Hidden Lake Academy

Hidden Lake Academy was a therapeutic boarding school in Dahlonega, Georgia, United States, in operation from 1994 until 2011. In 2006, it was the subject of legal action over accreditation. The school filed bankruptcy in 2009 and shut down in 2011.[3][4]

Hidden Lake Academy
Address
830 Hidden Lake Rd.

Dahlonega
,
Lumpkin County
,
Georgia
30533
Information
Other nameRidge Creek School
Established1994
Closed2011
Age range13 to 18
Capacity150[1]
Campus size215 acre
Tuition$6000 per month[2]

History

The school was founded in 1994 by Dr. Leonard Buccelatto in Dahlonega, Georgia.[5] It was intended to "fill the need for a specialty school to fill the gap between services of residential treatment centers and traditional boarding schools."[6]

A federal class action lawsuit against the school by a group of parents was filed in 2006. Although denied class action status, the parties settled out of court for $400,000.[5] The lawsuit caused a drop in student enrollments and cost the school $1.5 million in legal fees.[5] This, combined with the impact of a poor economy, led the school to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in 2009.[5]

After the bankruptcy hearing, the school was renamed "Ridge Creek School".[7] In 2011, a disturbance occurred in which multiple students tried to leave the school. This resulted in the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office being called out to the scene.[8] The school closed in 2011.[3]

About the program

New students had typically struggled with homework, depression, anger management, or various addictions. Some students were from outside the United States. The student population ranged from about 15 to 200. Hidden Lake Academy was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), and the Georgia Accreditation Commission (GAC).[9]

The length of the program was eighteen to twenty-one months.[10][11] Each group consisted of fourteen students and the daily group counselling sessions were seven hours long.[12]

Ridge Creek

The Ridge Creek wilderness program was founded in 2001[13] and was listed on National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) website as early as 2003.[14] The address listed on the NATSAP and Ridge Creek websites is the same as that of Hidden Lake Academy.[15] The website states that Leonard Buccelatoo was the founder of Ridge Creek.[16]

Former headmasters

Notable alumni

References
  1. Peterson's Private secondary schools 2006. Inc Peterson's Guides (26th ed.). Princeton, N.J.: Thomson/Peterson's. 2005. p. 1344. ISBN 0-7689-1736-0. OCLC 58788837.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Pengelly, Martin (4 May 2023). "Clarence Thomas: mega-donor paid for great-nephew's private school". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  3. Aiken, Matt (July 29, 2019). "Filmmaker is focusing on Hidden Lake Academy". The Dahlonega Nugget, Dahlonega, GA. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  4. Johnston, Abby (June 7, 2013). "To be or not to be Danny Malone?". AustinChronicle.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019. The facility has since closed, never quite recovering from a $400,000 lawsuit over accreditation.
  5. Hall, Sharon (June 4, 2009). "Hidden Lake officials see Chapter 11 as chance to regroup". The Dahlonega Nugget. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  6. "Hidden Lake Academy website". Hiddenlakeacademy.com. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  7. Faculty & Staff of Hidden Lake Academy (2010). "Explanation of the petition". Hidden Lake Academy. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010.
  8. Aitken, Matt (26 January 2011). "Deputies respond to disturbance at Ridge Creek". The Dahlonega Nugget. pp. 9A.
  9. SACS CASI Accredited Schools in Georgia Archived December 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Last update: January 15, 2008
  10. "Hidden Lake Academy - Hidden Lakes Academy". 2005-12-31. Archived from the original on 2005-12-31. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  11. "Program Details - Hidden Lake Academy". 2007-10-12. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  12. "Wayback Machine" (PDF). 2021-09-01. p. 78. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  13. "Program Details - Ridge Creek School". 2010-11-25. Archived from the original on 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  14. "Program Details". 2003-03-25. Archived from the original on 2003-03-25. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  15. "Therapeutic Boarding School - Healthy Living For Teens - RidgeCreekSchool.com". 2010-05-16. Archived from the original on 2010-05-16. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  16. "New Page 1". 2006-05-02. Archived from the original on 2006-05-02. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  17. "Hidden Lake Academy - Faculty/Staff". 2007-08-29. Archived from the original on 2007-08-29. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  18. "Hidden Lake Academy - Faculty/Staff". 2005-11-24. Archived from the original on 2005-11-24. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  19. Feuer, Alan; Salkun, Allen (July 24, 2009) "Terrible End for an Enfant Terrible, New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2023
  20. O'Hagan, Sean; O’Hagan, Sean (2009-09-19). "The last days of Dash Snow". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-05-06. Snow's rebellion against his family, and his mother in particular, seems to have begun in earnest when, as a disruptive child, he was sent by her to a boarding school called Hidden Lake Academy in Georgia which specialised in the treatment of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

34°37′42″N 84°04′16″W

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