Louisville Classical Academy

LCA’s board of directors is/has been heavily made up of current LCA students’ parents. As a result, most tend to naturally focus on their own children’s needs. This conflict of interest can lead to myopic views of broader issues. The attitude that “well, my child loves this school so…,” doesn’t work when the board responsibility is to focus on the school’s welfare rather than one’s own family. For example, the 2022 reviews on this site raving about the school: most, if not all, are posted by current board members. As such, they (and any before 2017 when a teacher/HS student sexual assault case was revealed, and a revolving door of heads began) must be taken with a grain of salt. The National Assoc of Independent Schools suggests that current parents should represent no more than 60 of board makeup to “ensure objectivity and the long view.” To thrive, LCA should immediately rethink its board composition.

LCA was a good school, but its quality has diminished. This is evident from the constant turnover of heads of school, declining enrollment, financial loss, and resignation of several competent teachers and board members. Curriculum and delivery has become diluted in many grades. There’s been a teacher (who many complained about) who scared, humiliated, & yelled at children with seemingly no consequence other than being promoted a few times. There’s a secretive culture in the LCA community. Parents, (who do not also serve on the board) don’t have welcome or easy access to curriculum details, field trips, lunches, board minutes. Enrollment numbers are unclear, so families rarely know the number of peers in their child’s classroom until late summer. There’s also a lack of transparency about the school’s financials. Ask about their financial burn rate. Not sure they’ll be able to make big change.

Louisville Classical Academy was once a really good school option. Unfortunately, this is no longer true.

Over the years, the quality of leadership, the teachers, and the curriculum has diminished significantly. This is evident from the constant turnover of Heads of School (5 in 5 years) and declining enrollment numbers (~90 students in 2015 to ~35 in 2022). With each new leader, the school sets itself backward as they each need time to “try to learn and catch up.” They’ve run out of time from the perspective of the families, who have stayed, despite these insufficiencies. LCA used to have excellent teachers, but this is no longer the case. I suspect that they had to let many of them go because they didn’t have the enrollment numbers and couldn’t afford to pay them what little they were already getting, or they left because of issues with the revolving leadership door. And, finally, the curriculum seems to have become watered down in many of the grades. In first grade this year, for instance, students were subjected to worksheet after worksheet—and this is not supposed to be the LCA way. Teachers in the upper grades tend to teach whatever they want, as there seems to be a lack of oversight there.

On top of all of this, there is one particular teacher who several families have complained about, who still seems to have the keys to the castle. This teacher is verbally abusive. Children are shamed and humiliated and yelled at constantly—and there seems to be no consequence. In fact, this teacher has been promoted several times.

Additionally, there is an issue with the secretive culture of the school community. Parents do not have welcomed access to field trips, lunches, the board, entering the building, or even board meeting minutes. There is a lack of access as well to the scope and sequence or the curriculum itself at LCA. For many years, it was unclear who even sat on the board. Teachers tend not to receive their contracts for the next school year until the last minute, which is problematic for those who must scramble to find new jobs or health insurance options for the Fall. Enrollment numbers are always kept secret, so families are not aware of the number of children in their child’s classroom. A child could come to kindergarten for the first time and realize she only has one other classmate—which is what happened this year. There is also limited access to a student/family directory, so building a social community or sending invitations is difficult. In addition, LCA waits until the closing ceremony at the end of the school year to announce teachers who are leaving the school, thereby upsetting the children and surprising the parents who might have looked forward to their other children being in that teacher’s class. And finally, there’s a lack of transparency about the school’s financial situation. Does the school have enough money to survive? How are fundraising monies being allocated? Families pay $500 materials fee for each student, but they do not see how those funds are being used.

For all these reasons (and so many more), I do not recommend LCA as a place to send your child. This is most unfortunate, as the idea of a secular classical school is a rare thing in this country. It’s a beautiful vision that LCA cannot operationalize.

My daughter attended LCA from the 5th through 8th grades. During her time at LCA, she blossomed academically and socially, thanks to the rigorous curriculum taught by compassionate teachers she enjoyed and respected, as well as being surrounded by a diverse group of children sharing her enthusiasm for learning in a safe and welcoming environment. She was well prepared for high school.

Our family has been at LCA for five years and we could not be happier. LCA provides, by far, the best education in the city but it does so much more than that. The community of parents and families is lovely and welcoming, and the teachers are beyond anything I’ve ever encountered in their boundless dedication and commitment to educating our children as people and citizens (and not just as students). The music, art, drama, and choir programs are also phenomenal. LCA educates the whole child and because of the small class size, teachers are able to meet your children where they are at. I cannot recommend LCA highly enough.

If you are considering this school, I recommend asking the following questions in your admissions process:

• Can you explain classical education?
• What is your current enrollment and enrollment for the upcoming school year? How many same-age classmates will my child(ren) have and when will I know?
• How is your year-over-year enrollment trending for the past seven years?
• How many heads of school have you had in the past five years? What would you say is the reason for turnover?
• Is your budget “in the black” or “in the red?”
• Do you expect significant tuition increases soon?
• What qualifications do your teachers have? How many hours of professional development do you offer each year?
• Are you equipped to identify students with learning differences who might need accommodation or intervention?
• Please provide more details about your curriculum and scope and sequence?
• How do you assess your teachers and students to ensure they are successful?
• Are you accredited? Why not?
• I heard you used to have high school grades as well. What happened?
• Parental involvement is an important factor in academic achievement. To what extent do you cooperate with parents to build community? Are parents welcome on campus for lunch or other special events?
• What percentage of board members are current parents? Of those, how many are shadowing and seriously considering sending their kids elsewhere next year?
• Where do you see the school in one year? In five years? In ten years?