Cazenovia High School

Cazenovia was a surreal place to be a student. I graduated more or less ten years ago and came back recently only to be impressed by how potent the bad memories were. If you have another option, I strongly encourage you to investigate it. This school is academically uninspiring and so emotionally stressful that I used to have trouble sleeping just because I knew I'd have to go to school the next day. Bullying was a severe problem, not only because the administration wouldn't address issues between students, but because some of the bullies were teachers and parents! Caz is a small pond and you'd better believe there are some aggressive minnows. Expect strange parental rivalries based on whose kid is "on top" at the moment. Even students in good standing were constantly stressed. Their academic work didn't challenge them and preference was given to the children of town favorites in athletic teams and extracurriculars. For example, the chorus teacher regularly gave her own offspring leading roles in musicals over more talented kids. It's unrealistic to expect high school to be a ubiquitously excellent experience, but there's no reason for it to be that painful either.

I recently graduated and I have noticed a serious downhill trend in this school. The new teachers who are hired at all levels are incompetent and play around with technology without actually teaching. The conservative quality of the school enforces rules no public school should have. The parents are inappropriately involved, allowing their children to get away with virtually anything. The administration has little care for reality and only follows their own agenda, and seem to be on a permanent power trip. While the AP program is very well done, that is the only valid part of this high school. The reality of its ability to prep for college/the real world is a joke. The students are sub-par, interest level is low from both students and teachers, and learning is not encouraged. This school is about image and popularity and presenting a good front while in actuality, it falls incredibly short on every level.

We put up with this district far too long and are now moving our teen to a private school. Please read all the negative reviews on this district and heed the warnings.The school has problems with bullying, caters primarily to exceptional athletes, has a prison like, unfriendly atmosphere, and will crush your child"s soul! I wished i had removed my child sooner.
--Submitted by a parent

Sure Cazenovia looks good on paper, small classes and nice facilities, but probably only one out of every ten students if that likes it there. This school is like a prison with too strict of rules for a public school and you will get suspended for things that other schools would barely blink at. I am a student and a good 9 of my friends are leaving because this school crushes their souls. I honestly hate waking up in the morning to come here. If you are looking for a place to send your child and you happen to hate their guts and wish them ill, send them to Cazenovia.

I am currently a senior at Caz high school and I can honestly say that I love going to school at Caz. Every teacher I've had so far (AP,Honors) has been very good, and has made sure that every student understands the info being taught.
--Submitted by a student

The high school seems to feel as though 'pretty good' equals success, so they smugly congratulate themselves once they've achieved mediocrity, and regard real excellence as 'making everybody else look bad'. The town is such an idyllic Victorian village that the people who live there can define mediocrity as excellence and not be bothered by tiresome facts from more competitive, excellence-seeking schools. Our kids outgrew this school after 9th grade, after which we should have sent them to prep schools, or moved to someplace where real excellence was respected rather than suppressed.
--Submitted by a parent

Cazenovia is an exceptional school district. I attended elementary middle and high school here and went on to become an elementary teacher myself. I have been in several schools since and I always find myself comparing them to Cazenovia. The resources of the school, the diverse faculty and close ties to the beautiful community are what makes this environment a top school district.
--Submitted by a former student

This school is one of the best in New York State and has been honored as being on the best in the country. They are caring and make sure your child reaches academic success. The extracurricular programs and parent involvement reaches beyond anyones expectaions. The special education department is by far the best I have ever dealt with. This school compares with private schools (if not better).
--Submitted by Stacey Jones, a parent

Lots of individual attention to student needs and interests even if beyond the normal scope of school work
--Submitted by a parent