Florida Prep in Melbourne | Military Town Advisor

Posted: June 29, 2026

I want others to be aware of my familys experience with Florida Preparatory Academy. From my perspective, the schools actions have prioritized collecting money over doing what is fair for students.

I had three sons enrolled at Florida Prep. One sons tuition was paid in full, totaling approximately $15,500. Another had an outstanding balance of about $5,000. My son who recently graduated had tuition of approximately $18,500, with a remaining balance of about $2,500.

My graduating sons father made a payment of $1,950 specifically toward his sons account. Instead, the school applied that payment to my other sons account, even though they do not share the same father. Despite bringing this to the schools attention, they have refused to correct what I believe is an error.

As a result, my graduates transcript is being withheld, which is preventing him from enrolling in college this fall. I am deeply disappointed by how this situation has been handled and hope the school will correct the payment allocation so my son is not unfairly deprived of his educational opportunities.

Posted: June 29, 2026

Posted: February 24, 2026

Over the past two years, the school has been going through a revamping process to improve both the boarding experience and academic results. The teachers and staff seem genuinely excited about creating an environment where students can learn, grow, and thrive. The school struggled financially in the past because of poor management, but the new team seems to be working hard to turn things around. Most teens are challenging, and these days, they seem especially unmotivated, maybe a generational thing, so they complain because they can. Parents blindly side with their kids, not necessarily because theyre right, but because they feel that paying for education should guarantee good grades. It cant be easy trying to run a strong school while also managing those expectations.

Posted: February 24, 2026

Posted: August 10, 2024

Sadly, the school has let go of some of the most important components of the staff who kept the kids engaged, safe and loved. The new company that bought the school only cares about how many kids they can enroll and how much money they can bank. They let go of some teachers whove been there so many years and theres way too many new faces. The turnover rate for teachers now, insane prior to two years ago where the same teachers have been there for many many years. It saddens me to see the school takes such a drastic turn, and it is a very unsafe school. People can easily get onto the campus and allow people on campus to live in the campus who are working on the building who do not have fingerprints or background checks. this is very dangerous and 100% do not recommend this school. The teachers used to be a family and work together and our kids had a great chance of education and college retention but at this point its no longer the case.

Posted: August 10, 2024

Posted: March 20, 2024

poor school, horrible dorm and food, that's it .

Posted: March 20, 2024

Posted: February 25, 2024

Chinese owned company who runs school. They fired alot of people due to not being Asian. The owner has no English skills , rude as hell , does not care for staff or students. If you want your kid to live in dirt thus school is for you. Are you looking for moldy rooms ? Then your in luck with this school. The students don't have much to do besides to think how to fire staff. They believe that if a kid lies then it must be staff fault. The HR lady is dumb , Ray Charles can do better than Tonya at HR.

Posted: February 25, 2024

Posted: July 17, 2015

The school fails to fill any of its promises for educating our youth. Grades are artificially elevated but the poor education of the students shows up quickly on AP and SAT scores. The school and dorms are in disrepair and there is a high turn over of poorly paid faculty and staff. I have been told that financial difficulty has caused them to change the name of the school. I highly recommend you look closely before sending them any of your money. We lost a lot of ours!

Posted: July 17, 2015

The school is dishonest about its academics. It fired several of my child's teachers because of financial difficulty.

Posted: July 17, 2015

Academics are the worst I have seen in any school. My child had to do remedial classes to get into any college. SAT scores were terrible!

Posted: April 30, 2015

AS ANY SCHOOL , YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPROACH THE STAFF TO AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS .

Posted: January 31, 2015

The school promotes individualized help for its students as well caring about its families. In our experience over a period of 3 years this was not the case. The school offered little help when asked , never took responsibility for their mistakes and were unapologetic. This was even the instance when they took our child off campus and did not have knowledge of his/her whereabouts. There were so many instances of empty promises and caring that we withdrew. At that time we were wished the best of luck and were told our child will most likely fail at any other school. It seemed to us that they were more interested in the money, not the success of our child.

Posted: October 26, 2014

Something is very wrong this year. A large percentage of their staff has been terminated and enrollment is way down from previous years. Students are worried it will close before the school year ends.

Posted: September 10, 2014

You can't believe these reviews! This school is a disaster waiting to happen. Go and look at the school before making any decision. The roof leaks every time it rains, it smells like mold and/or raw sewage, and their school buses are falling apart. Their enrollment is about half it was when my daughter was there just a few years ago. They brag about the great colleges their students are accepted into but fail to tell you that the acceptances all belong to 1 or 2 top students and that many apply to local junior colleges just so they can brag 100% college acceptance per graduating class. Ask them how many actually GO to college. Ask them their median SAT scores and they tell you they have so many foreign students that don't speak English, that the results are not accurate yet these same nonspeaking students will be sitting next to your child...... Just go look before you sign anything!!

