Apparently the staff here do not communicate well amongst each other. I was looking for a Charter school in Austin after relocating here. The front desk lady was helpful and answered all of my questions; however, when it came to touring the facility, this is when it became a problem. I was informed by the lady who answered the phone (forgot her name), that masks were optional. Well, when my daughters and I were scheduled to go tour, the email said we had to wear masks. Long story short, our tour was cancelled when I told them we choose NOT to wear masks. Guess the director and touring coordinator are uneducated and forgot to read Governor Abbots EO 38. This is the reason Ken Paxton is suing Texas school districts for defying the Governors orders regardless of what these lower courts say. Governor Abbott has the authority here due to The Texas Disaster Act. Plus, this school fails to understand what optional means. If you or anyone else wants to wear it because you believe it protects you, then go right ahead. Do NOT force anyone else! Ive done plenty of real scientific research and know the dangers of wearing masks! They cause respiratory issues, rashes, acne, low oxygen levels, and a breeding ground for bacteria from all moisture, etc...! This is NOT about science, its about compliance. Kids are getting sick and passing out! You guys have no idea the dangers youre causing by allowing this tyrannical nonsense. Please educate yourselves before believing politicians and so called experts that do NOT have our best interest in mind! If youd like for me to send you real scientific evidence of the dangers from these masks, please advise and Ill email them to you. I dont live in fear for a virus that has a 99.98+% survivability rate. Get real, wake up to this BS. Im so glad I found another charter school that allowed my daughters to attend WITHOUT being muzzled. They are intelligent and Im grateful for them.

We are very happy with this school. I have a 7th grader and 3rd grader attending CSA.This school expects children to listen attentively and work hard. I appreciate that.Please note, there is at least one hour of homework daily M-Th. So disciplined students with good time management skills will have an easier time managing the work required daily.Class size is 15 students max per grade/class. My older student has 8 kids in their Algebra class and an excellent teacher.

Best school ever

This is the second year my kids go to this school and they LOVE IT. Teachers are great, very dedicated to teach and willing to work with your kids and you. My kids teachers would answer my emails even at 10pm. We love the students per class ratio, the simplicity of it and as a parent I love that my kids have no time to mess around. It is one of the best schools in Texas and for that same reason your kids will be required a little more than the regular 8 hour school.

Our daughter, who is now a Junior, began with Chaparral Star in the fifth grade. We have always considered this school a very lucky find. If we had not discovered it, we almost certainly would have resorted to home schooling.The school has a rigorous and challenging curriculum, and it is a great opportunity for those who actually want to learn and develop. They are not especially welcoming to dullards and trouble makers, which has garnered them some bad reviews.There are two half-day sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, but they allow mixing classes in both sessions if needed. We have been doing so for the last two years. The shortened school day and the demanding curriculum necessarily mean that there will be a heavy homework load. The half day that is not spent in class is obviously the time to devote to the homework.An environment like this requires the crucial ingredient of parental involvement. Those who are not interested in contributing to their childrens education need to stay in the public system. If you are truly interested in seeing your child receive a good education and get a leg up in life, there is no better choice in this area.

This school is great for kids who have a passion or special interest. While attending chaparral my daughter has been able to pursue cooking, photography, become an award winning guitarist, and still excel academically. While she was in public school practice was always a chore..now she has time to pursue her interests and hang out with her friends!

I attended Star from middle school through High school, and graduated in 2011. It was absolutely the best school experience I could have asked for. Growing up in public school I really struggled with bullies and self esteem. The teachers ( some of whom still teach here) were amazing, fun and taught me so much more about the real world and sociocultural issues than typical text book education. If you are looking for a school that will not only provide a great education but also prepare your student for life after grade school, this is the place.

We just started and so far the experience has been wonderful. Staff is very welcoming, wonderful kids, rigorous academics, and more time for extracurricular activities. Excellent school.

I dont know why all of these people say bad things. Ive been going here for 5 years and its great. The teachers are amazing and we have a lot of homework because the school is only 4 hours. All of my friends love it too and I meet so many nice and wonderful people and teachers. Its amazing here and Im so happy I came here.Maybe it’s not clear to some.This school is for advanced learners. We learn WAY faster than other schools. This school is for special (as in advanced) kids. All the teachers are so nice and some are strict, but only to stop you from fooling around. Like, Mrs.Threat. She was my fourth grade Texas history teacher. She was so nice, and my favorite teacher at the time. Now, I’m in fifth grade and my favorite teacher is Mr.Simon.Also, I see so many bad comments about Ms.Smith. She is very nice and Does NOT need to be fired!Last thing, I have my two BEST friends that I met at this school. When I was in Kindergarten, I was so shy. Now I have two best friends and two REALLY good friends. This school gives me time to do out of school activities which is really nice. I love this school and I do recommend it to all.

