Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts

I am a student at trhis school and I love it. We are currently updating our school to its need and we have no over crowding problems . I had some problem with the bus but they worked it out and everything people say is wrong with this school is absolutely untrue
—Submitted by a student

Terrible school for kids with special needs. The administration does not take the students' concerns serious and ends up blaming the kids.
—Submitted by a parent

im currently a sophmore at phs and i love it here and insanely pround of all the magnets that it provides.
—Submitted by a student

Its The BEST School EVER !They care about Every Student, No Matter what Disabilities they may have ! The Best Teachers and They make Learning FUN !
—Submitted by a parent

Honestly, Patapsco is a great school. People are welcoming, its not cliquey, and its cracked down on all of its rules. For people who are saying they dont have lockers, this is definately a lie, besides, I don't even use a locker, and im a Sophomore in all advanced classes. Personally, since I moved there this year, i find this school is absolutely amazing. One of the best public schools in Baltimore. The bus issue, is stupid considering i had that issue too, and I now have a school bus. It takes time. I am also in the magnet program, where our dance teacher just earned an MSA award.
—Submitted by a student

my daughter has never felt so good about her education she loves this school!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a concerned parent with having to put two more children through high school. I went to the open house for 9th graders and I was not happy at all with what I was seeing. also not enough lockers for all students they are not allow to wear coats in and out of the trailers so if you do not try to get a locker on the ist day of school then what, where to you put you coat and lunch? Also Baltimore county will not send a bus up to the Stanbrook area which is a hike for all those students who live there. My children are expected to walk in the rain and come to school with umbellas and rain coats on but where in the world are they putting their wet coats and items. I am fighting the bus issue. Patapsco looks like a city school (dump)
—Submitted by a parent

I see that the kids I have met there absolutely love the school. It has been somewhat difficult to be involved as a parent and the scheduling has not been smooth any of the years we have been there. I also believe that the school is overlooked when it comes to needed renovations and overcrowding.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a Senior thats attends Patapsco for the music program at Patapsco and I think the school is okay but It could be WAY better,In the magnet and in the academic POV. The reason I say this is because for the magnet everything is sooooo 'in the books' based and it's not based on the creativity of the magnet students and staff. Now as the academics go it's great, it's just the size of the school thats a problem,IT'S TOO OVERCROWDED and Patapsco needs to expand the school or something instead of adding trailers....and the school BADLY NEEDS A RENOVATION! I'm seeing too many schools getting fixed up and patapsco is a magnet school that still has issues with heat and AC. I hope this review will change something. Now for the students....there are a lot of good kids but also a good share of them that smoke on campus.
—Submitted by a student

I relocated from New York last year and this is my son's sophmore year at Patapsco. I love everything about the school. The teachers are great as well as the other staff. They give the best education possible. I am immediately informed of any situation pertaining to my son. My son has adapted with no problem at all.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from Patapsco in 1982 when it was just a 'regular' high school and I loved it then. As a parent, I still love the school. My daughter graduated there this past June and the programs they offer are superb, especially the Visual Arts. Everyone there works together to make sure the students get the best education possible. Each time I felt there was an issue with something, it was taken care of very quickly and I was never made to feel like I was bothering them. My daughter had a great 4 years there and is well prepared to face the real world. As a former student as well as a parent, I would highly recommend Patapsco to anyone who wants their child to have the best education!
—Submitted by a parent

I would definitely rate this a 4/5 star school. SPHS should be recognized as much as if not more than some of the other 'larger' high schools in the dundalk/sparrows point area. The teachers especially are some of the most attentive,supportive and caring people I have ever met. Thank you SPHS for teaching and guiding my son who graduated this year 2008.
—Submitted by a parent

People can say whatever they want about Patapsco. I am currently a junior there and I know that the halls can be crowded, but that's not what matters. I've read a few of these reviews from parents, and I'd just like to say that you couldn't possibly know unless you attended there, right now. It's true, there are kids at my school who don't want to be there, kids who don't care about school at all, but teachers really do try to get them to. How much pride we have in our school, or even just our participation is what makes us winners, so please don't say we're not. I'd just like to point out how many kids ran for class officers this year. The class of 2008 had at least 20. That's an incredible amount! Patapsco is a great school, and i don't need anyone telling me otherwise. Thanks.
—Submitted by Lauren, a student

