Harmony Science Academy – Cedar Park, Austin | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

Today we made a hard decision to withdraw my 1st grader. He was at the school for a full year (’21-22) and started ’22-23 at Harmony as well. This review is NOT a reflection on the teachers. Our teachers have been wonderful, dedicated and growing our kids despite the administration.

1. The school is located in an industrial zone that is not designed to accommodate 700+ students. It is also right next to a cement plant with industrial traffic going in and out of the same entrance. Lots of cement dust in the air close to the playground. Health concerns. Traffic is heavy and unsafe.
2. This year the school administration prioritized drastically increasing enrollment. They added several new classes and increased the average total number of students per class to 29 (as compared to the Texas requirement of 22). Last year there were 26-27 students in his class. This year my 1st grader was in the third row of tightly positioned tables and was unable to get out to use the bathroom because he was blocked by tables and chairs and students. What is the point of a charter school education in a sardine can?
3. Overcrowding the school created massive drop off and pickup issues that we didn’t have last year. I can’t emphasize enough how horrendous it has been. Even with the clubs starting, the entire pick-up experience takes 90 minutes. Kids wait for an hour in a packed area. The drop-off isn’t better – two days in a row I spent 25 minutes in line and still got to the school late when they closed the area. Massive unsafe traffic patterns. I witnessed a parent car T-Boned with 3 children inside last year on Anderson mill.
4. School Administration lacks communication skills or willingness. It’s a fortress that you can’t penetrate. Parental and PTO concerns (I was on the PTO board for a year) get brushed off. We are treated as a commodity. If we are not happy, we can leave because we can be replaced with anyone on the waitlist. The new principal seems to be uninterested in a meaningful parent and PTO involvement.
5. Unsafe recess area. Last year a child was bitten by a venomous snake on the playground. Constant complaints from the parents about the lack of supervision. The admins didn’t do anything to cut down the brush or improve the area. It’s unkempt and unsafe.
6. Safety and health issues – Overcrowding the school means that children can’t get out of their classrooms in case of an emergency. There is currently no nurse on staff.
7. Curriculum and STEM – our main attraction was STEM since we have a science minded child. The curriculum is not worth dealing with the issues I mentioned above. I now truly believe it’s a marketing ploy. My child spent a lot of time at school playing games on an iPad.

I would not recommend this school.

The teachers and staff are loving and supportive but do not receive the support they need and deserve from the people who were put in charge. The environment is unsafe and the administration is not transparent, nor interested in working with teachers, parents or even the PTO. Issues are either blamed on others or swept under the rug.

The pre-k, kindergarten and first grade classrooms do not have windows. The AC in these rooms goes out intermittently when it warms up. Parents are not notified of safety issues such as the AC going out or the school nurse being out on extended leave with no replacement. The playground is overly crowded and understaffed.

Last year, our child had 28 children packed into her classroom. A petition with hundreds of signatures went out asking for smaller ratios and dedicated teachers assistants, but the decision was been made to instead go the opposite direction and almost double the enrollment at the school this year. Infrastructure does not support this, and the car line reflects this clearly as well.

Our child received high scores when assessed by state tests at this school and she had incredible teachers last year, but with the changes made we could not continue to send her to Harmony as the school has become dangerous for her physical and mental health. I could not leave her, packed like a sardine in a classroom with no windows and a faulty AC.

Charter schools are not held to the same standards as regular public schools. They also receive less per student than the typical public school does. In this case that has resulted in the school turning into a business run for profit rather than a safe learning environment for our children.

If your kids are enrolled in Harmony, please get involved and ask questions. If you are considering Harmony, insist on touring the grounds while classes are in session before you make your decision. You are your child’s biggest advocate.

We are very happy with our decision to switch to LISD.

This school has been a blessing, for me and my child. Amazing staff. Teachers are patient and understanding of each individual kids’ needs. They understand each kid is different and do their best to accommodate. Great communication between staff and parent, even nurse Lisa <3. My kiddo loves going here and is always excited to tell me about his day. I drive 35 minutes each day because it's just worth the sacrifice. I have loved every teacher he's had and can't wait to see who he gets for 3rd grade. Update: Another 5 star! Another year with them. This time, with the pandemic going on. Zoom classes! It was not difficult to get everyone informed and adjusted to the new way of learning. Easy instructions and visuals were included. Learning virtually could be difficult for some students but my son's teacher was the best at keeping students engaged and involved, which I'm sure all parents would appreciate! Great communication using ClassTag between parents and teachers, and the agenda was updated daily which helped parents and students keep track of what to expect for the day. Schoology had 1 or 2 hiccups but was not at all the school's fault, possibly a server issue. Nonetheless, it felt very smooth, very organized, and straightforward for students. Also, weekly school newsletter emailed every Wednesday letting us know what was going on with the school as a whole and any upcoming events. Son's 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Franco, is way awesome and goes above and beyond for her quarantine class, with a weekly assignment tracker and missing/failing homework tracker that helps students keep track of what they're missing or need to redo. Can tell she is very organized and cares about her students dearly. When she can, she dedicates her time after school to help students who still need help or may be falling behind. Huge thumbs up! Going to miss this school!