Hempfield Senior High School

Hempfield has a lot to offer students, but does lack solid guidance counselor - if your student is lucky, they will get a good one. Unfortunately, the bad counselors move up the grades with the students. My daughter has one of the counselors referenced in another review - the "gee.. I don't know what your options are. Good luck to you." The guidance office in general is the weakest link.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a Hempfield graduate (2009). Hempfield is a lot better than other high schools I have researched (I'm going into education policy), but it prides itself on being above average when it could instead push to be great. I found it annoying that teachers recommended HACC/Millersville to high achieving students. Many students never realized their full potential because of this. Hempfield's AP program is also very rocky with an uneven quality of teaching. When I attended, they added and got rid of AP classes all the time; I'm hoping it's better with block scheduling now. I found that their honors and AP program could have been more challenging, also, as I often had little work to do at home. Guidance here was a joke. When I asked about the colleges that I was interested in, my counselor replied, "...I don't know...maybe you could get in? What about Millersville?" It has little to offer for students who do not wish to attend local PA state schools. Still, overall, it did not provide me with a bad education and is a sound option when you have no other options.
--Submitted by a student

Hempfield provides tremendous resources for students to learn and pursue the curriculum they choose. Although a public school, some of the more difficult curriculum is on par with the best private schools in the area, and the students who graduate from Hempfield are exceptionally well-prepared for University curriculum and demands when they make that step. In recent years, Hempfield has done a better job of positioning its students for success by benchmarking against other best-in-class schools and initiating some of the programs that have helped make students successful. The facilities and the faculty are tremendous and do a wonderful job of keeping a school with more than 2,000 students working like a well-oiled machine.

I have a daughter who just finished her freshman year at large prestigious college. She is the only one in her peer grouo who found college easier than high school. Her 3.91 GPA is almost a full point higher than it was at HHS.
--Submitted by a parent

This school was awesome. My family is moving back to NY and I will miss this school. Nice and friendly also the classes are easy for me. I hope I get into another school like this one. Parents out there this school is amazing but lunch is a little pricy. ^_~
--Submitted by a student

I think that Hempfield is an incredible school. Yes there are illegal substances, but it is personal responsibility to keep out of that. The academics are great as are the extracurriculars!
--Submitted by a student

I am a parent of three kids and two have already graduated from college. I can tell you that they were both extremely well prepared for higher education and found college to be quite easy by comparison. (One went to a state school the other to a private college in CT.) If someone wants to excell they can receive a great education at HHS and I also feel that the school does an admirable job of helping the students with learning difficulties. The high quality music offerings, sports, and wide variety of activities here at HHS make it an excellent choice for helping a student to be well rounded. While, like every large school, there are some behavioral issues, I feel that the faculty and administration does a good job of staying on top of this and of keeping the parents informed. Great teachers equal great education.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a great school with a plethora of different activities available. They amply prepare students for college, especially in the AP and honors programs. It's not so large that students feel lost in the crowd but is big enough that there is a great amount of talent spread across many different areas of activity. This is a great school and I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else.
--Submitted by a student

Typical large suburban high school. Well thought of in Lancaster Co. Strong facilities, extracurricular activities, many good teachers. My child says the cafeteria services are better than most. School suppresses controversy. Minority enrollment is low as typical in this county, outside the city schools. Surprisingly poor Gifted services at the high school, as they mistakenly believe that their Honors or AP classes meet this need. You'll have to battle with the counselors and administration, if your child has special education needs. Just as much use of illegal drugs and alcohol by students as at the more rural county schools and the city schools, so don't mistakenly believe your child is safer here.
--Submitted by a parent

I am an alumni of Hempfield, and now my daughter goes there,the school has gotten too large, the staff doesn't seem to be able to keep up with returning calls, keeping scheduled appts. I am definitely disappointed with how things are handled, both in sports and academically.
--Submitted by a parent