44 out of 10GreatSchools

Dunedin Highland Middle School

Dunedin, FL
  • Public
  • |
  • Grades 6-8
  • |
  • Enrollment: 1035

Overview

Dunedin Highland Middle School
70 Patricia Avenue
Dunedin, FL 34698
(727) 469-4112
Dunedin Highland Middle School is located in Dunedin, FL and serves grades 6-8.It received a GreatSchool rating of 4 out of 10
This information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Student Diversity

Race

Percentage

Asian or Pacific Islander
2%
Two or more races
4%
Asian
5%
Black
21%
Hispanic
23%
White
45%

Reviews15 Reviews

2.5
parent
The school is doing wonders with what they have. There is a very diverse population in terms of everything - income, race, culture, etc. - so if you want to shield your child from the real world, this may not be the place for you. The CGS program is amazing - it earns some of the highest scores in the county in Math, Language Arts, Civics, Spanish and Science. The teachers are dedicated and the counselors always get back to you, even though they have a large student body. My children were able to get into the Early College programs due to their high pre-SAT scores and have moved on to college with ease thanks to the rigor and guidance they received at this school. CGS sets high expectations and requires a certain degree of maturity, respectful behavior towards teachers and other students, and self direction that may put off some permissive families, but we are grateful as that is what the students will face when they become adults and get into college. I know of some parents that will try to steam-roll the teachers, especially in regards to changing grades or forgiving academic dishonesty (there is some lawnmower parenting going on - and I suspect these are the ones writing up the negative comments in regards to CGS) and the teachers will stand firm on accountability, which we appreciate. We have heard stories from our kids about students boasting that their cheating/class misbehaviour was going to be obviated and exceptions made because their parents were going to do this or that, and their shock when it did not turn out that way. In our experience, especially for gifted students that thrive on an accelerated and enriched curriculum and have the maturity to act in class with respect and focus, this is the place to be.
parent
The isolation of the CGS program does not do enough to improve the experience, as the problems are endemic to the entire school. The classes are adequately challenging, but the lack of leadership and teacher accountability is on par with other public schools. There are very few extracurricular activities offered through the school.
student
As a student attending the Center for Gifted Studies for the past year and a half, I have been thoroughly unimpressed with my schools quality of education, student support, and overall management. The school is extremely polarized, and the majority of staff members show no interest of helping to remedy this issue. The CGS program compared to the other to programs (PAMA and ATA) is day and night. On one hand, the teachers at the CGS program are strict, involved teachers who for the most part care about students education. However, I do not believe the teachers coordinate with one another on how they assign their work. The amount of work is often overwhelming and on numerous occasions I have studied well into the night in order to complete my work. The teachers care for their students, but often forget to take into account the amount of stress that comes with the quantity of work. I know for a fact I am not the only scholar who feels as such. On the other hand, the PAMA and ATA programs, in my opinion, allow students to get away with too qmany outbursts and displays of disobedience. I do not understand what it is like to sit in a gen. ed. classroom, however I do understand what it is like to go to an elective class taught by a ATA teacher with the majority of my peers being from the ATA program. The majority of these students are loud and disrespectful and my elective teacher never does anything more than slap these students on the hand and send them on their way. Additionally, the students are often wandering the halls skipping class, and the staff members do little about this. The vast majority of staff members at DMHS have adopted an "out of sight, out of mind mindset" and do not care about the students well being. As a current student of DHMS, I would highly recommend not sending your child here, or at the very least, have you child shadow for a day to really get the feel of the schools atmosphere before you enroll him/her at Dunedin Highland Middle.
parent
As a parent of a 7 the grade daughter who was bullied into a fight then suspended for said fight because she defended herself ,other girls held her while another student struck several blows. Then the officer on duty called my wife to say that some students have told him that my daughter was skipping class when she was in an alternative class room suggested by the school.Now think about it a Pinellas county sheriff taking the word of 12year olds and acting on the info with out consulting or investagating the facts
Showing 4 of 15 Reviews