Spring Ridge Academy | |
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Address | |
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13690 S Burton Rd , Yavapai County , Arizona 86333 United States | |
Information | |
School type | For-profit program, Behavioral Health Residential Facility |
Founded | 1996 |
Founders | Jean (Jeannie) Courtney |
Status | closed |
Closed | February 2023 |
NCES District ID | 42 |
CEEB code | 030422 |
NCES School ID | A0900156 [1] |
Principal | Justin Zych |
Teaching staff | 11 (on an FTE basis) [1] |
Gender | Girls |
Age range | 13-17 |
Number of students | 48 |
• Grade 9 | 3 |
• Grade 10 | 11 |
• Grade 11 | 16 |
• Grade 12 | 18 |
Student to teacher ratio | 4.4 [1] |
Hours in school day | 5.8 |
Accreditations | Cognia (education) [2] |
Tuition | $126,000 to $162,000 [3] |
Website |
springridgeacademy |
34°35′46″N 112°28′05″W / 34.5959797°N 112.4681734°W Spring Ridge Academy, is a behavioral health residential facility for female adolescents 13-17 years old. In 2023, Spring Ridge Academy announced on their website they had permanently closed. [4]
The campus was originally a house with a barn attached and only had one student. [5] By the end, it was capable of housing up to 76 girls with a facility that included classrooms, medical areas, labs, and athletic fields and courts. [5] Spring Ridge Academy was operated by Suzanne Courtney (Executive Director) at its time of closure. [6]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (July 2021) |
Spring Ridge Academy describes itself as a "clinical therapeutic program with a college preparatory academic curriculum". [7]
The program includes four phases that each student is expected to complete at their own pace. [7] The program's average length of stay is 14 to 18 months. [7]
Parents or guardians who have their child admitted to Spring Ridge pay tuition and fees. Medical insurance may cover part of the costs.
In 2021, the parent of a former resident filed a lawsuit against Spring Ridge Academy, alleging causes of action for negligence and fraud, amongst other things. [8] [3] [9] The mother claims that the troubled teen program used non-evidence-based treatment practices on her daughter and misrepresented the tactics the program used before she enrolled her child there. [8] [3] In a large group awareness training workshop, for example, girls at Spring Ridge Academy were allegedly instructed to beat their chairs with rolled-up towels containing their anger while other students screamed at them. [3]
Other former students have claimed that the workshops at the center of the lawsuit are "abusive" and "shame-based." [9] Former students say they had to participate in attack therapy as well. [9]
Spring Ridge Academy has also been accused of using conversion therapy. [10]
Other alumni have come forward alleging abuse as part of the Breaking Code Silence movement, describing the academy as a cult and as being exploitative of families. [11] One Spring Ridge Academy alumnus was also featured in a Lifetime movie special Beyond the Headlines: Cruel Instruction, talking about the allegations of abuse in the troubled teen industry and the PTSD and anxiety that many survivors continue to live with. [12][ failed verification] Spring Ridge Academy issued several in response to the lifeline movie. [13] [14] [15]