Rye High School

No high school is going to be perfect for every kid, but Rye High does a great job overall. It tends to work more like a prep school than a typical average public school. It's clearly a competitive environment, where the expectation is that most students are not only going on to college, but to a selective college. A lot of kids graduate with more than six AP classes, some are essentially in a full college program by senior year. Every year, a few dozen kids go off to the Ivy League and the like. Sports and clubs are a big deal, and funded exceptionally well for a public school. It's an affluent community, and parents tend to pick up the slack where the school budget won't cover something. All that said, I don't think Rye High is the most inventive, creative environment. It's a bit old school in its approach, focusing on doing core education very well. There is good support for kids who struggle academically, but they could feel out of the mainstream. If diversity is important to you, you will hate this school. It's about as white bread as you'll find anywhere.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is composed of incredible people, from faculty to students. Everyone cares about learning for the sake of learning, not just for an A on the next test. It is an environment to be envied by all. I love this school.
--Submitted by a student

Rye High School has high standards for education. Rye High School has an undefeatable football team. We have awesome programs that help unfortunate people around the world. We have programs that strongly support american troops & homeless and hungry people around the world. We are internationally involved with different cultures around the world. Our school is awesome! VOTE!
--Submitted by a parent

By the time the kids have made it through RYe's substandard elementary schools, the high school has them tracked. For 10% of the kids who are blindly compliant, the high school will bend over backwards to keep the ratings high. The other 90% will have to realize as adults that they are dynamic, creative, valuable, intelligent people. Don't believe the hype.
--Submitted by a parent

This school puts an excessive amount of pressure on the students in an unhealthy manner. If a student is not trying to be accepted into a college that is Ivy League or otherwise difficult to get into they find themselves shoved to the side. Students also spend too much time learning information through notes, leaving little time for analyzing and developing new ideas upon the information presented. The theatre department is also poorly funded despite the clear need for new props and sets. The school also recently renovated the cafeteria. However it is unclear where the money raised was used as little change was made. Despite other lacking areas the schools english department is very successful at opening the minds of students and engaging them in discussion.
--Submitted by a parent

At Rye, professors are not distant academic deities, but active participants in the lives and learning experiences of each and every student. I greatly value the role my teachers have played in shaping who I am and the way I think, and at Rye I am positive I would not only continue to have incredible, intelligent teachers but dynamic and accomplished role models as well.
--Submitted by a student

Excellent school with challenging academic programs, full sports options and great parent involvement. Offers full range of AP classes and students are very focused on school and competitive colleges. School is very open to parent involvement and input and parents are in fact very involved. In my opinion my daughter, who is a high achiever academically, received a better education than the children of my friends who attended Rye Country Day and other area private schools and had the added benefit of the sports and local involvement of a public, neighborhood school. We moved to Rye for the schools and wer not disappointed!
--Submitted by a parent