Patapsco is a school that works hard to educate students without much parent support. The teachers genuinely care about students and move them toward success outside of the classroom. My son was in trouble and if it weren't for the help of several of his teachers over his four years, he would not have been successful. As a single parent with two jobs, I needed to know that he was in good hands during the day. Despite changes in the community that are not necessarily positive, Patapsco continues to offer an outstanding education and hold students accountable for their own learning. I highly recommend it.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm currently a sophomore at Patapsco and I can tell you first-hand that if your looking for a lifetime of memories and friends, than Patapsco is a good school. The people are, generally, very nice and the students and teachers have an oddly understanding relationship. As long as you apply yourself inside and outside of the classroom you will succeed. Sports are also very nice. If you are content with rarely winning, this is the best sports program for you. I must say, the teams that I participate in rarely win but we have the best time ever. The coaches teach us all about the sport but encourage us to have fun above winning. I am also an art magnet student and disagree with the parents who say that too much money and time is being put into the art program.
—Submitted by a student

I am having a difficult time with the whole Patapsco thing, the school is very crowded our children are expected to go to trailers to learn and are not allowed to where their coats during the day so they are expected to go outside with out them. It is very difficult to get people to listen and when I recently went to the school about a problem my child was having with a substitute I was told I should talk to the substitute first because you cant always trust your child to tell the truth. My daughter's teachers are wonderful but the administation absolutely needs help. They need to have to answer to someone else.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm actually a sophmore at patapsco right now. I'd just like to say the magnets and wonderful. If you kid is genuinly talented in an art its perfect. The magnet teachers do pick favorites, but its more like a challenge to become one and stay one that inadvertantly keeps you on track. The teachers are generally very very good. I can only think of one that i haven't liked. There honest and helpful and give you the skills you need and show you how to apply them to the actual world. The students are ok too. There are no normal 'social' classes. Everyone hangs out with the people they like. In high school stories you usually here theres ugly people and ect. But i've never seen anyone even think that before. You do have to watch out for people that don't care about school. Sometimes they get in the way.
—Submitted by Brittany, a student

Pros of Patapsco: all magnet programs are excellent.The reason kids in the magnet programs excell and enjoy school is because everyone who is in them wants to be there, they have to work hard and if you don't work hard and slack off you're out.Patapsco is really meant for magnet students and their facilities show that.Come on there will always be the trouble makers in school who start trouble and act out making it hard for the teacher to teach and students to learn.No one likes going to school unless they're involved in something they enjoy.I recommend all parent to get your kids in a magnet program.The only con of Patapsco is it is quite crowded, and they really do need to expand,the trailors are miserable to learn in and teach in. As a former PHS grad. student I loved it and think it's a great school esp. for magnet students.
—Submitted by a former student

My neice went to patapsco. She was very unhappy there. She now goes to chesapeake high in essex and is doing extremely well. there are too many students in patapsco. I have been told that some of the students don't even have desks in some classes and yet they are adding more outside class rooms. i graduated from patapsco in 1978. I thougt it was a wonderful school but of course this was when it was a real school that focused on learning and not just on how special the student is. I wish it could go back to being a neighborhood school. Hats off to dundalk high for not becoming a magnet school. I do not look forward to my youngest son going there. My oldest son had a very difficult time in this school. I live in the neighborhood and have noticed how bad the school looks.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a 2003 grad of Patapsco currently enrolled in a fabulous college in Southern Maryland--thanks to Patapsco. The academic opportunities available at Patapsco are superior to any school in the county. AP and GT courses truly prepare you for college and help you get in by focusing on SAT's as soon as you enter the school. I was a part of the vocal music magnet program as well as varsity sports and was therefore of the 'elite' some have spoke of--and this description is true. I given lots of privileges, but I also had to act responsibly to maintain them. I had an awesome time at Patapsco and would recommend it highly. The only draw back is overcrowding. It definitely needs to be renovated to accommodate more students.
—Submitted by a former student