Hazleton Area High School

Let me first say, the reviewer who said that kids coming out of this school are automatically disadvantaged, is incorrect. I graduated from HAHS in 2002 and I have recently obtained my PhD in nuclear engineering. There were some good teachers at HAHS and there were some great opportunities in advanced courses. With that said, I was also a self-starter and an over-achiever. I pushed myself without any help from staff at HAHS. I don't believe there's any school, no matter what curriculum they offer or how great the teachers are, that will guarantee your child's success. It takes motivation and dedication on the students' part and support from their parents. Having kids of my own now, I would not take a job in the Hazleton area because I would not want to send them to this district. I believe the whole district did get worse since I graduated. I hear they now have metal detectors at HAHS. I also heard they have since paid many of the teachers that were there during my time to take early retirement in order to get new, and probably less-qualified, teachers in there. So I give the school 3 stars for giving me a great start in life, but no more due to its current state.

HAHS is THE WORST school I have EVER had to deal with. We moved around alot, my daughter had gone to 13 schools (with a 3.8gpa) prior to arriving at HAHS in her senior year. Her previous school offered drivers education, HAHS does not. Because of this, she was 2 credits shy of graduating on time. After lengthy discussions with the principal, summer school was not available to her because she did not fail any classes, he gave no option other than for her to complete another year of school. This news came in April of her graduating year. During my conversation with the principal, I was told "You'd better loose than southern accent and learn to talk like a coal cracker if you want to get along in this area" I will never forget those words. Nor will I ever forget the anguished sobs when my daughter realized that after all her hard work and stellar grades, she wouldn't graduate with her friends. She quit school 4 weeks before graduating. Thanks to the principal and Hazleton Area School District. Good job.

Kids are actually graduating from this school and have no idea who JFK or MLK are. They are not prepared for life, college or anything else except to go to a community college that will take anyone. The students that do get into Universities and Colleges of mediocre standards, do so because they were bright kids to begin with. Those bright kids if given a proper education could have gone on to an outstanding university and have done great things.

I am finally entering the year I have to deal with this school and these people. Although most of the teachers are good, forget it when it comes to guidence counseling for the most part it doesnt exsist. Dealing with these people is like dealing with the teens them selves , They only answer telephones when it doesnt interfer with their cell phone ringing, They are rude to just about everyone except their own kids. Unless your child doesnt speak english or is severely handicapped ,enabling the district to get more federal dollars , he/she doesnt matter. In the Hazleton Area High School average and better then average teens mean nothing to the bottom line. Thank God for school taxes, because if these people had recriut tuition they would all be hungry.