Posted: December 8, 2013

It has been fun to work and live at Florida Air Academy, a boarding school hosting students from various countries and regions, where students are prepared not only for college, but for future life as well.

Posted: November 27, 2013

Florida Air Academy (FAA) in sunny Florida was the perfect choice of education for my children. It is great mix of educational, cultural, and leadership opportunities. Having students from all over the nation and world brings rich opportunities to learn new cultures and create friendships that would not be possible from a public school. My son attended FAA for 9-12 grades, my daughter for 7-12 grades. The experience gained at FAA has enabled them to be ready for the challenges of college life. The AFJROTC and military structure has taught them to take their endeavors and studies seriously and responsibly. FAA teaches respect and leadership and offers cadets hands-on experience as leaders. The teachers, TAC officers and staff are wonderful and caring. There are sports, clubs, weekend activities, volunteer opportunities and other supervised fun ways for the cadets to interact. Most of the classes and activities have kids of different ages so they can get to know all the students at the school not just their class. Florida Air Academy is the perfect school for my kids. Your children may enjoy and benefit from the unique learning opportunities that only FAA could offer my kids.

Posted: November 21, 2013

my school gives people the oppertunities like multi cultural evviroments and military disipline to prepare them for college. this has helped me excel in highschool and has helped me get into a good college.

Posted: November 21, 2013

I really like my school . As an international student i love living in a multicultural environment with many people from all around the world. Its a great opportunity to learn about other cultures and traditions. I am really happy I made the decision to come to FAA. I highly recommend this school

Posted: November 21, 2013

This is my third year attending Florida Air Academy. This school is one of its kind. It is a college preparation school which a college acceptance is almost garunteed for all students. It's academics are fantastic with nice, helpful and extremely knowledgable teachers. On the othe hand, it's military envirnment provide great chances to train leadership skills and provide great opputunity for those who are interested in joining the military with a promising JROTC program. Overall, it is a great school for anyone.

Posted: November 21, 2013

My school is amazing. Everyone has an iPad which changes the way classes are taught. Teachers are allowed to make the classes more interactive, which helps learning become easier.

Posted: November 20, 2013

FAA has changed my life drastically. I had been in a very negative place before. If I had continued on the path I was on- I would've most likely failed out of high school and been addicted to multiple substances. I needed a change, so I moved 2954.6 miles away from home to get my life back on track. Since then, I have found a new sense of respect for myself. I now have over 100 community service hours working for canteen, animal shelters, tutoring, and being a teachers assistant. I also have a core leadership rank in the AFJROTC program, taking two AP classes, am captain of the girls soccer team, and have gone from a 2.1 PGA to a 3.83; making honor roll all three semesters of attendance. I needed structure and that's exactly what I got, as well as a ton of support and help from faculty and fellow cadets willing to help. I now have opportunities I would've never have had if it weren't for Florida Air Academy. The teachers make it close to impossible to fail- always willing to go that extra mile to help you succeed and understand and learn. I've made life long friends and memories, something I will always be grateful for.

Posted: November 19, 2013

This is our son s third year at FAA and can t imagine sending him anyplace else. The school provides a structured learning environment with teacher who cares about the success of the students. The school s ROTC program is fantastic; the officers in that program are fantastic role models and really take the kids under their wing and teach them some valuable life lessons. The class size is small which allows for the teachers to provide extra attention to those who need it. The follow up with the academics is outstanding. The supervised study halls are great and provide ample time for students to get their HW done. After school help is available just about every day and mandatory for students who aren t doing so well. They ve just spent lots of money redoing the residence hall (Hall of Flags) and the improvements are tremendous. FAA has allowed my son to grow and evolve into a young man who has endless opportunities in his future. I only wish I would have sent my son their sooner.

Posted: November 19, 2013

My school is the best school out there. The school helps you with everything from maling friend to doing well in school also getting into a college. The staff is foscused on you I can not find bad things about this school. I would recommend this school to anyone.

Posted: September 22, 2013

An excellent school, teacher, adm and everything. They are a confident and a good team

Posted: April 22, 2013

This is the second year for both of my daughters. As a parent I appreciate all of the support given to my girls by the teachers and the staff. The communication with parents by the staff is excellent, the class size is kept small and the teachers care about the welfare of my girls. I would recommend Florida Air to anyone looking for a quality school with educators that lead children and care about their welfare.

