Ben Davis High School

Not the best school around. I am a transfer student so i only attend the school in the career center. But there is overcrowding. the school does not feel safe, i hear about fights almost everyday. there are gang related issues. The teachers can't control the class and everyone cusses out the teacher. They don't allow you to wear backpacks because of the fear of hiding weapons. You can't wear anything larger than a hoodie or you have to put it in your locker.
--Submitted by a student

I would not suggest this school to anyone, I have had horrible experiences with every aspect of this school with 2 of my 3 children. With the experience of this school I am now looking for a private school for my last child. I am scared to send my child here everyday. I am looking forward to my childs last day at this school in 2 weeks. Nothing is positive from my personal experiences here. Sports, leadership, positive role modeling, communication, and safety of my child have been a huge terrible personal experience for me. These are my personal experiences not the same for everyone.
--Submitted by a parent

BDHS is not a scary place. I have never felt scared that I will be injured or anything like that because the administration is SUPER strict (which can get annoying). Because it is so big it can afford to provide the students with better learning opportunities, like BDTV/WBDG(student TV & radio) and the career center. Excellent school, but the administration is so strict it becomes so annoying to do almost anything.
--Submitted by a student

Ben Davis is a scary high school. The teachers can't teach because the kids don't allow them to get it done. There is racial tension, gang issues, and just too many people to provide a safe environment. If you can afford to send your child elsewhere, please do so.
--Submitted by a student

The school is unfortunately just too big. The classes for the average student are too large and the teachers are unable to maintain discipline. But it doesn't matter, if you show up, you can pass without any effort. There is an air of dangerousness about the whole building, there is not much the adults can do to provide a safe school.
--Submitted by a parent

As a recent graduate (2009) the previous comments all hold some truth as well as misapprehensions.. Having transferred in 9th gr from a school of 150, the social scene was a change. However, as long as a student has a personal drive, there is no reason to not succeed. Sadly, there are 2 groups of students that receive the attention from staff: the good students and those not interested in their education. The average students tend to get lost in the crowd. This is a school that relies heavily on personal ambition. While many teachers are willing to be more personal with struggling students, the majority of the staff expect students to be ambitious and help themselves. At least 7 students have been admitted into Ivy League schools in the past 2 years, and I expect there to be many more. This a clear representation of the opportunities offered at BD.
--Submitted by a student

I am a graduate of ben davis high school (2008) and i am very satisfied of the education they have giving me. This is a very good school!
--Submitted by a student

I am a former student(2006) and Ben Davis is a great school for students that are trying to do something positive for themselves. Ben Davis is a school filled with opportunity and teachers willing to help you succeed. Yes, there can be drama, fights and other negative things that go on there, but its all a matter of choice. All of that can be avoided by the choice students make.

coming from a smaller school district it was very hard to adjust and yes, it is crowded and you can get very easily be overlooked. My solution was to take all AP classes and what a difference it made. Classes all of sudden were small and the teachers had time to teach and not had to quiet down other students. For the last year I simply concentrated on studying hard taking hard classes ( ohh btw the teachers always have time to help there) and getting into a good college. I suppose you get out of high school what you put in it. Agreed BD is not an easy school but you can succeed and teachers are wonderful and if you have a chance take Honors and AP classes, much much better overall environment, but be prepared to study hard, it is not easy.
--Submitted by a student

i'm currently a junior at ben davis, and honestly, i am miserable there. i am, and i know too many other students that are as well. it's a nice building, but poor quality education. i feel like a walking ID number, and it's hard to get help in your classes. most of the time in class isn't being spent learning, but instead is being spent listening to the teacher try to calm down the rowdy students in class. there are fights almost daily, you can walk about two feet a minute because the hallways are so packed. ben davis is also a hard school to go to if you aren't a 'typical' teenager. it's a very cliquey environment, and it can be hard to make friends.
--Submitted by a student