Bright Start Academy

I have two children who attend school here. I have had one negative experience with my youngest's first teacher. I tried to address it but it sounds like the school knows and thats just her. Other than that this school has been awesome. They do so many hands on activities to really encourage a love for learning. Minus that one teacher and a couple of the specials teachers, I have had a great experience with them. My kids are always so excited to go!

The school has a very friendly environment. My child is very happy at school and I really appreciate the teachers and the principal.

I went here for half of 2005, before I moved, I don’t recall ever having a problem. The teachers were nice to me and the students cared very much about me. The teacher(s) even sat with me at lunch. When I was sick, All the students could think about was. “Is he gonna be OK?”

I think Columbia Independent School is a bad school for middle school students. There is a lot of cheating on tests and quizzes, and many students use their phones to cheat. Even when teachers catch them, they usually just tell students to put their phones away instead of giving real consequences. The school also seems unfair because some students get treated better than others. There is a lot of bullying, and the staff does not do enough to stop it. Students can humiliate or bully others and still avoid punishment. Many students are rude and disrespectful, which makes school stressful and uncomfortable. The school says it prepares students for college, but it does not provide a fair or safe environment for middle schoolers.

I graduated from this school feeling emotionally drained, unsupported, and honestly disgusted by how students are treated behind the scenes.This school constantly advertises Christian values and community, but what I experienced was judgment, favoritism, bullying, and a complete lack of accountability from administration. If you do not fit the school’s ideal image — wealthy, popular, preppy, or socially accepted — you are treated differently by both students and staff.One of the most disturbing parts of my experience involved the assistant principal. He repeatedly made me and many other students uncomfortable by not respecting personal boundaries, invading students’ personal space, and having inappropriate conversations with students. Multiple concerns about his behavior have been brought to administration, yet nothing meaningful has been done. Students should never feel unsafe or uncomfortable around school leadership, yet many of us did.When I personally went to administration about harassment and bullying during my senior year, I was ignored. The environment only became more toxic afterward. Staff members openly gossip about students, allow bullying to continue, and care more about protecting the school’s image than protecting the students attending it.This school damaged my confidence, my senior year, and even my relationship with faith because of the hypocrisy I witnessed every day. The administration talks about Christianity, kindness, and respect, but their actions rarely reflect those values.At the end of the day, this school seems far more concerned with reputation and money than with the well-being of its students. I would never recommend this school to anyone looking for a safe, supportive, or genuinely caring environment.