Episcopal High School

We are in our second year at Episcopal, and can't say enough good things about the administration, teachers, staff, and facilities. Endless opportunities for kids and parents to participate in sports and the arts, amazing, cutting-edge curriculum, administration is both approachable and responsive to parent concerns. Wonderful, welcoming atmosphere!
—Submitted by a parent

No school is perfect. But I am certainly glad that we have been able to send both of our children to Episcopal. One attended for 13 years (K-12th), and the other has been a student since kindergarten. Current administration is very people-oriented and approachable. Since the new administration arrived, much needed maintenance has been accomplished or is planned for all the campus. Teachers are excellent. Coursework can be difficult, but that is to be expected at a college-prep school. Many opportunities for the students in sports and arts, and academic choices are plentiful. Beautiful facilities. Parental involvement is very strong. And the lunches are delicious! I would not want to send my children anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been going to Episcopal for four years now, and it is easily the best school in Baton Rouge. Given the fact that Baton Rouge has very poor schools (U-high). The work can be overwhelming, but we have several long breaks during the day to go and visit teachers for help. The people who struggle at school are generally the ones who slack off and refuse to seek help. They really encourage individuality and how one can express his/herself. I think Episcopal is the best school in Baton Rouge, because of its challenging academic programs and its desire for strong leaders at school and away from school.

My family has been involved with Episcopal for seven years and I have seen many improvements in program, both academic and extracurricular during that time. Unfortunately, our level of trust has diminished since the current head of school began his tenure in 2010. Major changes have occurred with little or no communication. Parents are discouraged from open discourse. Financial aid awards were completely botched. I heard that faculty contracts were not received until June. Programs that directly affect students have been slashed in the name of the budget, while many positions have been added in administration, landscaping, etc. My children have always loved the school-hence the high ranking. Personally, I am skeptical of the current priorities and wish we could return to those things that were valued by the previous head: academic attention and excellence, character development, and timely communication.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent new Head of School in Hugh McIntosh. School making great progress toward 21st Century Education
—Submitted by a parent

My experience at Episcopal has been fabulous. It is unarguably the best school in Baton Rouge academically. Most classes are strong, and while I'll admit there is the occasional poor teacher, you can usually avoid them if you take the AP or Honors route in certain fields. The student body is energetic and close-knit. People complain that new students feel unwelcome, but I feel that this has changed especially within the past year. I feel like a huge number of new students have transferred to EHS throughout the semester and many RAVE about their experience at EHS vs. other private schools in the area. I do not feel like my class is at all cliquey- our entire class is essentially two large groups, which I would not consider 'exclusive.' Students can be slightly shallow and materialistic, but this is true for any private school similar to EHS.
—Submitted by a student

I am currently a student at EHS. I moved here from another school. At the beginning, everybody was nice, the school work was pretty easy. I liked it for a couple of months. I really didnt mind going to school. But now, everything is stressful and I get headaches all the time after school. It is only halfway through the semester, and I feel as though I want to leave. The kids here are very smart, but they tease and laugh at you even if you do something wrong. If you dont have the right clothes, shoes, etc. There are many people who act as if they OWN the whole school, even though they are just students. The teachers are great, and they help the students alot. Overall, this school is pretty good. It has GREAT extra curricular activites, and many sports to play.
—Submitted by a student

great students focused on serving the community and doing great things in the classroom. A wonderful faculty to make life a pleasure for all.
—Submitted by a parent

I've read all the reviews on EHS, and it's clear that this used to be a great school, just a few years ago. It's a shame how it's faring now. The school has always boasted excellent test scores and successful graduates in the past, but as a student in the high school, I can't help but see how things have been going down hill. I've always been a good student, I'm in all honors and AP classes, but sometimes even I have a hard time keeping myself motivated to work through the mounds of homework assigned. I think it's a shame that the most I've learned this year is how to BS my way into mostly A's, and the occasional B. EHS needs to step it up, and get back to being the quality school that it should be for the high price of tuition.
—Submitted by a student

I'm a junior at EHS right now, soon to become a senior. This school is definitely an opportunity for your child to have a great education, however, in my opinion, you should start them out early. It is so hard to transfer in. Although next year, a schedule change will be more like other schools, it's just a lot or hard work and stress. You constantly have to be on top of everything because if you get in a hole or your grades start going down, you are going to have to give up your life to get your grades back up. The worst thing is, when you are sick or have something else going on in your life and you have to miss school, in the back of your mind, at least for me and my friends, we are always worried about what we are missing in class.
—Submitted by a student

