Reviews of Oakdale Christian Academy (School)

James Dauer

Oakdale was a great experience for me. I made lifelong connections all over the world, and it gave me a competitive advantage with my education. It is instilled a set of morals that are hard to find in today's world. Even if you weren't a religious person I would still recommend considering this school.

Paul Stackhouse

This is a great boarding school nestled in a beautiful valley in Eastern Kentucky. I attended my last two years of high school at Oakdale and it was a life-changing experience. I graduated from college in three years and was the youngest admission to graduate school during the decade I attended. But it wasn't just the strong academics; I left Oakdale prepared to face life: with people skills, a growing Christian walk, leadership lessons, and friends for life. Among the many strengths of the school is its relative isolation, small student body, and large number of caring faculty and staff. Frankly, students are kept busy with academics and interesting and diverse social activities so boredom doesn't create opportunities to get into trouble. Within days, each adult knows each student -- whether or not they have them for a class -- we'd all eat together, play together, worship together and learn together. Five stars aren't enough for Oakdale!

C. Stotsky

Amazing staff,curriculums, and facilities !!

Sarah Schiro

The best part of Oakdale for me was the lifelong friendships that I made with the staff and students while I attended. All staff families live on campus and eat together with the students. This caring family environment helped make me feel like Oakdale was a home away from home. My dorm deans, teachers, the principle and the dean all knew me personally and clearly cared about my future. My teachers love to teach and the classes are small so I was able to get individual attention in the areas where I needed extra help.

Rudean Reynolds

The first time I was at Oakdale - the day I took my daughter to visit, was actually very emotional for me. Because I knew, and she knew, that we had found the place she needed to be. The love and acceptance of her, by both the other students and staff, was immediate. Don't think for a second that because it is a Christian school it avoids the tough questions or true and accurate science. Classes face the tough questions such as conflicts between science and the Bible head on. She has had the opportunity to take classes in robotics, computer science, advanced math, and other honors courses. We could not have hoped for anything better academically. Of course there are things that some students will complain about, such as the dress code, and having to do some work, or "job training" as it's called. My impression is the dress code is reasonable, folks get settled into it, and the work they do is basically taking care of the place where they live. Those with the right attitude and effort can progress to more responsible roles and rewards in the work program. There is a strong sense of community, and some students refer to others as their 'brother', 'sister', etc. Faculty and staff live on campus and they all take these kids in and treat them as their own. Students aren't stuck in a dorm and forgot about; they are just part of a different kind of family. It was tough leaving her away from home, but when the need came to find a different school for her, I could not have found a better place. She started there early in her sophomore year, just completed her junior year (was sad to leave for the summer!), and will graduate next year. I think Oakdale does a great job of accommodating the variety of students they have. Also, the cultural diversity of the student body is amazing! Oh yeah...the food is great, too!

Christina Juleson

Oakdale was my home from 1989-1995. The school rests in a beautiful valley in remote KY. Spirituality and a strong connection to Jesus is highly encouraged with weekday Bible study and consistent church attendance. Standards are set high for all who attend to promote hard work and dedication. The academic standard is high and I earned college credit in my senior year that helped me to get a great start on college. This is a perfect school for youth who are struggling in their home environments or with social issues at school. During my time at Oakdale, I made many strong connections with friends and staff, many of which I still keep in touch with after almost 20 years of graduating. Youth who struggle with structure, rules or rebellion may find it challenging to attend this school at first, however, in my 6 years at Oakdale, I witnessed more students grow, flourish and succeed than fail and leave. I highly recommend this school and support Oakdale's standards and morals.

Jeremy Gorman

It is a life changing experience that brings students closer to God, and into a loving supportive Christian community, with graduates and former students worldwide.

Zixuan Huang

Some students are super rude.

Cal Stayton

Oakdale has been a very supportive school and community that has help me grow. This is the school to go to.

