Washingtonville Senior High School

If you're looking for the challenge in high school, you'll find it. The problem is that (smart) students avoid these classes and then apply to top name schools for bragging rights. If you're an honors kid, you'll definately get a more well rounded education whereas the "regular" students are cramped in classes of 30+ where the teacher assigns a 10 minute assignment for an 80 min class period. What's surprising is that a good majority of students DO go off to nearby community college... strange for a more affluent public high school. Everyone tends to know each other and there's a nice hometown feel. The problem is diversity is LACKING!!! Students are deprived of learning about other cultures and belief systems. Yes, there are other people who DO exist in this world who ARE NOT white Christians and they don't always cater to deragatory stereotypes. Even 95% of the spanish department is white. There is a lot of underlying racism present. The suburban feeling is a little erie. when you get to school, you tend to pass by a lot of houses that look the same and the school is soo CLIQUEY!! But at least academics are good, top notch if you allow it to be but you wont be pressured. SS
--Submitted by a student

It is safe for me to say the my education at WHS prepared me more for life than most State Colleges do within many regions outside of the Northeast area. It is the very lessons I learned from some of the greatest teachers I've known (even compared to many of my college professors) that I still go back to when making difficult decisions. I truly believe that WHS prepared me not only academically, but also socially and culturally to fully be prepared to engage in today's complex world and not only survive, but thrive in my career and all other areas. I am proud to be a Wizard, and as one of my favorite history teachers says: "It is not just what is being taught in the classroom, but what YOU the student put into your education.

Both me and my brother graduated from here several years apart and have gone onto highly competitive engineering schools. However it is unanimously felt that we were inadequately prepared for freshman level college coursework and were forced to take remedial math and science to keep up.
--Submitted by a student

Washingtonville schools meet the standard. They fill the need for school but donot go above and beyond. The district is poor, regardless of what this site shows for expenditures per student as my children, one high school, one middle school and one elementary, have yet to take one field trip or do anything extra. Everything extra has been cut. Not very much control of students in the High school and cheating is turned a blind eye to.
--Submitted by a parent

I love Mr. Rossi!!!! And if you actually make an effort, Washingtonville High School offers the classes to prepare you for college. There is a great variety of AP and SUPA courses.

I love WHS. I feel that majority of the teachers are truly invested in helping their students succeed.I am moving onto college with a great feeling of pride -- I know I am prepared both socially and academically.
--Submitted by a student

Although the teachers were great influences the regular curriculum does not prepare the majority of students for college. I myself have moved on to a competitive school yet find myself struggling to keep up. The work load in high school must be higher due to the amount of students who pursue further education.
--Submitted by a student

I graduated from Washingtonville HS a few years ago, and I felt extremely prepared for college- academically and socially. I, along with the other highly motivated students, attended top universities in the country, and have all thrived. As with any district, the teachers can only do so much to get a student motivated to apply for and attend a college that will challenge them. The AP courses I had the opportunity to take at WHS are not the norm at other high schools; you just need to be motivated enough to apply for them. The staff truly cares about who succeeds, and they do everything they can do to help- even if the student may not be the most appreciative or receptive. All schools have budget problems, and the community offers many volunteer opportunities to cushion your college application. WHS set me up for great success!
--Submitted by a student

The district's budget issues became increasingly apparent during my final years in the high school (i.e. clubs being cut and requiring student fundraising to reinstate, cutting the activity buses' schedule, etc). I generally felt that the teachers and administrators were helpful, well-informed and well-meaning, but I agree with a previous reviewer here that students were not adequately prepared for college, academically or socially.
--Submitted by a student

As a longtime teacher in this school, I have seen a vast improvement over the management end of things over the last three years. We have a bright, innovative staff that continually challenges the students to do their best. For those students willing to take on the challenge, we have a wide array of AP and SUPA courses and a range of quite interesting electives. Those students who decide to avail themselves of the resources available to them go on to do extremely well and end up at excellent universities. We are coming into our own technologically, and things are definitely moving in the right direction.
--Submitted by a teacher