinder class. His teacher gives 110% and I appreciate that they have strong values and hold their students to them. As other parents have stated, parental involvement is a must and I am very fortunate to be a stay-at-home-mom and can spend quite a bit of time with his class or participating in other departments. My son's homework is about 10 minutes a night and some reading. I have heard that it has become much less strict than when the school first opened (especially in reading previous reviews from earlier years). I can tell you that we as parents love this school, the staff and the expectations that are laid out before the first day. I am looking forward to my daughter attending next fall.
—Submitted by a parent

this school is to rough on kid. i went here and cried on a daily basis.

Fort Caspar represents the finest in public education. From the core values taught and displayed throughout the school to obligation of parents to be involved in their child's education. Schools are not babysitters at Fort Caspar. The parental involvement in so critical for the success of these students. Yes, they have homework. My first grader and I sit down everynight, and complete 1 or 2 math sheets and we read for 10 minutes. That is not overload for a child. The dress code is outstanding! It teaches the children self respect, it does not strip them of their individuality. To expect a young man to wear a belt and tuck in his shirt and wear his jeans around his waist is not what i would call strict and outrageous. As long as I am in Casper, WY my children will attend Fort Caspar Academy!
—Submitted by a parent

We are new to Fort Caspar Academy. The school has a strong belief system, sets high expectations for the students and have teachers that are willing to assist parents in making their children successful. Yes, a lot is expected of children and parents, but isn't that what so many parents around the children are complaining about- lack of support, poor learning environments, and low expectations? Children have behavioral expectations but in no way is the atmosphere such that they don't have fun. That is ridiculous! As well, typically customer service is not a big part of the schools that I have experienced - this is not true at FCA. And they truly have a no tolerance policy for bullying.
—Submitted by a parent

Fort Caspar Academy is an excellent school. Their consitant methods and high expectations create a unique atmosphere.
—Submitted by a parent

I have many friends that ask what school do I choose for elementary in Casper (since I work in the school district)? Depending on the family I choose FCA. You must be willing as a parent to help your child learn self-discipline, schedule in the homework around after school activities, and learn to follow rules such as wear a belt. As a parent I have high expectations so Ft Caspar is the place I choose to send my kids! I believe that kids in other schools have behaviors in the classroom and it disrupt their learning. Ft Caspar expects the children to attend and learn, I like that! I also believe that while the kids are young and like to learn, you need to teach them everything you can.
—Submitted by a parent

Although my child has done well academically at Fort Casper Academy.I feel like this school is rigid. The dress code is ridiculous, the kids do not have fun, and this school gives way too much homework!
—Submitted by a parent

My oldest child had a wonderful experience at this school especially since she did not worry about excelling and just learned. She tested well above the standards and was on the principal honor roll almost every time. My youngest is not so lucky this year because of new teachers. Parent involvmet is especially needed when it comes to making sure that the child is learning and have to tutor when it is not being done at school to ensure their child is learning.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers at this school are good but they have unrealistic expectations. The homework load is ridiculous. The academics are too fast paced. This school has a lot of retention. They teach a grade ahead, which is why they have such high test scores. However some things require brain maturation for students to learn. I would not send my child to this school if you have more than two kids, kids who are not naturally motivated academically, a child past 2nd grade, and kids with just average intelligence. Girls seem to do better here than boys. The average student would get c's and d's at this school. This school expects all children to learn at the same pace. Their parental involvement cannot be beat, and the kids are very polite. Even though they do use the same curriculum every year, it does change slightly. Kids don't have fun here.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Fort Caspar Academy who love to go to school and love to learn. I chose Ft. Caspar for them for many reasons. I love the curriculum which provides a strong foundation for learning and is consistent K-6. The curriculum does not change every year to meet current trends and therefore allows both teachers and students to become proficient in the teaching/learning process. I also love that my children and their classmates are taught respect for themselves, their teachers and fellow students, and there is no tolerance for disrespect on any level. Finally, the discipline policy allows every child to learn without distractions, and allows me as a parent to to be 100% involved in the discipline of my own children. It's a fabulous environment to learn in, and your child need not be brilliant, only love to learn.
—Submitted by Lisa Stine, a parent

If you want your child to succeed academically FCA is the school to send them to. Children are also taught respect and self discipline.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved our child from another Casper school, in the middle of last year. He was in 2nd grade. We felt so welcomed because everyone is so friendly! Since Ft. Caspar is academically so far ahead of other schools in Casper, he had a lot of catching up to do. He rose to the occasion, and did very well! He is where he needs to be this year, and so far it has been a great year! We are amazed how much he has learned at this school! The teachers are awesome, really care about the kids, and love their jobs! We haven't had any problems with the dress code or homework load. The parent involvement is amazing! The discipline policy is strict, and the children rise to the expectations! They are there to learn, but also have fun! We wouldn't go back to any other school in this district!
—Submitted by a parent

If I could give this school '0' stars I would. Despite the fact that my child did well academically, we were frustrated by the regular 'belt checks' (due to the dress code) and unreasonable expectations of the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

I would choose to have my child at no other school, than Fort Caspar Academy. Superior school!
—Submitted by a parent

I am amazed at the level of parental envolvement at Fort Caspar. Ten hours per semester of volunteer time is required by parents, but I'm sure most parents exceed that. The teachers are great as well.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the Feb 2005 reviewer. We had our high achieving daughter at Fort Casper and it did not take long for her to become overly perfectionistic and place unrealistically high expectations on herself. The teachers expect WAY too much of the students academically and the overly structured classroom reminded me of stories I ve heard about Catholic schools.
—Submitted by a parent