South Walton High School

School is awful..My child has been there 4 years, through controversial athletic directors & principals, non-caring counselor...Never get a call back from anyone. And if your child wants to go on to college, you can forget about anyone trying to help them prepare & inform them of possible scholarships, etc. They really seem to focus on the FCAT scores..to keep the school in good standing, while everything else a high school should be suffers. The student body pretty much mirrors the administrators (minus a few good teachers) not involved at all..My other children will NOT be attending this school..
--Submitted by a parent

Bad school. Went there, and eveybody is lazy and nobody cares about anything. If you want to have a career in ANYTHING don't come here.

I won't quite give it a 5 star but I have to say that it has come a long way. If your child is fairly clean cut and is a stickler for rules (like my son is) then this school is great. The counselor has helped my son immensely over the past two years to keep his eye on his goals and he not only graduates next week, he has already been helped through programs and will be attending college, something I was scared I would never be able to afford for him. Mrs. Fairweather is a great asset to this school as well. Now, if your child is more the free spirit and artsy type, such as my middle son, then this school may not be for you. He was never encouraged to explore his strengths and spent most of his 2 years there butting heads with teachers, including the obnoxious band director, and in 11th grade he wound up dropping out and finishing up online at the Florida Virtual School. So, what is good for some is not always what is good for all and if the school would learn to be a little more "out of the box" for the students that may not always be in the *norm*, then it would really have something.
--Submitted by a parent

Too bad there has been no input in a year from other parents but this school is bad even with the 3rd new principal. The Athletic director is a bull and has been physically abusing kids for years, the superintendant is crooked and hires back her teacher and principal friends after they have already retired so now they are double dipping, retirement pay and full salary. The kids never have homework and are not prepared for any competitive college. I feel sorry for kids who go there and have to compete in college, they are in for a shock.
--Submitted by a parent

i seem to have discovered this site by accident and i would like to state that while its by far not the best school, it has the absolute greatest, wisest,(and oldest lol) teacher ive ever met. thats right, coach friggin high lol. history teacher richard high. i sat and talked to him a whole hour about lon chaney and other classic movies (no1else in the class knew what we were talkin about XD). other great teachers were sally barrow (only1 in the world who can teach me math) coach kraig and nick (incredibly funny duo) and mrs. trafton cracks me up with her sarcasm. review was written by ~the guy whose entire wardrobe consists of nothing but Metallica t-shirts
--Submitted by a student

SWHS is a great school. I was shocked when I read some of these reviews. Most of them do not reflect the current situation, but are from a time when the school was under different leadership. My son has attended other schools, and this one is by far the best. He receives the help and encouragement he needs. He enjoys sports here. I wish this site could be updated to reflect the changes that have occurred under the school's new administration. I highly recommend South Walton High school to parents seeking a quality education for their child.
--Submitted by a parent

i went to south walton and my sister graduates next year and let me tell you going to south walton is like sitting on a roundy round for 4 years until graduation when you just get thrown off in any random direction. i had very high hopes of attending a 4 year university and it was harder then pulling teeth to get any help or advice even at the 'senior meetings'. popularity is the number one priority for staff and students. favoritism rules over all and the student and parent voices are unheard unless your in that certain group. everything from scheduling conflicts and college goals fall on the deaf ears of the school counselors.
--Submitted by a student

Ignore past criticism, this school has come a long way. There are some limitations because of the size and what courses can be offered but it is head and shoulders above other Walton County High Schools.
--Submitted by a parent

The school has improved and there is a great and positive attitude swarming through the hallways!
--Submitted by a parent

wow after looking at all the reviews since 2003 I think our school SWHS has improved tremendously I have two children who attend SWHS my oldest is a senior this up coming year and he is a basket ball player, our daughter is going to be in the 10th grade and she excells in school as well has enjoyed the softball team last year. All I can say is SWHS has been good for my kids, my son had an 'issue' in the 10th grade and with help from staff he really has come full circle. I prayed long and hard for my kids in high school, as it can be a trying time, and God heard me and gave us great favor in teachers and office staff, Thanks to Mr. Michie and Suzie life was good 07-08 school year. Thanks SWHS Robin parent
--Submitted by a parent