South Kitsap High School in Seattle, Washington

“I am a former student who just graduated. Sure, sports are a big part of the school, as it should be. High school isn't all about academics. If you want an academic challenge at this school you have to find it. If you need help, teachers and staff were always willing to help me out. I had fun there. It surely isn't for everyone. And as for bad teachers: every school has them, you have to expect more in a school where there are 2500 students!!”
This review was posted by a other.

“Very scary place. A scary school in a scary town. Do not send your children there.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am a 2003 graduate of South Kitsap High School. The 3 years that I spent at South were not always the best. However it was not until my Junior and Senior years of high school That I found teachers and people that really cared about what my long term goals for my future were. Mrs. Gabrielle Nelson who taught my Junior and Senior English courses was absolutely amazing! She is an amazing encourager and was one of my key influences when I chose to become a teacher. The others that have greatly influenced me were not at South but at West Sound Technical Skills Center in Bremerton. I found my time there to be fruitful and it ultimatly underscored my immense passion for teaching this next generation and to call them to a higher standard of not only academic excellance but immense pride in themselves.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“The school didn't care about students or anything other than sports and money. Even if you had a club or other group that made money, they took it for sports. Academia was completely ignored unless you were lucky and got some of the great teachers.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“My son started at this school 7+ months ago. This is his second year of HS but first year at the HS, since they spend the first year of HS at the JR High because there isn't room. Every trimester his teachers change. I haven't had much luck with getting responses via email from any of his teachers. Since there is a lack of feedback from teachers except at conference, there isn't much a parent can do to monitor progress. SKHS isn't likely to turn an unmotivated child into one that is. The short time a teacher spends with your teen doesn't allow for teacher involvement. It appears from my son's comments that his piers don't take the electives seriously even though there does seem to be a variety.Bottomline, an overcrowded school spells trouble for teens needing additional help. They just get lost in the crowd.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Excellent class selection and good technical department. Good at transition resources. Not good teachers attitudes. Some do not choose to be involved with parents. Some teachers flat out will not be supportive, like they are only there because they have to be. Others teachers are great. It's a cultural attitude you get hit with that is disappointing.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“In my opinion, part of SKHS's overcrowding is due to the fact that we don't want to lose our 'cream of the crop' athlete choices. When we have so many choices, we can create a winning team. State Championships are important- enough books for each student?- Well, that's on the backburner. This school is much more concerned about how we end up at the end of the season than what our WASL results reveal. If we could spend as much money on academic excellence- enough books, enough desks, enough space, enough teacher/student time, we would have more than half of our SKHS students passing the WASL Math. Heck, if we had the same ratio of coach/player to teacher/student contact, I would be happy. Bottom line, my junior passed the WASL. That was her achievement- not the school's. BTW, my older daughter and I are both SKHS graduates. -Disheartened”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I loved going to South Kitsap High School. Considering how many people went to that school with me, everyone seemed to get along with each other swimmingly.”
This review was posted by a student.

“excellent school,excellent teachers”
This review was posted by a parent.

“As a former student at South Kitsap, I do have to say that it did pretty much try to focus on just 'Making the standard.' There was never a 'Lets exceed the standard.' With a student body of almost 2500 students, it was hard to manuver around and get somewhere on time. I am a graduate of 2002. From the sounds of things, once again they worried about one thing: Athletics. If you werent an athelete you were nothing. I myself was in the NJROTC program and was more of the 'spit on' because no one desired to care about what we did. Now I am in the military and still laugh at the fact that they still wonder where the atheletes went and not the soldiers that went to Iraq, or Afghanistan.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“I attended South and graduated 2003. I left with mixed feelings. It is a school that tried to do well with what they have. With a school this size, it seems things are looked at in a black and white sense. The environment/actions remain politically correct and decisions aren't always the right ones due to fear of just how the community will react. The community is not always supportive and the staff/policies aren't always understanding. The school is one of small town politics and friday night football games, striving for the typical instead of raising its standards. To me, it felt that importance was placed more on entertainment (football, cheer) then intelligent education. I left the school with a large circle of close friends but a disillusioned view of the educational system. It took me a year to finally rediscover an interest and thrill that can be had with learning and expanding.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“If the dropout rate is 8.2% and the graduation rate is 75% where is the other 16.8%. Who is cooking these books? Someone that took math at South Kitsap High School? Best school spirit? Who cares? This school is too large and too focused on sports. School levies will do nothing but add more administration and security officers. Find the statistics on where that money went last year. New secretaries, etc. No books. Classes with more students than books mean no homework.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is the first year I've had a student at South. I admit that the mere size of the school and the amount of students was overwhelming at first by both me and my son. We were both pleasantly surprised at how efficient the school organizes things so that it doesn't seem so big. They seem to have things down to a small science and I am confident that my son will get a good education there. He has many choices for extra curricular activities if he chooses and the school spirit is infectious. I have heard people say that South Kitsap isn't all about academics but it is all about sports. Yes sports are a big deal there but I wouldn't say it's any different than any other school. South Kitsap High School is a great school where kids can focus on whatever it is they want to and I am proud to be a parent of a child who goes there.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The last parent conference went smooth, and most of the teachers were friendly and seemed interested in helping the students learn to their full potential. The overall parent teacher conference's were very helpful.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My Grandmother, my Mother, my Wife and I and my Daughter and two sons have all attended SKHS. Actually my youngest son is in his final year. I enjoyed each year myself and have found a tremendous amount of support by the teachers and counselors for anything I or my kids ever needed. I have always had total support by the teachers whenever we needed it regarding our kids. Dave and Mary Schurr”
This review was posted by a former student.

