Zionsville Community High School

I can't believe that there are people accusing this wonderful school of being rude and intolerable. Yes, it has a drug problem, but I challenge you to find a similar school that doesn't. My experience at ZCHS has completely changed my life. I came out of a different district's middle school with a 2.9 GPA. During my following year, I received all A's and a 4.25 GPA. They really know what they are doing at this high school. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for an outstanding place to send your high schooler.
--Submitted by a student

As a parent, I have found this school cliquish and full of rich white kids with drug problems. There is little diversity, tolerance or acceptance of kids who did not grow up here. We moved here several years ago and have had nothing but trouble with the local kids, and very little support from the school system. My kids were bullied and had their belongings destroyed, stolen or damaged by the local kids on school property. Drug use is rampant.The town has an abundance of well-to-do conservative parents, unsupervised entitled kids with money and transportation, and a community insistent on keeping it that way. While the school system touts it's 5 star program, and certainly does encourage education... racism, drugs and intolerance seem to be the big issues here. I think you will find the reviews of this school divided into 2 camps. Those that lived here all there lives and had a great, accepting, experience...and those that moved here and are shocked by the way their children were treated.
--Submitted by a parent

Zionsville is a wonderful school district to live in. Parents, students and administration plays pivotal role in our children's education!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a recent graduate of Zionsville, and I feel that my high school experience was great. I just recently graduated from Indiana University and I feel that Zionsville put me a step ahead of all of my friends at school. They really prepared me for the rigors of a college workload. I highly recommend this high school to anyone. We used to say that 'Zionsville was the public school that made private schools look bad.'
--Submitted by a student

I graduated from ZCHS a couple years ago, and I must say, it really was an excellent school. There are a wide variety of classes, and the teachers are extremely knowledgable about their subjects. The administration maintains a great rapport with the students, although sometimes they kind of leave parents out of the loop. After leaving this school and going into college, I felt very prepared for my classes and never felt like I was struggling to keep up. While some people say there is a drug problem, I never felt pressured to take drugs, and neither did any of the people I was friends with. I never felt like it was a problem in the least.
--Submitted by a student

Communication with parents is terrible at the high school. Little differentiation in classroom instruction exists and 21st century skills are not promoted. The excellent communication of the previous principal has gone by the wayside with the existing principal.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved our children from Indianapolis where they attended a very expensive, well-known private school until the 6th (& 5th) grades. They were behind in their academics, and it took them some time to catch up. My children had no idea how to study nor how to take tests or quizes. Now they are in high school and doing well even though it is extremely challenging. Anytime I've contacted a teacher, administrator or counselor, my phone call has been returned in a timely manner. Of course, I attend the back-to-school nights, teacher conferences and help with all the volunteer events I can manager. My husband and I along with our boys are totally pleased with our decision to move to Zionsville. Yes, the school does have its problem kids and drugs and alcohol. But from every parent I talk to in all the public and private surrounding schools, they do also.
--Submitted by a parent

Our family also was treated rudely -- when we tried to arrange a shadowing visit for our son, who was a top student at a private middle school. Apparently they had eliminated that program the year before (although they did offer us a tour of the facilities), but there was no reason to treat us with impatience when we inquired. Our son decided to attend a private high school, where we were treated with warmth and respect even though we aren't wealthy. There is stiff competition among private and public schools for outstanding students these days, and the private schools are putting a lot of creativity and money into recruiting them. Unless this school begins treating families more graciously, it is going to continue to lose these top students to other institutions.
--Submitted by a parent

I graduated from Zionsville a few years ago. Many of the students used drugs, but it wasn t a high pressure environment. There were no gangs, stealing, or any of the usual problems that surround the drug use. I would rate this school as a very friendly learning environment with motivated teachers, especially in the state of Indiana with its mediocre educational standard. If I had to say one thing that the school could improve on is its lack of diversity. I was one of the only minority students, and I did get some racist remarks. But that s something many of them will learn in college where majority of them will end up.
--Submitted by a former student

I was surprised by the glowing reports of the parents who reviewed this school previously. My experience was significantly different. ZHS definitely has a drug problem, although I wouldn't say it is pervasive. I guess no school is immune. But my frustration was in the denial of the administration that problems exist. As a parent, the level of response you get from administration is directly proportional to your level of status in the community. The office staff is difficult to deal with, and often quite rude to both students and parents. It seems a very clique based community and school. They cater to the upper 10% and have little resources or interest in the remainder of the students. I hate to write such a negative review, but after reading the others, I feel it important to add my unfortunate experience.
--Submitted by a parent