Reed-Custer High School

Most teachers go out of their way to communicate with parents. The school has challenging and less challenging teachers and courses which is what I'd expect in a small town school system. The school has a very strong special education department which is to be expected since SOWIC brings out of district students to RC. The school utilizes robo-texts, calls and emails for important information but it's not excessive. As with all high schools, there are kids that do smoke, drink and drug. The school has a strict drug test policy and a run in out of school hours results in extra-curricular consequences which is the most they can do. Teachers are encouraged to talk about career, college, military, and trade school options to the students. Juniors and seniors can go to the vocational center, take AP or dual credit classes. Writing and math skills are stressed but art, stem, music, theatre are offered. PE meets daily. It's a traditional (not block) schedule with time built in to seek out extra help. Most students are involved in extra-curricular sports, activities and clubs.

The staff on all levels is slow to respond. Many times there are substantial communication breakdowns. On some occasions, they have failed to notify students as well as news stations that school was cancelled until "the last minute". Mediocrity is rewarded at all levels here. Your children can spend hours in the Counselors office dishing gossip, but can't bother the nurse or office staff with medical emergencies. Students here regularly drink, sell and do drugs on campus. There is a higher than normal incidence of mentally ill students as well. Curriculum is geared towards a lower standard so that the district can be perceived as scholarly. Very disorganized school in all regards.

This school does not care about the students. They don't care when it's 20 below zero degrees. When all the other Illinois schools cancel, ours is the only one still open. They don't care if you get frostbite or an pneumonia, or whatever the case may be. They just don't care about the students. They only care about themselves.