“I am discouraged with the lack of education my son has received in South Kitsap High, he has been told by a teacher that all he will be is a D student, he has also been told he needs a baby sitter to find a book in the library. He has asked for help but no one has time. In elementry school the teacher told him to 'tell your dad to stop calling me'. This was infront of his classmates. This morning I went to school and asked someone in the guidance office to please give me a call. I just called and was told the counselor has gone for the day. I guess there is no time for me or my son. I called the discovery school last year and was told he had to fail 10th grade before they would do anything.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I attended SK schools my entire life. I was born and raised in South Kitsap. And mnever did I ever see a highschool with so much spirit. It makes me proud to know I attended a high school that won Evening Magazines 'best school spirit' award the 3 years in a row I went there. This school, though over crowded has so much heart it's amazing the kids get along so well.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“South Kitsap High School is simply too large. Too many students are slipping through the cracks as shown by the dismal dropout and graduation statistics. Not enough 'one on one' time with teachers is possible. College sized classes and class rotations don't give students opportunities to develop positive relationships with teachers. Students need a connection to stay motivated. We need to save these kids with our time and our attention,and yes our money. The rigid attendance policy works against students. Attendance 'F's' certainly cause students to give up and drop out. We need another high school needed now!”
This review was posted by a other.

“South Kitsap High School has improved since I got involved because my last two children are good examples. Dave Columbini and his staff have worked hard to listen to parents and students on academic, sports and student issues. I hope more parents get involved if they want changes to occur or help South Kitsap continue to graduate successful young men and women. The 4 year levy also helps the schools and district plan on a long term budget for improving and maintaining South Kitsap as one of the finest school districts in Washington State. Please attend the PAC meetings, support staff and student consultations, ask questions and get answers, and keep involved with your student's education. Yes, South is crowded but it can be just another school when the students have confidence in their abilities and don't let the crowd influence their desires and goals. Friends help make anything seem less intimidating. As for school buses, the students can help the bus driver make the ride more responsible by being good examples. Last, I would like to add that not all students were meant to be bookworms because they learn by doing however, graduation does require certain credits. I like the Ignite Mentor program if students take advantage of it. There is also a Tutoring program for students who need assistance. Good luck and congratulations to those who continue their education.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I've attended South Kitsap High School myself and have found the teachers there to be outstanding. They can't help it when parents fail to raise their children well enough to understand that, or are simply uninformed themselves.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Some very questionable teachers have slipped into this school in the past as well as now. My child will be going out of the district to attend high school because of South's poor quality teachers, the unreliable school board, and the severe overcrowding problem.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I attended SK schools as did all 4 of my kids; SK is a typical public school that is primarily a job source for staff and union members. College prep takes all precedent over vocational alternatives. Safety for students is a very low priority especially on rural bus routes. 'Bang for the buck' in our property tax based school system is very poor.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“i am not a parent but i am currently a student at south kitsap high school. Truthfully, i think that the school is pretty good the one of the things that i really dont like is the class size, there are thirty-five students in my senior english class alone. Which in itself shows that there isnt enough one on one time. The lunch periods are closed campus which is also something that my friends and i complain about alot. South Kitsap offers a lot of extra curricular clubs, which i go to (some anyways).”
This review was posted by a other.

“I agree, South Kitsap High School is too large for a quality education. My son fell through the cracks in 11th grade because he has some learning problems that could not be addressed directly due to the volume of kids and not enough time. It makes me sad that my daughter who is an honor student will be there next year, but thank goodness she is self motivated.”
This review was posted by a parent.