I have been at Episcopal for about 12 years. In the begining, it was a wonderful place, but sadly recently things have been declining dramatically. Teachers who have been there for years are leaving, which is bringing in new, young, and unexperienced teachers. The atmosphere of the school is not welcoming. They come off as cold, and arrogant. If you don't have the latest hairstyle or shoes, they discriminate you. Kids who are different are constantly teased. The workload is overwhelming and honestly stresses me out so much. A teenager should not go through that much stress this early on. But other than that, students get a good education and our sports and performing arts is excellent.
—Submitted by a student

I am a current student at Episcopal and even though you get a good education having homework for 3 to 4 hours and you teacher saying it should only take you 15 min. is out ragous. They say in middle school you are only suppose to have 2 hours of homework. But if one is giving more than their that is abusing their authority which is uunfair to the student. Other than that its a good school
—Submitted by a student

I'm an incoming freshman and have gone to Episcopal since first grade. I think the lower school teachers are awesome! There are definitely some great middle school teachers, but too many are below average for the price of tuition. Episcopal has some great benefits though, it is very challenging, and has a lot of clubs and a good athletic program. I also think the class size is good, small but not too small.
—Submitted by a student

I wish I had sent my children to any school other than Episcopal. The homework load is crushing. Many of the students, unfortunately, are cliquish. It has a good academic reputation, but any school that draws from the socio-economic group that this one does would almost certainly do well academically. I'm just glad that I got my child out of that place.
—Submitted by a parent

I am currently a sophmore at Episcopal High School, and have attended since Kindergarten. I am lucky to have a strong group of friends who have been constant through the years. However, I must be honest when saying that I would be very worried if I had just switched to Episcopal from somewhere else at this level. The community as a whole is not very welcoming, take it from someone who has sat and observed the behavior of the people here. The work load at this school is sometimes overwhelming and the teachers are not always sympathetic. For the tuition my parents pay, the quality of both the teachers and education should be higher. I have personally encountered many situations here that would not be exemplary of a Christian school, and I believe that a greater emphasis should be put on God. EHS has its benefits, but downsides as well.
—Submitted by a student

As a parent I believe the quality of education should be higher, given the high cost. Many teachers, especially those in the upper and middle schools, are not willing to give your child the extra help they need; therefore many students require extra tutoring. The environment at Episcopal is not representative of the real world. There has been a great deal of administrative turnover in recent years (headmaster, business manager, and lower school principal). The best thing that happened to EHS in recent years was Peter Briggs, the former interim headmaster. Unfortunately, he was only there for a short term. Finally Episcopal needs a much stronger emphasis on spiritual/growth development of its students to help students' actual behavior exemplify Biblical teaching.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been going to Episcopal since the first grade and can say that it is an excellent school. I had a friend who left Episcopal in Middle school and when I recently asked her how her high school was she sadly said, 'nothing compares to Episcopal'. Episcopal has an accepting community and has really made an effort to become economically and racially more diverse. It is a stereotype that only the wealthly can send their kids to Episcopal, but many low and middle income families also send their kids to Episcopal. Episcopal is what you make of it, you can take the minimum required classes or challenge yourself to the max with APs. Episcopal has without a doubt the best extracurricular programs in the state.If you want the best atmosphere, setting, and academics for your child, Episcopal should definitely be on the top of your
—Submitted by a student

Episcopal in Baton Rouge is an excellent school it is one of the best in the state. My daughter is sure to achive excellence at this school. It is a college prep school so it is extremly difficult (not to minchen expensive!) but worth it! I am proud to say my daughter goes to Episcopal! The teachers are great and support the children! The honor code is highly supported so there is a strong base and high standards set. I hope this has helped you with you choice!
—Submitted by a parent

EHS is a school for the best of the best. However children with special needs are tended to promptly. The after school acidemics are excellent and make the school shine even brighter. The teachers support us and help us to succeed! I constantly come home from school and talk about how much I loves it there and feel so at home! We are often taught to help with natural disaters and to help your fellow man. These lessons will follow us through our lives. The NJROTC was stugling and is no longer at Episcopal, but other after school activities have grown because of this. Music is highly supported at my school every student is required to do a performing art in enrichment each year.I love my school and i'm sure you will too!
—Submitted by a student

A top notch school with excellent facilities. The staff goes out of their way to make children feel welcome and help them stretch their minds and test their limits without feeling like they are being pushed too hard. The administration is very caring. The way they have responded to victims of Hurricane Katrina is going to serve as a shining example to the students; it is a lesson that will last a lifetime. Everyone feels welcome. Race lines are nonexistent, diversity is celebrated. It is everything I ever dreamed of in a school for my children. For the services they offer the tuition is a bargain and you don't have to be totally impoverished to get financial aid. I wish I could have attended a school like this. My only criticism is the parent guild is a little hard to work with and could be more inclusive.
—Submitted by a parent