Shelley Senior High School

I have two students that attend this school. One is geared in sports and the other is geared towards academics. I have found that the majority of focus is on sports to a fault. If you are on the Football or Basketball teams you are considered a special student despite the fact that grades are less than stellar. The administration needs to address instructors that are failing to do their job problem and recognize those instructors who do a fantastic job. This can be an outstanding school if they meet the educational standards set by the State and focus on the reports that have been given for the last several years. There is also concern with lack of properly maintaining the exterior parking and walk areas during snow storms. There is very little attention to plowing to keep the property safe. A few years ago a survey was given involving students and parents. There were many good suggestions that were offered, however the overall report detailed many areas that were lacking,. This report was supposed to be published to the public and never was.
--Submitted by a parent

I love this school it is the best education i could ask for
--Submitted by a student

Shelley High School id a great school for it's size. Large enough to offer great programs, but still snall enough to care about the individual students. A full range of AP classes as well as five new concurrent enrollment classes are offered for college credit. Test scores are among the highest in the State. Extra-curricular programs are amazing with over 15 state championships in the past five years. The small town atmosphere cannot be beat!
--Submitted by a parent

My son was transfered into Shelley from a larger district due to a recent move. Our experience has been less than good with the School and the District. The school puts major emphasis on sports, but does little to excel at academics. There are very few after school programs for the students who want to excel and obtain credits to graduate early. Some instructors do a fantastic job, but the majority are there to collect a pay check. If a student is struggling do not expect that the instructor will contact the parent. There is no oversight when a teacher is doing a poor job. Frequently these people stay in the positions for years affecting generations of students. Many of the good teachers leave for schools that are more rounded in all areas. Students frequently complain about cliques. Administration does little to correct these issues
--Submitted by a parent

Sports rule here. My kids have had great coaches and sports peers. I value sports as an equal partner to academics, and am very pleased with SHS in that regard. Academics are on par with other public schools of this size in Idaho. What that means is: 1)limited course offerings. 2) Some excellent teachers and classes...but many more that are mediocre. Some teachers and classes are horrible (Foreign Languages are very weak). 3) Mixed levels of communication between teachers and parents--some teachers are great about it, others can't be bothered to respond to an email. 4) Low expectations of students. 5) Grade inflation. Approximately half the student body is on Honor Roll. Academic extra-curriculars are mixed and limited. Drama is a sad, tired program. Robotics is great. Speech and debate decent. Lots of Mormons! As a non-mormon, I was worried, but this has actually been a nice bonus!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of 4 children, all who attend Shelley schools. I am also a graduate of Shelley. I would like to thank all of the administration for all of their hard work and committment in making my children's education a good experience. I hear all of the time how one sided it it here with sports and that nothing else matters-yes sports are important in Shelley-but do you know that the robotix team just took 1st place at the 2006 Pacific Northwest Regional Championships in Portland? They are now planning on attending the 2006 World Championship. What makes this such an amazing feat is that they went in as a rookie team and took fist-no other team has ever done that. Alot of Shelley's other extracurricular activities have also thrived this year. Shelley is a good community with a good educational program-a great place to raise a family.
--Submitted by a former student

I am very dissatisfied with Shelley School School. I unfortunately graduated from SHS, and I regret every moment of it. While I was there, I think I saw the principal perhaps four times total. The teachers acted as if they cared less than the students did, and wanted out as soon as possible. No wonder so many quit, and one of my favorite teachers had a mental breakdown. There was a strong empasis on sports, leaving the music, dance and drama departments to fend for themselves. The only thing I can remember my parents being involved in during my High School career is making a few payments here and there, and maybe a report card at the end of the year. I have never, and will never send my child to Shelley High School, nor any Shelley school.
--Submitted by a former student

With a new principal this past year, I think the school is doing really well. Of course, if you have come in from a bigger school, Shelley High will seem a little out of touch. But, the education is fine a challenging. Especially the AP and honors Courses. These classes are to help the students prepare and maybe even earn credits for college. Any student can thrive in this school if they just have the want and put the right effort into it. It is located in a small town, so some of the worldy things are not focused on, but the education is great and the teachers will take time to help the students if they just ask.
--Submitted by a student

I was very dissatisfied with Shelley High School. After class registration, but before school actually started, the Debate teacher left with little warning. The school replaced him with someone who knew absolutely nothing about Debate. They should have considered ending the program and moving the students rather than simply wasting an hour of every Debate student's day. There were other issues including teachers who 'phone it in', pet students disrupting class without ramifications, and an overall attitude that because they were in a small town all the students would grow up to live in Shelley and wouldn't really need a comprehensive education anyway. In my opinion, this school exemplifies everything wrong with public education. Thankfully, at the time Idaho allowed students to go to any school of choice so we transferred our son to Hillcrest for his second semester as a Freshman where he has thrived.
--Submitted by a parent