Buckfield Junior-Senior High School

I am an active parent of children who go to this school, and I find that there is great need for improvement overall. I have seen an increase in a more rigid school environment, which was much needed and credited to a great, new principal, but a decline in teacher's performance. Teachers are not staying after school and 'helping' students' as they were just a year ago, in much needed subjects like Math and Biology and in other tougher classes. I believe a lot of this is unfortunately, attributed to contract negotiations for the teachers. A new music teacher has brought great life to drama and music with great results.
--Submitted by a parent

Someone wrote 'There is no gifted and talented program, and very bright students are aggressively put in their places and pushed towards the average as teachers', I must say, being a Student of this school, they are way off base. Au Contraire, i was a student whom teachers often pushed to get into harder classes. I eventually caved, going into the advanced mathematics course, and HONORS english. The advanced mathematics course, involved advancing ahead by 1 grade lvl of math. Honors english was specifically for over-achieving students. There were some programs, granted not a lot compared to BIG schools...but given the size of BHS it was good.
--Submitted by Adam, a parent

I am a student at BHS. I personally love this school. Everyone knows everyone and everyone has at least five friends on anverage. Our teachers are great teachers to work with - besides one or two, but every school has those kind of teachers. We have many extracurricular acticites, as long as you look. If you want a club,there will usually be a teacher that would love to help you make it an actual club. We have leadership teams, and other teams in which students and teachers work together to make the school a better place. I, personally, am in many clubs and have done many things. The teachers will stay after scool if you need help in their class, and since it is a small school they know how to help you best because they can see how you learn best.
--Submitted by Carla Powers, a student

I can't imagine that someone would negatively review Buckfield High School. It is one of the highest performing schools in Oxford County and this district I understand was the only district in Oxford County not to have a failing school under NCLB. The superintendent has repeatedly told this community the importance of being nice, decent and respectful, but certainly not at the expense of high achievement. BHS has the most exacting graduation policy in the state of Maine and has served as a model for curriculum development, assessment and grading.
--Submitted by a parent

Pretty good school overall. Would like to see a few more extracurricular offerings though. Academics are solid and test scores are up.
--Submitted by a parent

The discipline methods at the school are draconian. Not the official methods, but those practiced. There is no gifted and talented program, and very bright students are aggressively 'put in their places' and pushed towards the average as teachers commonly refuse to accept student questions, comments, and opinions. The superintendent of the district once remarked to me 'we'd rather have our students be nice than smart.' That philosophy is clearly realized in this poorly performing district.