Our Story

For more than four decades, DKH Academy has been part of the lives and stories of generations of families in Highland Village, Flower Mound, Lewisville, and the surrounding communities.

What began in 1979 as a small school founded by Dee Seal has grown thoughtfully over the years while staying rooted in the same belief that guided DKH from the beginning: childhood matters.

From a home in Highland Village to outdoor classrooms beneath the trees, from preschool beginnings to elementary expansion, each chapter of DKH’s story has been shaped by children, teachers, families, and a community that continues to grow together.

More than 45 years of good beginnings.

1979- DKH Founded

1987- DKH Moves to Highland Village

In 1989, Dee Seal took a leap of faith and moved DKH to Highland Village, then a small and growing community near Lewisville.

She purchased a home with the hope of building something special for children and families. If the school didn’t succeed, she planned to live there herself.

What started as a hopeful risk became the beginning of something far greater than she imagined.

More than 45 years later, DKH continues to grow, evolve, and welcome new generations of children through its doors.

2003- Shelley Easler Becomes Owner & Director

2003 marked the beginning of a new chapter in DKH Academy’s story as Shelley Easler stepped into the role of Owner and Director.

Under Shelley’s leadership, DKH entered a period of thoughtful growth while remaining deeply rooted in the school’s long-standing values and community-centered philosophy.

During her time leading DKH through 2014, Shelley oversaw the expansion and opening of the current preschool building, creating new spaces designed to support play, exploration, and whole-child learning.

She also helped bring to life one of DKH’s most defining features: the Nature Explore Playground, which later became the first certified Nature Explore Classroom in Texas.

Shelley’s leadership helped guide DKH into a new era while preserving the warmth, creativity, and sense of community families had cherished for decades.

2008- NAEYC Accreditation Earned

DKH Academy became accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), earning recognition for meeting high standards in early childhood education, safety, teacher qualifications, and developmentally appropriate learning practices. This milestone reflected DKH’s long-standing commitment to providing high-quality care and education for young children and families.

2009, January- Groundbreaking for New Preschool Building

2009 marked another major milestone in DKH history as ground was broken on what is now our Preschool Building.

As DKH continued to grow, so did the vision for creating spaces designed specifically for young children to learn, explore, and thrive. The new building allowed DKH to welcome more families while staying rooted in the play-based, relationship-centered approach that has defined the school since 1979.

What began as a small school in a home continued to grow into the thriving community generations of families know today.

2009, August- New Preschool Building Opens

In 2009, DKH officially opened the doors to the Preschool Building that still welcomes many of our youngest learners today.

Purposefully designed for early childhood education, the new space gave children more room to learn through play, creativity, movement, and connection while allowing DKH to continue growing alongside the community it serves.

For many families, this building became the place where their DKH story began.

2010- Texas’s First Nature Explore Classroom Opens

In 2010, DKH became home to Texas’s first certified Nature Explore Playground.

This milestone reflected something DKH had believed from the very beginning: children learn best when they are free to explore, create, move, imagine, and connect with the natural world around them.

What started as a playground became an outdoor classroom filled with gardens, climbing spaces, art, discovery, and childhood wonder beneath the trees.

More than fifteen years later, outdoor learning remains one of the most treasured parts of the DKH experience.

2012- Ready Readers Begins

In 2012, teacher Nancy Parra launched Ready Readers with a simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident reader.

What began as a small after-school enrichment program quickly became one of DKH's hallmark experiences. Families embraced the individualized, relationship-based approach, and the program continued to grow year after year.

Ready Readers laid the foundation for DKH's comprehensive literacy journey. Today, reading is intentionally woven throughout every stage of our curriculum, from daily classroom literacy experiences to Guided Reading beginning in Junior Kindergarten, after-school Ready Readers, and our summer Ready Readers Bootcamp.

More than teaching children how to read, our literacy programs are designed to build confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.

2016- Nancy Parra Becomes Owner & Director

2016 marked the beginning of a new chapter for DKH Academy as Nancy Parra became Head of School.

