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.
Hidden Lake Academy
- Name
- Hidden Lake Academy
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Hidden Lake Academy • Address — 830 Hidden Lake Rd. • City — Dahlonega • County — Lumpkin County • State — Georgia • Zipcode — 30533 • Other Name — Ridge Creek School • Established — 1994 • Closed — 2011 • Age Range — 13 to 18 • Capacity — 150 • Campus Size — 215 acres • Tuition — $6000 per month
History
History
The school was founded in 1994 by Dr. Leonard Buccelatto in Dahlonega, Georgia. 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." 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. The lawsuit caused a drop in student enrollments and cost the school $1.5 million in legal fees. This, combined with the impact of a poor economy, led the school to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in 2009. After the bankruptcy hearing, the school was renamed "Ridge Creek School". 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. The school closed later that year.
About the program
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 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).
Notable alumni
Notable alumni
• Dash Snow, artist
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Hidden Lake Academy, revision 1376179522 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Inc Peterson's Guides. Peterson's Private secondary schools 2006. Thomson/Peterson's. 1344. 2005. 0-7689-1736-0.
- 2.Pengelly, Martin. Clarence Thomas: mega-donor paid for great-nephew's private school. The Guardian. May 4, 2023.
- 3.Aiken, Matt. Filmmaker is focusing on Hidden Lake Academy. The Dahlonega Nugget, Dahlonega, GA. July 29, 2019.
- 4.Johnston, Abby. To be or not to be Danny Malone?. AustinChronicle.com. June 7, 2013.
- 5.Hall, Sharon. Hidden Lake officials see Chapter 11 as chance to regroup. The Dahlonega Nugget. June 4, 2009. 2994-4627.
- 6.Hidden Lake Academy. Hiddenlakeacademy.com.
- 7.Faculty & Staff of Hidden Lake Academy. Explanation of the petition. Hidden Lake Academy. 2010.
- 8.Aitken, Matt. Deputies respond to disturbance at Ridge Creek. The Dahlonega Nugget. 9A. January 26, 2011. 2994-4627.
- 9.SACS CASI Accredited Schools in Georgia. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement.
- 10.Feuer, Alan. Terrible End for an Enfant Terrible. New York Times. July 24, 2009.
- 11.O'Hagan, Sean. The last days of Dash Snow. The Observer. Guardian Media Group. September 19, 2009. 0029-7712.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 26 September 2026.
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