Posted: April 22, 2013

Florida Air Academy is a fantastic school! My son began going there during his Freshman year and was actually already slated to attend a local public school, but after touring FAA, changed his mind. Small class sizes, caring and attentive faculty, and a challeging cirriculum make it the perfect fit for him. I would recommend Florida Air Academy to anyone!

Posted: April 18, 2013

I must admit that moving my daughter to Floridsa Air Academy in 7th grade was a gamble. She needed structure, but I'd been leaning more to a Christian Academy, she on the other hand thought Floridia Air was "the one" after spending a day there as a "shadow" student. That was a major step forward for us. After 2 years she still loves it, and so do I ... the classes remain small and we know all her classmates, and her teachers. Due to the school's small size, and mixed ages throughout the girls dorms, many of the older students are also involved in my daughters life and guide her on many personal issues .. things she thinks I'm too old to understand! She has a good moral compass as a result... Its difficult for us as a family to have her away from home, but I believe she is better off away from her former school where sexting and peer pressure to "act out" were the norm. Academically she's keeping up well, the study hall in the evening is a godsend as far as I'm concerned ... homework was always such an issue and now she justs accepts it as a given.. my only downside ... she just does not call me enough!

Posted: October 4, 2012

My son attended FAA for 7 years, graduating in 2011. I sent him there for many reasons. Dedicated male influence (staff and tactical officers), dedicated teachers, small classes and an environment that would help him cultivate both stateside and international contacts that would benefit him for the rest of his life. My son was not an easy, cooperative student. Just 2 points shy of brilliant he chose to fight the system rather than embrace it. The teachers & staff at FAA NEVER gave up on him. My deciding moment was after the graduation ceremony. We were back at school, collecting belongings and doing final paperwork. Someone pulled the fire alarm. Almost everyone ignored it, thinking it was a prank; From this tall, skinny frame covered in dress blues beside me came the deepest, strongest, most commanding voice I have ever heard. All eyes focused on him. He moved over 100 people a safe distance away from the building and held their attention until the alarm was cleared and then cleared the way for them to re-enter the Hall of Flags. I have never been more proud in my life and know that the environment, officers, staff and teachers at FAA cultivated his ability to do what he did.

Posted: May 26, 2012

I was in tears at the 8th grade graduation. There was such a great feeling of caring for the students...because it's a small school, they really get to know the kids, and staff and teachers REALLY care, not only about academic success but how the kid is doing overall. Kids who aren't "cool" are accepted and recognized here for their unique achievements in a way I've never seen at another school. Talking with other parents afterwards, their kids also are thiving in this atmosphere. This school brings out the best in a kid and the expectations are high. A girl gave a speech about the school and it was so touching and sincere. She has been motivated here to go from an okay student to a really good one. Of course no school is going to be successful with every single kid, but from what I've seen, the vast majority of kids here thrive. They are doing a lot of renovation to the dorms, and the campus is really beautiful. No metal roofs and cinderblock buildings.

Posted: May 26, 2012

our son just finished 6th grade at Florida Air Academy. Teachers are caring, professional and go out of there way to help all kids and communicate with parents. Sports, activities such as their recent trip to St. Augustine all made his experience and ours extraordinary. We are thrilled. He will be back for 7th grade. Thank you FAA!

Posted: May 24, 2012

We enrolled our daughter at FLAIR for the 2011 summer program after her seventh grade in public school. After five weeks at FLAIR, her interests were expanded and her youthful behavior was noticeably improved. She asked to return for her eighth grade year. Although we were concerned about her being away from home, after careful consideration, we agreed. Now, after completing her eighth grade at FLAIR, she has gained self-esteem and self-discipline that she was unable to acquire while living at home and attending public school. Her academic performance and overall attitude are dramatically improving. She flourishes in the small classes and individual attention. We are pleased that FLAIR keeps us well informed about her progress via online grade information. If she fails to turn-in homework, we are alerted. She is given mandatory teacher help, and she is also required to attend supervised study hall to complete her missing assignment. Needless to say, she has become consistent in turning her homework in. We believe that FLAIR provides the much needed structure and camaraderie that a teenager needs while providing high quality educational experiences.

Posted: April 22, 2012

As a 10 year employee of this school, I am shocked by the negative, untrue comments posted here. I challenge anyone to find a more dedicated and supportive staff than we have here at FAA. Every child here is known by name by a multitude of people who speak to them each and every day to inquire about their day, schoolwork, important events in their lives, etc. Compare that to public school where a single student is but one of many. Along with receiving top quality education, our students are taught to be good citizens of our school, community and the world. This year our students have donated hundreds of hours volunteering in our community feeding the homeless, raising money for breast cancer awareness, autism awareness, epilepsy research, and countless other altruistic endeavors. And yes, we do prepare students for college success with our AP classes, dual enrollment opportunities, and highly motivated staff.

