Saratoga Springs High School

I loved this school. My teachers were educated and eager to teach, with a passion for their subject. I had plenty of creative outlets available to me and the school also boosts a lot of sports teams and clubs. In every school you will find students and teachers who "don't care" but overall I loved this place. I wish I was able to send my children here.
—Submitted by a student

The teachers are overall excellent. The student body is above average and we all know that peer influences are very important. There is only one glaring difficiency and that is the rationing of higher level science courses, generally 50 students and sometimes only 25 and this is with a fairly afluent and educated tax-payer base. There are at the least 100 students that could handle the advanced courses. It is not uncommon to have mid-90's science grades and not be "good enough" for honors or AP classes. A high-stakes entry exam is often included in the acceptance criteria. There are many opportunities for English and Social Studies high-level classes. I'm not sure why Saratoga does not value the sciences when we need more people trained in science to compete better globally. Our nieghboring high school in Ballston Spa has lower income students they have a better reputation for making advanced classes available to more students and supporting them to thrive in those courses.
—Submitted by a parent

This School would be very nice. Personally I have been to many schools because, I live in a military family. This on is by far the largest I have ever seen, and it amazes me everyday that someone isn't trampled. The halls are the worst part of the school. Also, there seems to be a lack of caring in general. To put it quite frankly, thestudents don't give a damn, and neither do the teachers or administration.
—Submitted by a student

Saratoga Springs High School has alot to offer students from a variety of advanced classes to classes in the Arts. There are many opportunities for the students to join clubs and sports to feel a part of the community.

you get very high qaulity education and there sport teams are very good rating top in the state
—Submitted by a student

Even though this school is large it has execellent test scores and a good child/teacher ratio.
—Submitted by a parent

this is a really great school. The teachers really care and the students get pushed but not too hard
—Submitted by a parent

Limits placed on how many kids can take honors courses-- Only 2 classes (about 50 kids) can take these courses out of large student body of over 500.
—Submitted by a parent

If anybody says that the newly reconfigured high school is better than the old junior-senior high, then something just can't be right! The worst mistake that the Saratoga Springs City School District ever made was reconfiguring the two buildings into that enormous factory just to cut costs. The 'old' Saratoga Springs Junior-Senior High, I consider to be a prototype for a well-run, well-organized secondary learning environment. The 'new' Saratoga Springs High School is just a big, annoying, and irritating mess. Honestly, there as so many problems ranging from the quality of instruction to the atmosphere.
—Submitted by a student

I recently graduated from SSHS this past June and I am really pleased with the time I spent at the school. The new school is much more efficient than the old junior high- senior high system that was set up. I never had an 8-minute walk to class and a lot of the kids who complain about this are ones who loiter in the hallways and chat with their friends, rather than be on time to class. They then complain that they were punished for being late. Yes, I didn t use my locker much my senior year, but that was a choice of my own, not because its location was an inconvenience to me. As for counselors and teachers who don t care- it s a two way street. These kids are in high school and it s time they learn that if they need help with something they shouldn t wait for a teacher or counselor to approach them. The students at SSHS need to be prepared for college- professors and advisors aren t going to hold a student s hand four years through college. It s important to take the initiative to seek help. I knew my guidance counselor fairly well by the end of my senior year and he helped me a lot with choosing a college that suited me. I was not a super-star athlete or prep, but I did have friends. The school is large enough for students to make good friends. A good way to meet new people is to become involved in activities; it doesn t have to be sports. The school offers a wide variety of activities that students can get involved with. Overall I am really pleased with the education and friends I ve made at SSHS. I graduated in the top half of my class with honors and the school has really prepared us for college. To the parents out there, you can t fully understand what it s like to be a student at the high school these days, no matter how much your kids tell you about it.
—Submitted by a former student

Saratoga Springs High School seems like a great school on the outside but there are many serious problems and issues that you have to look beyond the exterior to see. I am a senior and this is the fifth high school I've attended due to my family's moving, and I can honestly say I've never seen anything like this before, unless your kids are extremely self-confident (or are super-star athletes) they will drown in the pressures here.
—Submitted by Jean Pierre, a student

I have 2 daughters which attend Saratoga High. I agree with the comment below. Saratoga High School appears to be a great place to send you kids to school but behind all the shamze and glamor of the classrooms is a student body that really don't care. The teachers aren't much better and the athletics is biased. You know I really think that the school would be great if you had the chance you take about 2/3 of the student body out and teach them respect and manners. I would definitely not recommend that you send you child here infact avoid it there are alot of other quality schools in the area. There is although one quality teacher at Saratoga that is Mr. Gross.
—Submitted by andrea Bower, a parent

I recently toured Saratoga High School, and I wanted to go back to high school, and I would send a child if I had one to Saratoga High School. I was indeed impressed by the amenities for students. The size might be overwhelming for a transfer from a smaller school, the socialization in smaller elementary school to a good sized middle school and on to Saratoga High would give the students an opportunity to know a large contingent of classmates before entry. I was impressed by the science and math classes, the interesting lab set ups, the computer labs, including a graphic arts lab and focus on the arts as well. There are small rooms in the library for small groups to meet for classes, and many computers for the students. The extra curricular activities are abundant, academic, music, sports. Students have opportunities for interning and career development at local businesses.
—Submitted by Denise Romand, a parent

Sure, I agree with the comment below that students are in school to learn, but at the same there's a total lack of socialization here. Ever since the district reconfigured, very much against my wishes, the high school has grown to be large and monstrous (2,200 students). In this school, it seems as if the 'jock' types who strut around in their Saratoga Blue Streaks sports jackets are the only ones who receive any attention. Everybody else is pretty much ignored. Because of this, a relatively small, but highly noticeable sub-culture of goth/punker types has formed at the high school. Otherwise, if you're an artsy type, a prep, or an intellectual, (or any combination of these) you probably won't fit in too well here. Because the school is enormous, don't be surprised if you have eight minute walks between classes, and you may never get to use your locker, as well as there being two or three week intervals from when you may see acquaintances. Besides this, the administration is a total joke, and sometimes you get the impression that they just could care less (we're the only school in the area which doesn't publish their honor roll), we have a bad student-teacher ratio (17-1), and the teaching staff is kind of a mixed bag with some good ones, some mediocre ones, and quite a few lousy ones. Parental involvement in this school is extremely LOW. I do like my guidance councelor and he has gone to bat for me several times, but the guidance department itself seems quite understaffed, and their whole concept of college and career planning is to sit you on a computer and have you visit a bunch of websites, rather than to speak with you one on one because they simply don't have the time. Simply put it, if you don't mind large and I mean extremely large schools where most students seem to blend into the woodwork, along with putting up with long walks between classes, a mediocre teaching staff, and don't mind putting up with an administration which doesn't want to listen to your concerns, than this school may be okay. Otherwise, if you need a more personalized learning environment with stronger leadership, you should probably seek alternatives. It's a shame that given the community Saratoga Springs is, we don't have a stronger high school.
—Submitted by a student

saratoga high was a good school before all the contruction started.$68.4 million dolars to do a shabby job on the school is way too much money. i feel that education for children is very imporant but the rest of the town matters for these kids too. they go to school to learn not to soclize in a 'cyber cafe'

Excellent school in a small upstate community. What a place to live and send your kids to public schools.
—Submitted by a teacher