Trailridge Middle School

I would not recommend sending a child to this school if you care for them just a little bit. The school is rundown and has poor use of funding. You could get a better education in the Favela. There would also be less use of contraband there as well. In most restrooms only one of the three stalls have working locks. They either don't work because of poor installation or [ most likely] because students have broken the locks. There are only windows in FOUR of the 250-some rooms. Also, the principal focuses mainly on punishment and not on encouragement. Going to 'Jailridge" has been the worst experience of my life. If you can send your children to Hocker Grove. The staff are much more caring and there are openable windows in every room.

No real learning happens here. Trailridge is like a holding cell until the kids can get to high school. The kids are disrespecful and often very mean, although the comments about the teachers being "too strict" are way off. Teachers have to be strict to put up with kids like these. The curriculum is stultifying; it would make the smartest of us want to drop out. The principal is fine. I don't see what the beef is, there. I would suggest homeschooling your kids during the middle school years in Shawnee Mission, so that your kids' self esteem is left intact.
--Submitted by a parent

I believe that this school is very successful. Although the No Child Left Behind program may not recognize that. Our school is very smart, but with many foreign students and disabled children, it is harder to make the percentage go up 2% every year. Most students are very kind and smart. It also wins the science fairs for state every year. This school has many positive qualities but i do believe that the teachers are getting too strict.
--Submitted by a parent

I do not like this school. The curriculum is too easy and I find myself not learning anything, bored all of the time. While the lessons are meaningless the homework load is tremendous. There are some good teachers, but they are overwhelmed with students not willing to learn and cannot focus on the kids who are.
--Submitted by a student

I went to Trailridge for both 7th and 8th grade. The teachers were great.. but the main principal made up pointless rules and refused to be wrong in any situation. I would recommend for your child to go to Westridge rather than Trailridge any day.
--Submitted by a former student

people call this school jailridge. now i know why. i went there in 8th grade and it was depressing like a jail. the classrooms had no windows and the principal was like a dictator. he had pointless policies and he suspended students for virtually no reason. other than that, the school was okay, but the day i 'graduated' from trailridge was a happy day indeed. i would only recommend this school in contrast to hocker grove.
--Submitted by a former student

The school does not seem to have stable staff in Math dept. Also, Math Teachers have the students grade each other's homework which causes erroneous grading. Students are not taught the alternative ways of solutions to correctly grade each other's work. Teachers are too restrict which antagonizes the students. The emphasis seems to be on punishment rather than positive encouragement. The classrooms have no windows which is depressing to students.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is all right, but they are way too strict on the kids. They need to let up a little on their pointless policies and let the kids be free.
--Submitted by a former student