Hoover High School

Two of my children attended Hoover High School. We moved to Des Moines in 1994 without knowing the area. I wish we would have had the opportunity to read posts on a site like this at that time. We came from an area in Iowa with truely top rated schools .After enrolling our children into Des Moines Schools we found them to lagging FAR behind our kids previous schools. They would come home and say they had covered the same material in lower grade levels. SAD. If you are a parent reading these posts consider the fact that the outstanding reviews seem to be from kids that attended the school. Without any basis for comparison Hoover may have seemed to be a great place. Unfortunately for those of us who have enjoyed the advantage of great educational opportunities for our children it falls far short. If you are moving to the Des Moines area consider Ankeny Schools or Johnston, you and your child will be much happier with the end result.
--Submitted by a parent

I attended Hoover from 94-97. Teachers and students had little interest in education. Of all my teachers only 2 of them were satisfactory most failed to control the classroom or were hamstrung by accusations of racism anytime they attempted to discipline students. About 15% of students didn't speak English proficiently and that less than 40% could read at grade level. I call out these percentages because they further diminished the ability of this abysmal school to perform its basic function. Non-readers and non-English speakers were mixed in with average and above average students dragging down the ability of teachers to teach. Many gifted students were so frustrated by the lack of academic rigor that we mentally checked out and still got straight A's. My teachers had no expectations of their students and most of the students rose to those expectations. One of my biggest regrets is not taking as many of my classes as possible at central academy. Another is that I didn't ask my parents to open enroll me to Johnston. If you have any options better than Hoover please explore them. This school was an abject failure and if it's not currently a drop out factory it soon will be.
--Submitted by a parent

Hoover is a great school, and they have a lot of dedication teachers. If you don't like hoover or Des Moines school, then maybe private school is an option. Im a recent Hoover graduate, and i got to say that hoover had taught me a great deals about life, with the help of my teachers. There are complaining about how the hall way is noisy. I challenge you to find a hall way in school is not noisy. Im attending at ISU and studying criminal justice and criminology. Even college hall way is noisy. So good luck on trying to find a hall way in school is not noisy- kenyon Murphy-Hoover Graduate( Go Huskies)
--Submitted by a student

Hoover leaves a lot to be desired. I have 3 students there. When a student struggles, most teachers blame the student for not trying hard enough. Many teachers are stuck in a rut and not open to any new suggestions. Too many classes are boring and repetitive, making it difficult for the student to focus and remain interested. Expectations of students are extremely low, with the student dropping to meet those minimum expectations. The hallways are chaotic even when class is in session. Discipline is almost nonexistent. My wife is a teacher with 10+ years experience and I am a counselor with a MA in Education and 25 years experience. We wish we had other options for our kids. There are some bright lights among the staff, but they are in the minority.
--Submitted by a parent

Hoover gets a bad reputation because we don't test very high on ITEDS. Which is stupid to base how good a school is on that. I'm a senior at Hoover this year and i love it. I love how diverse the school is and all the different oppurtunities we get because we're so diverse. Yes, some of the teachers won't go the extra mile, but every school has a couple of teachers like that. For the most part any teacher wil be there any time you need help. Some of them completely go out of their way to make sure that you pass their class and are on track to graduate. Hoover is a great school and everyone has such great school spirit. But i'm sick of having to defend myself and my school everytime i say i go to Hoover, just because it's Hoover.
--Submitted by a student

Diversity is the key to Hoover's contribution to our son's education. He's a gifted student, and gets his opportunity to take college level clases at Hoover and at Central. But, let's face it, the world is more diverse than when it was in high school. He's learning to live and play and work with students of all backgrounds. That experience is a great teacher that won't show up on any SAT score or gov't report. And he gets to participate in anything he chooses.
--Submitted by a parent

Hoover is an outstanding school. It changed my life and I am so glad that I was able to go to school there. The teachers always do their best to help the students and make learning fun. I have never seen a school beaming with so much school pride and it is just an amazing atmosphere overall. I loved every minute I spent in that school and am so thankful for all of the wonderful memories. -Adam Haselhuhn Class of 2006
--Submitted by a former student

As a Hoover High School graduate, and pharmacy student, I can say that Hoover definitely prepared me to go out in to the real world. Regardless of the bad rap the school receives, Hoover has an excellent educational program and athletics program that is rivaled by few in the state. When I attended, the school had excellent diversity, and I had friends from all ethnic backgrounds, which is something that not many people can say. The teaching staff is excellent as well. Compared with my first high school (Bettendorf), the teaching staff is as good if not better when it comes to meeting the needs of the students. So to those that think Hoover is a horrible school, you are missing out on a great opportunity.
--Submitted by a student

Hoover always gets a bad reputation because people are ignorant and dont want to learn more about our school. i hate it when people assume things about Hoover. It's a great school! The teachers are great and explain everything well. There are many extra curricular acitivities. Everyone is encouraged to give respect to others, students are even awarded for giving respect. I think before people make assumptions about how bad Hoover is, they should check it out first. Something tells me they would really love it! ~Hoover Freshman~
--Submitted by a student

Hoover is an awesome school! but we have a bad rap for basically no reason!! the teachers are awesome and usually willing to the extra mile for a student if they need it! the mock trial team even went to state this year! go huskies!
--Submitted by Emily Nation, a former student