Austin High School

Amazing and full of moments I will cherish forever

So far, AHS has been a terrible high school experience. The principal seems far more concerned about the public image of the school than about connecting with students or parents. They talk big about the academy structure, which does seem like it could be a great model, but in reality the day-to-day here is just like any typical gigantic high school. The only thing the kids in each academy “learning community” have in common is the same 4 core teachers. Nothing is done to bring them together as a community beyond that. There is a massive problem with kids using drugs IN THE BUILDING DURING SCHOOL and the administration does nothing. Students are offered illegal drugs daily. It’s unavoidable. Yes, there are drugs at every high school, but the role it plays here is absurd and alarming. Kids just slip into the bathroom, vape, and go back to class or they skip class and nobody asks any questions until they’ve reached district limit of absences. Socially it's also hard to navigate because it is so crowded and chaotic. Kids who aren't academic overachievers or plugged into band, a sport, or theater easily get lost in the shuffle. The teachers seem solid overall, but obviously overwhelmed and overworked.

My student just graduated. This school is horrible. Any positive experiences that one might recall from previous decades do not hold true today. The school ran out of paper. It spent its entire budget on cheap, barely useable Chromebooks, and as a result there was not enough paper for the students by the end of the school year.It does not have enough lockers for students, so the administration's decided that no students should have lockers. Everyone must carry textbooks on their person. The lockers themselves remain on the walls, because removing them also costs the district money. However, joining a sport does give you a locker. One of my children had a class with more than 40 students enrolled. This in and of itself is not bad, however the classroom was not designed to handle that many students. As such, THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH DESKS. Students had to share desks with others if they arrived late. Austin High is very diverse, which is a plus. The academies do facilitate a closer learning experience.

Austin High has cutting edge programing. Their academies are outstanding. They offer so many unique electives and sports. There are so many opportunities for the students to learn and grow. It is an excellent school, but it has it's pitfalls too. It is up to the student to make the choices to either take full advantage of all the positives that the school has to offer, or unfortunately the darker antithesis.