Under Nancy’s leadership, DKH expanded into First and Second Grade, launched the AgriSTEAM program, earned Cognia Accreditation, and opened the Dee Seal Gross Motor Lab in honor of the school’s founder.

Known for her deep commitment to children, families, and community, Nancy has continued to help guide DKH’s growth while preserving the relationship-centered, play-based philosophy that has defined the school for decades. Beyond campus, she is actively involved in organizations and community initiatives including Hood to Coast and United Way.

2025, September- First Grade Launches

In 2025, DKH reached another exciting milestone with the opening of its First Grade program.

What began as a preschool rooted in play, creativity, and strong relationships continued to grow alongside the families who trusted DKH with their children’s earliest years.

The expansion into elementary school reflected a long-standing dream to create a place where children could continue learning in a nurturing environment that values curiosity, confidence, kindness, and a love of learning.

For many families, it was the next chapter in a DKH journey that began years earlier as toddlers and preschoolers.

2025, October- AgriSTEAM Launches

In 2025, DKH launched AgriSTEAM, a hands-on program connecting science, nature, creativity, engineering, and exploration through meaningful real-world experiences.

From gardening and sustainability projects to outdoor investigations and collaborative problem-solving, AgriSTEAM gave students new opportunities to learn by doing.

Rooted in DKH’s long-standing connection to outdoor learning, the program helped children deepen their curiosity about the natural world while building confidence, critical thinking, and creativity along the way.

2025, December- Cognia Accreditation Earned

In 2025, DKH earned Cognia Accreditation, an important milestone recognizing the school’s commitment to continuous growth, high educational standards, and the whole-child approach that has guided DKH for decades.

The accreditation process reflected the dedication of the DKH team, the strength of the school community, and a shared commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences for children.

As DKH continued expanding into the elementary years, Cognia Accreditation marked another step forward in the school’s ongoing growth and future vision.

2026, April- Dee Seal Motor Lab Opens

In 2026, DKH opened the Dee Seal Motor Lab, a space created to support movement, coordination, confidence, and whole-child development through purposeful play and hands-on learning.

Named in honor of founder Dee Seal, the lab reflects her belief that children learn best when they are active, engaged, and free to explore the world around them.

The space gives students new opportunities to build both fine and gross motor skills through climbing, balance, sensory experiences, creative movement, and collaborative play in an environment designed specifically for young learners.

2026, September- Second Grade Opens

In 2026, DKH continued its growth into the elementary years with the expansion into Second Grade.

As the school evolved, the goal remained the same: to create a nurturing environment where children feel known, supported, challenged, and inspired to love learning.

The addition of Second Grade marked another step forward in DKH’s vision of providing families with a thoughtful, play-based educational journey that extends beyond the early childhood years.

Community Legacy

In 2003, families camped outside overnight for a chance to enroll at DKH.

Some brought blankets and lawn chairs. Others waited for hours in the rain.

The story became a local newspaper feature, but for many families it represented something much larger than enrollment demand. It reflected the trust, connection, and sense of community that had been built over decades.

Long before waitlists and expansions, DKH had already become a place families deeply valued and wanted to be part of.

From Tiny Backpacks to Graduation Caps

Over the years, thousands of children have walked the halls of DKH Academy.

From tiny backpacks and playground adventures to graduations, first jobs, college acceptances, and new beginnings, every class becomes part of the larger story of DKH.

This video celebrates just a small glimpse of the generations of students who have helped shape our community over the past 45+ years.

Recognized by the Community We Serve

For generations, DKH Academy has been a trusted part of the Denton County community.

Over the years, thousands of families have walked through our doors searching for more than academics alone. They were looking for a place where children feel known, supported, encouraged, and inspired to love learning.

We are honored that our community has continued to recognize DKH Academy through the Best of Denton County awards across multiple years and generations of families.

While these awards are meaningful, what matters most to us are the relationships behind them. The parents who recommend us to friends. The alumni who return with children of their own. The teachers who pour their hearts into their classrooms each day. The moments of childhood that families carry with them long after their time at DKH.

For more than 45 years, our mission has remained rooted in the same belief that guided us from the beginning: childhood matters.

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