Research Mercer Island High School public Schools in Seattle, Washington

“My two kids attended MI HS. They liked most teachers, and respected the high bar they set, even when they complained about the difficulty or volume of the homework they got. I agree with the March 1, 2008 post by a student -- in the end *parents* have the responsibility to educate their kids to know to stay away from drugs and alcohol. One important thing that I havent seen mentioned yet is that BMW's in school parking lot put a lot of pressure and is cause for a lot of family discussion over priorities, over what car the kid should get and what is wrong with riding the school bus.”

“I am a student at Mercer Island High School and I have only good things to say about this amazing school. The academics are spectacular, and are very accommodating for a public school. The sports are also quite fantastic, with devoted coaches and athletes. Spirit is also very prevalent at the school, and you will always see people sporting their maroon and white. As far as drugs and alcohol go, the school is no better or worse than your average high school. Those who say that drugs are everywhere and that you have to use drugs to be 'cool' have no clue what they are talking about. The statistics show that Mercer Island High School is right smack in the middle for drug use. Get your facts right!”

“My daughter just graduated form MIHS, and is now attending USc. She loved the environment, academic challenge, sports and the many good and close friends she made during her high school years. Some of the teachers she had were five stars in every way, and the present principal is a warm, welcoming person, who really cares about kids. I am so glad my daughter had the chance to spend her high school years at MIHS.”

“Great School . Great kids, teachers, administrators, parents, and community. All of the kids are very driven and get very high score ands grades.”

“Having children attend this school, I have been really pleased with the overall education that they have recieved. Excellent teachers really do care about the kids.”

“First of all, I attended Mercer Island High School from 10th to 12th Grade. It was a far better school than any of the previous schools I had been enrolled in - I was challenged, class loads were flexible, and the staff encouraged students to excel and demonstrate applied knowledge. The class offerings were more from a college catalog, in terms of electives. This school really set me up for success. Of my 300+ senior class, 98% of us were college bound. I hold a B.S. in IT now, and I am working on my MBA at Seattle University. I owe a LOT of it to Mercer Island High School, the staff, and the general environment that they established for me to learn in. Now I am desperately trying to get back to Mercer Island in order to afford my 3 young children the same schooling experience I had.”

“I attended Mercer Island High School grade 9-12 and I thought the academic programs challenged the students enough. There were several AP programs and excellent knowledgable teachers. Sports is a huge part of this school. If you don't do sports you might not want to go here. However they have some great opportunities for performing arts such as drama and jazz choir. I especially enjoyed ceramics and photography class. A good balance here overall.”

“Great new principal...bringing new energy and enthusiasm to make a great school even better. Many great teachers!”

“Two of my children have graduated from Mercer Island High School(MIHS) and one is a senior there currently. MIHS is a great school, with blue ribbon status and great academic records with one of the highest in state.”

“This is an excellent school in the district. The teachers are well respected, and teach our children well.”

“A unique collective of students in a unique environment”

“Great school for academics. Improvement on sports programs”

“While Mercer Island HS may be the best in WA state, I would rate it as 'Very Good' and not 'Excellent'. We moved to Cold Spring Harbor, NY and found the public high school to be far better than MI High. I would not hesitate to send my children to MI HS, but having experience with a world class school district (CSH), I realize that I had an inflated view of MI when I lived in WA.”

“Quality teaching and dedication to academic and civic excellence make MIHS a leader in public education in Washington State.”

“The academics are outstanding. As an example, the Class of 2005 has 5 students accepted early to Stanford and others to Princeton, Dartmouth, Williams, Brown, Barnard, USC, Bowdoin. Critical thinking, problem solving and writing skills are prioritized. Courses such as Biomed and Humanities are unparalleled in excellence. I have two students at MIHS--the school's athletic code, among other things, keeps them on the straight and narrow regarding drugs, alcohol, etc. They have a wide circle of friends that is not dependent upon their partying skills. I feel fortunate that they have grown up with wonderful kids who have parents that care--one of the many benefits of being in a small community. A new principal has been hired for next year.”

“As a student at MIHS, I disagree with the idea that drugs and alcohol are not problems at this school. I would say at least 80% of the 9th grade class drinks or smokes marijuana regularly, some starting as early as the 7th grade. The teachers and administration, although excellent, seem to turn their heads when it comes to this problem. Yet the coldest, cruelest, fact of the matter is that if a student doesn't drink or try drugs, they will not be considered 'cool'. Students have almost unlimited access to these things only because of the money that almost all families are equipped with here. Although our school certainly is academically outstanding, most of us students at MIHS simply serve as an example that drug and alcohol problems are more common among teens with money, than they are commonly thought of as being 'urban' and 'ghetto' school problems.”

“I am a former student who went all the way through the mi school system... Lakeridge elementary, islander middle school and mihs. I totally disagree with the parents comments about a rampant drug and alcohol problem. I made it through all 18 year without a single drink or drug, and i graduated and went on to usc. I think a student of the mi system has a choice, as does any individual in any school in washington state. Every single school has drug and alcohol users, and mercer island is no exception. However, unless a person is home-schooled, they will have those issues at any public high school. I loved every year of my mi schooling, and any parent should have confidence in the system. Children and young adults thrive there, and my classmates and I are proof of that. Go mi... I miss you!”

“I have lived on Mercer Island for almost 20 years. I have 5 children. I loved the elementary schools - the teachers are dedicated and caring. I liked the middle school. Once again, great teachers. The kids changed. The once devoted parents became very lenient (Parents here have a hard time saying no when their children become teenagers). As a result some of the children started to become wild. Many parents have relinquished control to their children. This continues through the high school. Drugs, alcohol, expensive cars, parties, are common at Mercer Island High School. If I had to choose a school again I would pick a school with higher values over academics.”

“Reading the other parent's review, I must agree completely, Mercer Island High has one of the highest drug and alcohol problems in the state. Despite parents attempts to keep drugs out of the school, there have been many accidents ending in tragedy, related to teens and drug abuse at this high school.”