Ashland High School

Despite year after year of funding cuts from the the state, this public school continues to produce great graduates . . . but that perhaps may be due to the community of Ashland as a whole and not just only the efforts of high school teachers and leaders. Ashland graduates are taking center stage on Broadway, working to decrease the mother and child birth mortality rates in Uganda, working with local farmers to promote sustainable farming in Guatemala, anchoring the nightly news on network television . . the list goes on and on. Like all educational experiences, the more your child puts into her high school experience, the more she will grow and learn. There are some excellent teachers here.
--Submitted by a parent

Sent four kids to this school. Wish that I had an affordable alternative. Not one came out able to put together a coherent paragraph. Two of them blossomed in college, third may be so lost that he can't be redeemed, and 4th still wasting her time at the high school. All three who are out feel cheated by the experience in light of college experience. Lots of busy work, teaching from texts. Paucity of analytical thinking. Science classes without meaningful labs. Too many teachers with short timers syndrome. Feel sorry for the few teachers trying to make something happen with all the dead wood. Athletics are a disaster, essentially child care with participation awards. Parental involvement is bait and switch. . . appears extensive but mostly platitudes. Town demographics (well educated and affluent) mask student learning deficiencies. Students learn at home how to talk like the man on the 6 o'clock news. But ultimately until they leave for college they don't realize how banal their high school experience was.
--Submitted by a parent

Betsy Bishop has the best drama program anywhere, by bringing in outside people to help and encouraging the kids to enter competitions and providing top-notch opportunities in plays. Way to go, Betsy!

A public high school with many of the advantages of a private prep school . . . great teachers--lots of bright and talented students . . .
--Submitted by a parent

They have done an amazing job at keeping the arts alive and well, even with a brutal budget.
--Submitted by a parent

Ashland High is a truly exceptional public high school and I can't imagine having gone anywhere else. The community and town are great, the teachers are supportive (there are very few exceptions), the AP and other advanced coursework options are sufficient, there are alternative programs within the high school, and after-school activities (academic clubs, community service, GSA, music, theatre, musical theatre, sports, and more) abound.
--Submitted by a student

Wow! This school is incredible. It is more like college, in a good way! The teachers really push their students to excel and come on! The theater department cannot be beat!!!!!! I moved there from CA for the sole purpose of possibly getting into the Shakespearean Master Class! If your kids are into drama, they must go to Ashland!!!
--Submitted by a student

While the classes at Ashland are superb and the teachers willing and capable to teach, the one problem I do have with the high school is that so many of the students are above average that the ones who aren't often fall between the cracks and their IEP (Individual Education Plan) is not met. This isn't just for Ashland, but for many high schools. So my advice is to make sure your child, if they are on in need of a specialized education plan, is being kept on that.
--Submitted by a former student

I have a freshman at Ashland High School and a student who graduated last June. The school does a excellent job preparing kids for college. The teachers are very good for the most part, there are a few to watch out for. Parent support throughout the community for the school if very high. The athletic department is very good and they foster an atmosphere of learning and good sportsmanship. There are a large number of club sports programs on campus that allow students the opportunity to get involved in non-traditional high school sports.
--Submitted by a parent

Wide variety of academic programs and competetive athletic teams. Competant teachers truly care about their students.
--Submitted by a former student