Hilton Head Island High School

I graduated from this school in 2008 with an IB Diploma. Contrary to some beliefs, I am not from a family with money, as was evidenced by our struggle to pay the mortgage every month back then. If you want to succeed in high school you can do it here. Contrary to some "tracking" beliefs, it really is up to the individual. I just recently graduated from George Washington University and even though I have a lot of debt, I can't regret my education for a minute. The IB program in conjunction with the arts programs offered at HHIH opened the door to my education and current success.
—Submitted by a student

I am not a fan of HHHS. From what I saw, this school implies a tracking system which allowed for lower performing students to fall through the cracks. I have seen the kinds of students who prosper after graduation, they are the ones with money, the ones that were pushed into AP and IB courses in high school and whose parents had pull. On the other spectrum, the lower performing students are now at low end jobs, single parents, and going no where. I unfortunately never met a teacher who genuinely seemed interested in their students actually succeeding or pushed or motivated me in any sort of way. I am now luckily at a top college in the state, but that is in no way thanks to Hilton Head High. Go to Prep if you have the chance, everyone succeeds, not just a lucky few like HHHS.
—Submitted by a student

The school is great. It is well run, the students are in uniform and the halls are quiet and orderly. The IB program is wonderful. It is very vigorous and really prepares students for college. The teachers are top rate. There are also many AP courses available. Generally we have been very satisfied with the caliber of learning that is expected and the range of classes offered.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are amazing, the International Baccalaureate program is not a sham. It is highly recognized world wide and any student that has endured it will be well prepared for college and the business world.
—Submitted by a parent

I am hoping that the new principal will hold true to her promise of structure and discipline. This is a school of have and have nots and in the past if you were'nt at the top of the heap you were headed for trouble while other parents bought their kids out of trouble. The IB program is a sham. The majority of the instructors were'nt properly trained
—Submitted by a parent

Hilton Head High School is amazing. I dont think there is much else to say. It is a whole lot better than any of the other schools on Hilton Head, private included. I have been through the entire school system and currently have a 4.9 GPA. The IB program is awesome, and the teachers are dedicated. The atmosphere is comforting, not overwhelming, and it helps students put forth their best effort. Overall, Hilton Head High School is a great school. I am being a bit lax on my choice of words, but I dont know what else to say! Its great!
—Submitted by a student

Hilton Head High is an excellent school! The teachers are fantastic, dedicated, knowledgable and willing to work with students. The administration is also dedicated to making HHHS the best that it can be. I feel that it prepares students well for future endeavors and offers them a well-rounded foundation and quality education.
—Submitted by a parent

Some parts of HHHS are so old need major attention. Mold is a big problem and contributes to students and staff not feeling well. It just doesn't make for a suitable learning environment.
—Submitted by a student

Hilton Head High School provides a great deal of art programs for students. Now with the opening of the Bluffton High School, HHHS has less students and teachers are able to spend more one on one time with students having trouble. The problem at the school is not the teachers, it is the principal. She does not know what she is doing and she needs to focus on things that are more important. I know first hand because I graduated from HHHS in 2004.
—Submitted by a parent

Having graduated Hilton Head High School in 2003 I believe that I have earned the right to speak about some of the things that I encountered. The school is definantly not as bad as everyone says it is. I loved HHH and know first hand that the problems did not start until the 'new' principle came in 2001. I'm not going to mention names but parents and students know who i'm talking about. However, my teatchers were willing to take the time with us to make sure we understood what was being taught, and we did not move to the next lesson until every student had a grasp. The only huge problem I found with it was the bus schedule. But that is not HHH problem it is LaidLaws problem that needs to be addressed. But now that I have graduated and have an excellent career myself, thank you HHH.
—Submitted by KMJM c/o 2003, a parent

It is totally unbelievable that in an affluent community such as HH such a filthy, overcrowded institution exists. Those that can afford private schools replace parent responsibility with tution payments and the milieu in those schools refelect exactly that. When I have complained to the State Department of Education about the situation here. I was informed that my sitiuation was not an isolated one and I was advised to move. Want to buy a house?
—Submitted by a parent

Both of my children graduated from this outstanding school. It offers a variety of strands to meet the diverse needs of the population. From the top students through to the most challenged, there is something for everyone. International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses challenge the best and brightest. A top-notch vocational program (at an alternative site) is available for the students more geared toward a career after graduation. The arts department is the crowned jewel of the school. Both performing and visual arts programs are exemplary.
—Submitted by a parent

This school would be so much better is the community was more involved and the leadership was worth listening to. Granted I had some great teachers while I was there, they need to find a leader that will listen to the students as well as the teachers.
—Submitted by a former student

As a parent involved with the school/s here and having gone on many class trips. It is a very sad state that our schools are more concerned about how the 'numbers' look than teaching our children. Drug/alcohol abuse is abundant with little or no effort put into stopping it. This is a beautiful town we live in when we look at it with blinders, underneath the beauty lies many lost children and a system that is finding ways to make everything look good on paper to prove that there is not a problem here. Where is the concern? Had I known now what I do now I would not of moved here and placed my kids in such a place where they become a small number rather than one of the many building blocks of this country's future.
—Submitted by a parent

I moved here with my daughter in 9/02 from Connecticut. She entered 10th grade. This school is far behind everything that we were used too. The drug and violence situation is worse, the teacher competency and quality is worse. They have lower standards for the students along with the fact that they are behind academically. It was a big mistake and I feel I have jeopardized my daughters future. Now I am looking into home schooling. Very unfortunate
—Submitted by a parent

I have two sons - one is in middle and the other one graduated from Hilton Head High School in 1994. We moved here from West Palm Beach, FL after living there 20 years. But my oldest son did not like the fact that he had to catch the bus at 6:15 a.m. and did not get to the school until almost 8:00. So, after 6 weeks he went back to West Palm Beach to live with his dad. When he was entering the ninth grade (three years later) he moved to Hilton Head to live with me. However, the high school was really behind Florida schools. Everything his counselor in Hilton Head told him to take, he had already had it in Florida. So, back to Florida to in order to get an education. He is now 27 and an engineer but I don't think he would have made it if he had stayed in SC and got his education here. He did, however, go to the Univeristy of South Carolina (Columbia) to get this engineering degree. But the schools here in Hilton Head were not as good as the schools in Florida.