Posted: April 20, 2012

The last review is simply not true. The school would have no students if it were like that. Hazing is not tolerated and the students are not allowed to discipline other students....adults do that. The level of student has never been higher and they just got ANOTHER kid into Harvard. There are many high achievers here but they are good with kids who need some extra help too. It's really irresponsible to trash a school anonymously, so they can't respond. I have been a parent for years and the kids are much nicer than I found at other schools in the area.

Posted: April 10, 2012

My son attended this school, I was very unhappy with things I discovered after enrollment. Many children are there to avoid court discipline, there are too many troubled teens in attendance. I found this school to be a place for rich undesireable children who can not make it in a traditional school setting. Secrets are kept by administration who allow older students to HAZE younger students and apply discipline as they see fit. Please research this school extensively before considering it for your child, I was glad to get mine out with only minor physical and mental damage after only a few months.

Posted: March 26, 2012

My son's a boarding student and he is doing great. His dorm supervisor (tac officer) is wonderful. The conditions have improved and his room was recently renovated. He is happy here. He loves the food....new food service company, run by a chef. His grades have really come up....campus is really pretty.....

Posted: December 28, 2011

I have worked at Florida Air Academy for 4 years now and feel that I have to chime in. FAA is an ever evolving school with a singular goal of getting students into decent colleges. It is all college prep combined with the best elements of it's military tradition. This is not a school for "bad boys". This is not boot camp. We have a very active JROTC program but we do not make little soliders. We are dedicated to providing a solid education to each and everyone of our day and boarding students. I invite anyone to visit our campus and take a look at the faces of the kids as the move from class to class. These are not unhappy children. Here's what we do best: We take a student who isn't achieving their potential and we strive to keep them focused on what really counts. I give us a 4 star rating only beacuase, as an ever evolving school....we can always do better.

Posted: December 14, 2011

I'm very surprised at the last review. My son attends the school and I can say for sure that they take a very firm stance on anything approaching bullying. The school has indeed lessened its military emphasis, but not at the expense of discipline and the code of honor. You will no longer see the mis-fits and "bad-boys" that ended up at a military school as a last resort. Instead you'll see self-motivated kids looking to get into great colleges, many on full scholarships. I love the atmosphere of school events, from 6th through 12th grade everyone attends and participates, that includes staff. As to their qualifications they may be young but they are enthusiastic and go way further than any "experienced" staff member I met in the district Public Schools. I'd recommend FAA without hesitation, and do so on a regular basis!

Posted: October 25, 2011

Just recently, there began a power struggle between the staff. The school can't figure out whether to be military or just a private school. There is hardly anything military about the school now. Boarding conditions are attrocious, but don't blame the maintenance crew (all 6 of them). Blame the powers above them. There are SERIOUS issues with bullying, and the adults rarely do anyhting to help. The cuts from the staff has also made it more difficult for the students to be supervised on a regular basis. Drugs and alcohol aren't as rampant as they used to be, and they're not as bad as local public schools. Sex and intimate relationships are the same. The rules on PDA have been relaxed. The school also began to struggle financially, and let go of most of the decent teachers. They started to hire young teachers who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. So academics has taken a tumble. A cadet even had to teach a Calculas class for part of the year in 2010. Food has improved greatly. FAA has tried to bring more of a community feel to the school recently, and I would say it has paid off. Sadly, FAA isn't the school it used to be, but it's not going back anytime soon.

Posted: November 16, 2010

I challenge a public school student/parent to spend an afternoon with us. Just eating lunch in the dining hall amongst teachers, administrators, and students is a wholly different experience than public school. If you are looking for a safe, friendly, and rigorous education than this the place to be.

Posted: November 16, 2010

Florida Air has cut costs but in favor of better teachers in my opinion. I get weekly reports from my son's teachers and the college admissions counselor has already taken the time to work with my son on his admissions material even though he's a junior. I don't think the previous reviewer way very fair. Most of the parents that have left did so because they couldn't get financial aid and were mad at the school. It's private school so don't expect a handout

Base	Distance
Patrick AFB	10.8 mi.
Cape Canaveral Air Station	26.7 mi.
Orlando Naval Base	49.1 mi.

Florida Prep

Melbourne, FL 32901

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Florida Prep

Melbourne, FL 32901

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