I love this school. I love the half day. The principal, teachers and administrators are great, helpful and friendly, but kind of strict. The shorter classes work great for me. This is my fifth year here. I’m in 11th grade. You do have to do your work and study but it’s not unreasonable.

Teachers are mean. A lot of homework/ work in general. Only good thing is half day. Bullies and y’all do nothing about it. IF YOU LOVE YOUR KIDS DONT PUT THEM IN HERE. GO TO NORTHWEST ELEMENTARY INSTEAD- Former chaparral student.

The administration should fire Mrs.Raphael immediately. She’s a horrible teacher and does not know anything about the subjects she is teaching.

I regret agreeing with my parents to put me in this hellhole you call Chaparral Star Academy. I swear... If I could, I would travel back in time and beg my parents to not enroll me here. After 6 years in this school, I lost all my hopes and dreams of being successful. The teachers turned me into a self-loathing pessimist who hates life and doesnt see anything good in her future. At first I actually LIKED the school. After 2 years, everything went downhill. Teachers became total trash, shaming students for not understanding difficult lessons. Almost ALL teachers would give students extreme anxiety attacks, randomly assigning huge projects, to be due THE NEXT DAY. Teachers cant explain anything, you wont understand the homework or what to do for your projects!I try to stay strong in this school, I dont want to leave yet. I still have good grades, but not due to the so called good teachers. I HAVE TO TEACH MYSELF, with the help of the internet as well as Khan Academy. Also, continuing to stay here caused me to slowly destroy my self esteem over the years, but it doesnt bother me anymore.Everyone, be aware! The staff is very insecure and deletes several negative reviews.. I AM NOT JOKING! Their rating on Niche used to be 1/5 with 50+ reviews... now its 3.6/5 with 18 reviews, WHATS HAPPENING!? Not only that.. its happening with google reviews too. I saw several negative reviews only for them to be taken down a couple days later. The administration and staff are full of wusses that cant take criticism.I have so much more to say... but Ill just keep the review like this for now.

My girls have gone here since kindergarten and they are in 5th and 7th grade now. We have had a great experience and love the small community and classes. They are challenged and getting a good education. Love the half day!

Our 3rd year at Chaparral, and it will be our last. There are some good teachers here, but I am disappointed at the overall quality of education. They are only teaching to the test. And if you have a kid that struggles academically, youre better off staying away. They offer no real support and services for these kids. Basically, you need to have a perfect child who will never struggle in class..for the rest of us who have real, imperfect, growing kids, find your educational home somewhere else.

The principal is a nightmare to deal with. There are some sweet teachers. However, they are only about testing here. Pulling our kids out of here was the best thing we did for them.

Warm loving community and a top notch education.

10/10 best school to put your children in if you want them to develop depression, high anxiety, and a very low self-esteem. Way too much homework and the teachers and front desk people do not treat kids fairly at all or do anything about bullying. All they do is sit in the hallway and yell at kids for no reason at all. Your child will hate you, guaranteed!

I cant wait to pull my son out after 1 yr here. We pulled him out of public school to get him here, and we thought we did the right thing for his future. Its heartbreaking to hear our 6 yr old child ask me, whats wrong with my brain, dad?. The teacher came out within the last few months and wants to hold him back. Its put so much stress on our family, and my child is studying 3 plus hrs a night. We blame ourselves for this and what we have put our son though.

This school is a complete joke, the teachers have no idea what they are doing. After 5th grade all the teachers become terrible in every way possible. If Im absent for ONE DAY, I get 0s in classwork for every class, EVEN THOUGH I WASNT THERE. The teachers wont even let me raise my grade. Moving on, the school does NOT prepare you for anything on the STAAR. You need to figure everything by yourself. I would not ever recommend this school to anyone! Crazy part is 12 students out of 16 in my class left the school... what does that say for the school? Im so gonna leave this garbage school next year.

