Sparta High School

Sparta High School Doesn't make the grade. Test scores don't lie. The most recent state testing indicates that Sparta High is ranked #42 in the "I" school district out of a total of 48 schools. This places Sparta High near the very bottom of their district. Yes, the school has been remodeled and they are trying their annual curriculum change. However, this has been done almost every year and the results continue to disappoint. Things will not change until they get rid of the Superintendent and his supporters on the BOE that have driven this once proud "Blue Ribbon" school district into the ground. High taxes and poor school performance all add up to a bad school choice. Private school in Sparta is a must if you want your kids to get a good education!
--Submitted by a parent

Contrary to what was previously posted, the school has been completly remodeled and undergoing a curriculum change which we already seeing results. Many students are picking community schools as a stepping stone to the better schools as a function of economics.They are savey to the costs associated with a college education now and using the local resources to save money.
--Submitted by a parent

We moved here from a state in which we thought that the public school system was less than adequate. We had read and heard from our realtor that Sparta High School was in the top tier of the state. What a huge shock to find that not only was this school below expectations, but our "less than average' school system from another state was far superior in terms of SAT scores and overall education scores. Our children expressed out of control classrooms, teachers who teach in a politically liberal if not accurate sense, and a staff that leads out of fear of parental retribution. The students who graduate from SHS are not attending Ivy League schools. In fact, many are happy to get into community college. The students run this school, and the leadership allows it. If you are reading this and considering moving to Sparta for the school system...make sure that you have enough built into your budget for private schools. You'll find it you are going to need it!
--Submitted by a parent

I am disappointed by the Sparta BOE. I moved here speciifcally for the educational system 8 years ago. I have been going to nearly all the BOE meetings and sadly see all the wasteful spending that they do. At a $64 Mill. budget they just keep spending. They make careless decisions and keep all the focus on the high schoolers and not on the younger elementary kids. The educational system is trending downward; they need to get new leadership from the BOE and the super.
--Submitted by a parent

Sparta just passed the largest referendum in the state showing the communities commitment to keeping the schools great in Sparta. They consistently pass budgets and have an Education Foundation that is active is raising the funds needed to keep excellance in the schools.
--Submitted by a parent

The music programs haven't enough funding, the building is falling apart and the new addition won't be finished for years (putting students in trailers for classes), sports are overemphasized, teachers are unsympathetic and uncaring. Honors and AP classes are mostly a joke and consist of an arbitrary unduly long application and testing process for acceptance, extremely small classes, and the same studies as the regular programs but with more homework. I would not at all recommend this school.
--Submitted by a former student

Academics not important at SHS: athletics matter infinitely more. Best department is music; music teachers very best in school. Superintendent is horrible. Very few students allowed into AP and honors classes. Most students have little or no homework. Teachers hand out mimeographed papers (copious) with illegible handwriting. Suggestion - if you want your kids to get a good education, bypass Sparta High.
--Submitted by a parent

I'm not a parent but a graduate of the Sparta school system. I've recently graduated from college with high honors and am working in my desired field, well ahead of many of my piers. SHS served as a superb starting point for a successful future. I had the privilege of learning from some of the best teachers (some better than many of my college professors) I've ever known. I took mostly AP/Honors classes throughout my HS career and learned a great deal. An earlier review said that the selection process for these classes is arbitrary, but I assure you that's not the case. As long as you took the time to apply and proved that you belonged there, you can join these classes. The same review also said: 'If your plans include a top college, then forget it,' but all of my friends went on to prestigious institutions, including Harvard.
--Submitted by a former student

I think it is a great school. I feel my children and their friends have learnt a lot and have contributed equally back to the school and community. Sparta has seen growth in population in the past few years. With growth comes new problems - housing, schools and safety. Sparta has handled these problems quite well.
--Submitted by a parent

While the school is a bit overcrowded and the facilities are a tad dated, the quality of education is second to none. The teachers are top notch, the sports teams are successful and the arts programs are diversified and well run.
--Submitted by a former student