Peachtree Ridge High School

Great schools. Academic program is wonderful!! I love the opportunity for advanced placement as my daughter needs to be challenged to excell!
--Submitted by a parent

I moved from Collins Hill district this past year, and I'm loving Peachtree Ridge. Please read me out as I highlight some recent "issues" in the comments, this coming from a first year student with no knowledge of anyone or anything. There is a lot of recent talk on how the school is only focused on athletics. NOT TRUE! They praise athletic accomplishments and want to accel, but it's nowhere near as bad as people say it is. If anything, I've noticed a main focus on academics, which continuously go up. We were ranked 1st in the county on the graduation test and hold a new record for highest average sore and pass rate, as well as the number of perfect scores. Arts are weak, but you can see them growing. A new band director just came in and will revamp the program. I see NO RACIST ISSUES! I have made friends of every race already, and they all know each other. Sure, the asians have a click, and the white kids, and the black kids, but how is that different than any school? Races tend to share more common interests. I love the school, and I see a lot of good in the future. I'm optimistic for years to come.
--Submitted by a student

I LOVE PRHS My daughter is a sophomore and is more prepared for college than most other children and I attribute that to the block system. I have found the teachers and administration (Principal, Vice Principal, department heads, and department chairpersons), all very accessible and truly caring individuals. There are over 3,000 students and the principal knows most of them. The communication is outstanding and the faculty appreciates parents that are involved - via email, phone, or volunteering. I cannot give enough praise and accolades to this wonderful learning establishment. The only detrimental comment I have is from my daughter - who states the guidance counselors are not there for the children, she feels that they should meet with the children to see how they are doing. My daughter is in the special ed program and I cannot give this department enough praise; be it to her teachers, case worker, and department head. They let her know how important she is as an individual, and believe in her, her grades and overall self esteem have improved light years (from her previous school) and I owe that to the staff of PRHS. I highly recommend this fine learning establishment.
--Submitted by a parent

My son attends this school and I see it as only average. My son is a dyslexic with great work discipline but the block schedule does not accomodate learning differences very well. The school is also VERY cliquish and while ethnically diverse it is very socially segregated. I also do not like the lack communication about school happenings. You kind of have to find out for yourself ways to get involved and then stay there or you're an outcast. You can't be an athlete and part of a club at the same time. They only things they make sure you know about is football games. If you're not a good athlete you don't matter excpet in your clique.
--Submitted by a parent

There is nothing positive to say about this school. I attended this school for a year, and I absolutely hated it; it was the worst year of my life. The students here are ridiculous. It is a mostly wealthy school, and the people are very snobby. There is also a problem with integration, as another commented stated. The people are very unaccepting and withdrawn from other people. I attended another school for my ninth and tenth grade years where we were like a family and we stood by each other. I spent my 11th grade year here, and I came home sad every day because I never made any friends. They're so cold here, including the teachers. I had several who couldn't care less about the students, and I had one who couldn't stand any of us just because. The teachers can't keep their classes under control, and the focus is mainly on sports and your social status. Don't believe what people say abou this being a great school, because it's not. This is coming from a student who wasted a whole year of her life there. I strongly suggest to anybody moving to this area to make sure that you are not in the district for Peachtree Ridge! Your child will likely have a miserable time and bad education.
--Submitted by a student

This school is a joke. The bureaucracy and red tape involved in the scheduling and paperwork process is absolutely ridiculous and impossible. Counselors and administration are worthless... they do not know how to function in a coordinated or student-oriented fashion. Everything takes days to complete, communication is non-existent... The entire school is set on raising its own ranking, and has no concern for the children's personal desires. This is unfortunate because the teachers (for the most part) seem to be genuinely passionate about the students, which is praiseworthy since there are so many to take care of. If you plan to send your child here, make sure that you never have issues with scheduling, classes, any school-related papers, attendance, etc... administration isn't going to go out of their way to help you. The other thing I am concerned about is the obvious lack of integration and racism problems. Having moved from a more liberal state I'm surprised at how segregated the students are, which is not the school's fault, but teachers also seem to act this way with certain races as well. Very disappointing overall. Don't believe the hype.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has a drug issue and as a parent i am not satisfied with the schools way of handling issues such as that. It seems as if you do not do a sport at the school, you are treated of lesser value. The administration team is a joke. The little extra help that some students may need is not there. Instead they are looked down upon for not understanding the curriculum. My child has been to many schools, and out of all of them, PRHS is the worst.
--Submitted by a parent

I am not pleased with the school. My son has ADHD/ODD and the block schedule is not a good situation for a child with these disorders. Students with below average or average grades fall through the cracks at this school and it's very sad to see.
--Submitted by a parent

Very poor communication from administration. School is only focused on sports. Majority of teachers are good.
--Submitted by a parent

This is an excellent school, we have lived all over the country and this the best school my children have attended. Top notch academics, staff, and extracurricular activities have made it an excellent institution. The school really prepared my girls for college.
--Submitted by a parent