I really dont understand why some parents complain about. This school made a clear statement that this school not for everyone and only for self-disciplined kids, no one promised to babysit your child like they do in public schools. Im from country where an education system even tougher, probably in 3 times, at least, so this is nothing in comparison. But this is America, love this country, because you always have a choice, dont like it - just leave and find what you like, there is so many schools around, find one that will fit your child needs. Great school! Kids learn how to think independently and dont follow main stream.

I have two kids that go to school here and my kids have really enjoyed it for the most part, but this school is not easy to work with. My son loves it here Because he no longer gets bullied, so this is the only reason I keep them here. If it wasn’t for that, we would have been gone a long while ago. The principal is not pleasant to deal with. She speaks to you like your some kind of horrible person. There is no compassion at all. I’ve had to deal with her on a few occasions and every single time, I’ve left feeling like an idiot. She’s not nice at all. I’ve never even seen her smile. I know she’s not here to be our friends, but when it comes to my kids, she should show some common curtesy. She’s flat out rude for no reason at all. I’m a very nice person and honestly don’t usually have negative things to say about anyone, but I felt strongly about posting something, so other people are aware of how rude she is and if you can help it, don’t put your kids here! By the way, I created a account under a fake name! I don’t want to be known just Incase they decide to take it out on my kids for this negative review! I just think if you’re in the field of education, you should talk to the parents like a decent human being! I’m a teacher myself and I’ve never once even thought about talking to a parent with such distaste! Maybe a career change is needed for this woman. She definitely shouldn’t be a principal at a school. Her communication skills are horrible! That’s all!

Why is this school so...exclusive? If you dont fit in then good luck because thats what itll be like forever...also the front desk lady is RUDE my brief exchange with her did not go well anyway...I dont go here but my sister does and she hates it, we will pull her out soon.

I dont understand why people hate this school. This one is not a public school with bullying, instead, a half-day private school with great students! Sure, bullying may happened at some points, but the teachers and coaches always help out, as long as they get told.The teachers are great! They make you learn, but in fun ways sometimes. I was the in the first class that Ms. Prater ever taught, too. If someone does wrong, they will try to help out in anyway possible! There are also after-school classes, such as Mr. Simon in Martial Arts, or Ms. Poynter in Zumba.Students are kind! The children there are good for making friends. Theyre amazing!Now to the negative points people have given this school,unbelievable amount of homeworkWhat do you expect from a half-day school? 8-hour schools give less homework, but only because they teach you longer than this school.teachers teach you nothing and wont help at allNow thats a flat out lie. They try to help as much as they can! Maybe you dont get it that much? This school is for advanced learners, so we learn faster than a regular school.principal is unkindShe tries to be! Be polite and you might get the same reaction. Use a skill of being a huge idiot and rude, you might not like the response.gives nothing for STAARHeh, I just took math STAAR today. They teach you a whole bunch at least a week before STAAR, and they usually recommend sleep and studying.my child has adhd so this school just aint happeninWell, whoever your kid is, same. I have ADHD, but I still go! As long as they have some sort of medication to help focus, theyll do great! I have a medication, and I still have good(-ish) grades.I TOTALLY recommend this school for advanced learners! The teachers are awesome and so are the students!

Teachers talk in circles and dont help, 25 lessons for a simpel task such as filling up a bottle of water. as someone who goes to this school, i can indeed confirm its pretty bad. you see, the teachers are very confusing, and the quizzes are confusing as well, i really lose all my brain cells on one question. most of the classmates in my class have a F because of this. just.. please dont consider going to this school. i have to stay up until 3 am, because of the loads of homework, just to maintain my A.

I have found most of these negative reviews seem to be coming from disgruntled parents. If your child does not do the work then they will not get the grade, will not pass, will not promote. If your child misses more than a certain number of days they may lose credit for a semester and may not promote -- this is dictated by TEA and is not just an arbitrary decision made by CSA. The homework and attendance policies are clearly spelled out, both in the Student Handbook and in multiple emails and notes to parents at the start of each school year. I have found the Principal, Ms. Hagin, to be firm but fair and pleasant. If you are polite with her, it will be given back. Rude and demanding behavior wastes the time of everyone. Both my sons attended CSA, one from 6th Grade to graduation, the other from 3rd grade to graduation. They received an education that served them well as they transitioned to taking some ACC classes in High School (dual credit) and on to college. The road was not always a smooth one -- needed a math tutor to get them over the top with math as seniors. Enrolling them at CSA was the best decision I could have made for them -- given the small class size it was the equivalent of a private school education for my public school dollars. I highly recommend this school!!

