Palmer Ridge High School

Palmer Ridge High School is an incredible high school with a unique environment, engaging classes, and interested teachers. As a student at PR I could not be more grateful for my school. The environment is unlike any other in that it is welcoming, friendly, challenging, and encouraging. Every one of my teachers has taken an interest in me as a student and done everything they can to help me succeed. Palmer Ridge is a place where students' full potentials are ignited and pursued. I have seen students at this school do so many incredible things in such a short time of PR being a school. Our school is truly an incredible school with people that are even more incredible. Aaaaaand GO BEARS!
--Submitted by a student

My daughter attended Palmer Ridge starting with its inception and was part of the very proud first graduating class of 2011. Not only was the experience of establishing traditions in a high school unforgettable, but she obtained an excellent education from an enthusiastic and engaged faculty. The school's environment is welcoming, the principal and administration have an open door policy, and parent volunteerism is unprecedented. Thus far heading into finals in her first semester of college, my daughter is holding a 4.0 GPA (higher than her high school performance level) and all because she was well prepared for college work. This is a great school and school district that I would recommend to anyone seeking the finest!
--Submitted by a parent

Palmer Ridge is only 4 years old and is quickly rising above many other local high schools. The school is known for excellence in academics, sports, and arts. PR has held an 89% pass-rate on AP tests (whose national average is 51%), is home to a student who got a perfect 36 on the ACT, and has an excellent leadership curriculum through their Student Council program. We have a quickly growing athletic department who has already won 2 Ice Hockey state championships (in our 4 years open), and our arts department has the highest quality equipment and puts on exceptional, professional, productions and performances. Student life is very positive and spirited, having won local spirit awards (compared to other local schools), and there is a genuine feeling of care and respect for one another at PR. Additionally, the facility is gorgeous and brand new, giving students great opportunities to excel in anything they want to. As a student, I am more than happy with Palmer Ridge and would never want to go anywhere else. GO BEARS!
--Submitted by a student

I joined this school a year after it started up and I love every moment of it! The teachers are friendly, the sports are great, and they've been adding to the school every year! They've painted different parts of the school and everyone participates in the spirit Fridays once a week! Oh, and the school dances run by student council are CRAZY fun! The school has a great learning environment, and all of the teachers are willing to spend extra time with you if your struggling in a subject. A five star school by my books!
--Submitted by a student

We are new to the area this year and have a daughter who just began her freshman year. She is exceptionally bright and self motivated. We searched for a school district that would hold her interest and prepare her for college. So far, she loves Palmer Ridge. The other students have been very welcoming, even the upper class members who are in many of her classes. Her teachers have been great so far. My husband and I attended open house recently and were pleasantly surprised that all of her teachers seemed to really love their jobs and have the student's best interest at heart. Recently I had the pleasure of hearing the superintendent of schools speak at a luncheon. Not only did the school earn "Excellent with Distinction" again for this last year, but District 38 also has the lowest number of students needing remedial help when they reach college in the entire state. Of course, areas with higher income levels have higher achieving students, because those areas are filled with educated parents who expect their children to value their education and go on to college and earn a degree. There is also school choice here, for those families in less impressive districts.
--Submitted by a parent

What absolute garbage has been written by the obviously bitter poster who claims that 'good scores only reflect the affluent population who can afford private tutoring to mitigate the lack of help from the school.' My son attended Palmer Ridge and achieved a 30 ACT score without any private tutoring or help from me. My other son attended Lewis Palmer High School and his experience at that school was not quite so positive (although still good.) I am happy to say that Palmer Ridge helped set my son up for guaranteed entrance into many top notch Universities. This school and the school district are still exceptional inspite of the budgetary constraints and deserve at least a four star rating. I no longer live in this area and have no motive to post a good review to increase my property value or sell it. What would be the motive to post negative reviews I wonder? Revenge?
--Submitted by a parent

Not a fan of the school or the district. I agree with an earlier comment that this used to be a good school district. Unfortunately it just isn't anymore. There are some good teachers, but the best have left the district for higher paying jobs in nearby districts - can't blame them. My kids last 2 years were a waste of time. Glad we've moved on!
--Submitted by a parent

Palmer RIdge is a amazing school that has come a very far way in its few years since being founded. It has a wonderful administration with caring and hands on teachers. I feel very lucky to be able to go to this school for all four years and am schocked every year by how much we accomplish and how much we grow!
--Submitted by a student

Be aware that the funding and building of this school was a highly contentious political issue in our area over several years that has had a strong influence on people's thinking about the school. Test scores are high, as in any affluent school district; test scores are strongly correlated to socioeconomic status nationwide, due to a wide variety of factors among which tutoring is a small one. Range of courses available is broad, and many teachers are very enthusiastic and engaged, challenging the students. As in any sizable school, some teachers are mediocre or simply inexperienced, and AP, honors or specialized courses tend to have the better teachers. Class sizes can be uncomfortably large in some classes that all students must take (e.g. freshman English and civics), and teachers have a pretty heavy load at times as the budget is tight; classroom teaching remains strong, but delays in grading student work are becoming more common. A wide range of extracurricular activities are available; sports are very big here, but music, theater and other activities are all popular and strong programs. There are many opportunities for parents to become involved.
--Submitted by a parent

This used to be a great school district. Pushing through the building of this high school without having the funding to run it shows the absolute ineptitude of those in charge. Because of their bad decisions, the kids now have to suffer with teachers assigned to subjects outside of their expertise and a staff stretched too thin to have time to actually care about the students. The only focus here is teaching to the test. Good scores only reflect the affluent population who can afford private tutoring to mitigate the lack of help from the school. This principal is a joke, I don't think he cares about individual students one bit. I applaude the few good teachers who battle through the challenges to focus on the students What a shame for a once proud district to have fallen so low.
--Submitted by a parent