Sarah W

Our son struggled in public school and had difficulty making good friends. We adopted him when he was eight years old and struggled with the adjustment to a new family and life. In public school, his self-esteem suffered, and he started to believe that he was not smart. We saw his behavior and attitude deteriorate as his self-esteem plummeted. We searched for schools that would embrace him for who he is and help him to grow into everything we believed he could be. From the moment we walked on the Oakdale campus, we could feel the love and care of the staff. We felt at home, and our son did too. The staff at Oakdale care for each and every child individually. They not only work hard to help them achieve academically, but they help them grow spiritually and emotionally. I was in shock how much effort and time the staff put into helping the kids and how available they are to the kids. Oakdale is not just an excellent educational program, this is a beautiful Godly community of men and women looking to serve the children, parents and God has entrusted them. My son is starting to believe in himself, and he is growing closer to God. He is thriving, and when he calls me he actually says he is enjoying the learning. He is growing in maturity, and he is learning valuable life and even job skills. I am so thankful for Oakdale, the amazing mission they have and the sacrifice the staff make for each of our children. May God bless all of you. thank you!

Amara Landu

Oakdale presents many difficulties to newcomers. It can be a strange environment as it is not for everyone. However, the greatest part of it is that the tough experiences give the opportunity to adapt and learn. It is not easy to endure but nevertheless proves a great place to grow both mentally and spiritually.

Bishop Big Country

Good Folks, Good Food, Its an Alright Place, The Best They is.

Caitlyn Maharrey

I loved the people at the school and the relationships I made while there. I made many of my closest friends there. One thing I did not like was that because I was a high achieving student, when I had issues, I was largely ignored, or felt that way at least. Another problem is that I felt many things got blown out of proportion when it came to conflict and it resulted in many punishments I thought were unfair.

Hanan Khaled

We couldn't have wished for a better school for our daughter. The staff is really dedicated, caring, compassionate, and with a goal to develop strong, caring, future leaders. It has been a life changing experience for our daughter. My daughter has been there for almost four years and I see how she has grown intellectually, morally, and spiritually. Also, teaching comes with passion and care. It is individualized to her needs. God bless the staff!!

Clint Jackson

Frankly, it bills itself as a 1) college prep academy and 2) a christian school. However, the quality of education is average, at best, and it's not really a Christian school so much as it is an indoctrination factory doubling as a day care center. You're better off finding a military school-at least they'll graduate with useful skills and a quality education. If your kid is a free-thinking, self taught, independent person, don't subject them to this nonsense. If your kid has mental health issues, don't subject them to this school that doesn't even have a counselor on staff.

Bukky Olode

My daughter has been attending Oakdale Christian Academy for the past two years. This school focuses on teaching Godly character while encouraging the students to excel academically. The staff at the school work together with each student to help them maximize their potential. It was not easy for me to let my then 12 year old daughter go and live in the Jackson Kentucky from Brooklyn, New York, but seeing the growth my daughter has accomplished in the past two years has convinced me that it was the best decision I've ever made. My daughter now has a personal relationship with God, is doing excellent in her school work and has truly grown in Wisdom. As a Christian, I believe the Lord led us to Oakdale Christian Academy and I am very grateful to all the staff members of the school for the support they've given to my daughter and all the students. Another interesting thing to note about Oakdale Christian Academy, is that it is a small school with less than 80 students therefore the class sizes are small and students can get individualized attention from their teachers. In addition, the student body is very diverse. You have students from all parts of the United States and other parts of the world. The school encourages the students to share their culture thereby training them on diversity and cultural sensitivity, skills they will need as adults in the real world. The students also participate in a lot of activities on and off campus such as athletics and concerts. The students also have an activity called job training which teaches them real job skills they can utilize when they become adults. l could go on and on about Oakdale Christian Academy, but most importantly I want to say thank you to the staff of Oakdale for their hard work and dedictation and for being available to parents whenever parents need to contact them. If you are considering a christ centered and academically advanced program for your child, I would encourage you to consider Oakdale Christian Academy, I'm very happy I did. l