This building iz veri veri baad I haz diarhiaaaaa becauze of teh place(itz veri mucho ugly) also teh skool haz lotz of stinky peeplezzz I don lik stxnkyyyyyyyyyyyyyyzzzzzzz

I am disappointed with these negative reviews.We have been attending CSA for 8 years. A graduate, a high school student, and an elementary student.We, as a family, have worked closely with the school for all of these years. Met the with the staff, participated in extracurricular activities, and our kids have said time and time again that they’d not wish to go anywhere else— they love their teachers. So I’d know if there were problems with the school itself—there are none which would warrant this review.This school helps to teach their students state required subjects, electives, foreign languages, computer science... basically everything required. And more.The half day program allows partial self direction with regards to homework (increases with each grade). Opportunity above the ISD barre. Theoretically, every successful student who graduates from CSA will know how to “adult” in their higher education/workforce.A negative review is unnecessary in this situation on a public forum. This exemplary school is not for everyone. However, the record stands and my kids will graduate from CSA with college credit.

We never attended the school because coming in to register from being home-schooled was a horrific experience. Chappel school is racists in their behaviors and mannerism. My grandson was testing to an environment where grown adults were mocking black people, laughing and talking loudly where he was distracted. They did not offer scratch paper for his convenience. They did not tell us what they would test him on, they did not give ample time to prepare for entering testing exam. They told my daughter, the children mother to go home, of which I told her she should have never left her child in a strange place with strangers. I strongly encourage parents do not allow them to bully you into leaving your child, instead stay and watch them! My grandson reads chapter books regularly, reading 300 plus pages within 3-5 days. He studies the dictionary for fun, but yet they said he failed a test that I believe was setup for him to fail. He said the tests were very confusing, where they are merging two different word stories together along with blending the answers, which causes confusion, never mind the noisy distracting environment.Clearly, they setup students to fail so that when people come in and inquire about why their turnover is so high they claim that they have high standards that most children cannot meetup to. It is a boldface lie to excuse their poor behaviors towards minorities. I expect lawsuits to come from this school for discriminating. We entered into the school for the first time and instead of getting a warm welcome to Chappell, we were given excuses as to why the school had a high turnover of students. The environment is negative, the staff are extremely fake and not genuine within the front office, which represents the whole, as well as the overall environment is depressing to the spirit and eye to behold upon. We are going with our instincts and will not be sending our children to yet another nightmare in Texas considering itself as a learning environment while teaching hate.

First and foremost, I write this review as both a parent of two kids that attended this school and an educator. In a nutshell, this school is not at all what I envisioned a charter school to be. If I can offer any advice and save you a life lesson, do not even consider this school.The non-traditional schedule this school offers claims “half the time, twice the education.” By twice the education, they mean they are teaching a consnumable book at the rate of a page a day. If you get the page, great. If you don’t, there’s no re-teach. There is ZERO authentic teaching occurring and absolutely no lesson differentiation. If your child does not learn through handouts, they have aboslutely no shame in saying their model is not for everyone. Its a no-brainer that their high scores in state assessments are maintained through weeding out the students that do perform according to their model.When it comes to homework, the workload is heavy because they “have to make up for the condensed time.” For a second grader this meant a minimum of 35 pages and a test review of 50 pages. UNREAL. As a teacher, I realized I was having to pick up the slack of my child’s teacher. Homework was often a lesson in itself to ensure my child understood what their teacher could not effectively teach.Last but certainly not least, per the Texas Education Agency, charter schools should have the SAME capacity to accommodate students with special needs. This is not at all the case. They lack the resources to do such, and their specials program coordinator is the least bit proactive. Then again, this fits with their agenda of a high-paced education.On a different note, I’m also amazed their Facebook reviews are so great. After our terrible experience, I came across several other online discussions where others shared the same experience. I’m extremely curious to know what the withdrawal rate for this school is. I’m looking to file formal complaints with their school board. Whoever oversees this school is seriously lacking.

Sorry but not the best school. I like how the school day is 4 hours but thats pretty much it :/

The school is great, which is why it does so well in all of Texas. However, some teachers like Mrs. Smith need to be fired.

Graduated there! Loved my time there! Rock on Mr. Rivera!!

What a great school, we love it!

Never mind this school is terrible please disregard my previous review thanks

Because I study in this school

Good