Kennedale High School

The majority of teachers and the entire administration at KHS are completely uninterested in helping students succeed except for a very specific subset of students. I thought my child was being ridiculous at first, but after several meetings (where I started on the administration's side), I saw how clique-ish and ridiculously this district is run. There are very few extracurricular offerings again, unless you are a very specific kind of student (football, volleyball, Spanish, theater, band). No orchestra, any other languages besides Spanish, very few clubs and organizations outside of sports. Also, the administration was completely unwilling to work with 504 services or even have my child's teachers fill out one form with regard to her behavior. Completely absurd. In summation, if you have a perfect child, they'll probably do fine here. If your child is anything other than cookie-cutter, they'll come out of here much worse for wear than when they entered. There are a few standout teachers... but even they aren't enough to redeem the wrongs of this school and the district.
—Submitted by a parent

Everytime I see a bad review about an establishment or school on the internet, I always disregard it and look at the good reviews. But Kennedale HS is a school with mostly poor quality teachers with a few excellent teachers and counselors who do NOT listen to parents' or students' complaints. The Good: There are some teachers who have that 'star' quality about them and genuinely care students. The athletic programs are excellent. They are a variety of classes, such as different types of career/tech classes, yearbook, and Spanish. The Bad: There are many undereducated teachers who do not even have a degree in education. The counselors do NOT take complaints seriously; there have been countless complaints from students AND parents alike, and the administrative staff just laughs it off(literally). On testing days, everything is a mess. The office is very unprofessional. Most of the textbooks are very dated and old and currently(as of 4/2/2012) we are on a paper shortage due to budget cuts. Most of the teachers NEVER go to a education or teaching workshop. The principal is rarely seen at school events, most of the time, she passes on the jobs to the vice principals.
—Submitted by a student

In my opinion Kennedale High School is one of the best schools in the area, specifically when compared to other towns and schools of similar size. The faculty and staff seem to genuinely care about the children well being and the students seem to understand and feel the same way. I feel that the smaller class sizes are a definitely benefit academically since the children seem to obtain more one on one attention and guidance. My son is 15 and my daughter is 9 months old. I definitely plan on staying within Kennedale in order to maintain this same level of education.
—Submitted by a parent

Here is the status of my 3 children who previously graduated from Kennedale High School: 1. Child #1 is pending graduation from college upon completion of 3 more courses; 2. Child #2 has graduated from college and has been accepted into medical school; 3. Child #3 is currently in college. To different degrees, all 3 have acquired an appreciation and understanding of the need for upper education. As with any institution, total school performance is the accumulation of the efforts/abilities of individual teachers; however overall, KHS, a 3A school, has proved to a very positive educational experience for my family.

This school's strongest point is the success of their extra-curricular programs. There are many talented students at this school, led by talented directors. I have also enjoyed my academic experience with helpful teachers and little homework (except the last six weeks). All my teachers are great and willing to help out when I am having issues. Most teachers offer extra-credit. I've really enjoyed high school so far
—Submitted by a student

My daughter and I transferred to this school system from Indiana a year and a half ago. This is by far the worst education and atmosphere that we have every experienced. My daughter is a Senior this year and an Honor Roll student, but it is a struggle to maintain such standards when acedemic and social questions go unanswered and unwelcomed by the staff including, teachers, counselors, and principals. Numerous requests my myself and my daughter for appointments with the above mentioned staff has gone unscheduled. The lack of attention to students is very effident. My daughter came her as a college bound student, and after this experience, I am having a hard time getting an A student to even attend Junior Community College. Beware, if you have other options, do not move your child into this school district.
—Submitted by a parent

Kennedale has come a long way since my daughter graduated in 1992. She attended the old high school on Boman Springs. Of course, the school buildings are much better now but the curriculum is much better also. It still is a relatively small school in comparison to our other area schools. I feel teacher involvement is better here than at lot of other schools according to some of my friends I have talked with about it. Ths new subdivisions that continue to go up certainly contribute to the quality the school has gained. They also have raised the level of income in this area. I certainly would reccommend this school to my closest friends.
—Submitted by Janice Hargrove, a parent

Kennedale High School is an above-average environment for all levels of students. Their academics are close to recognized and their opportunities for the students are exceptional. Students that would not be able to participate in sports, arts, etc. at a larger school have an opportunity to excel and compete in postseason and state-wide events. The facilities are currently being improved district-wide including new resource, classroom, playground facilities in the lower grades and a 1000-seat FineArts complex and professional artificial soccer, football, and band field at the high school. The parents of most new students state that their main reason form moving into the district was to provide increased opportunities for participation for their children.
—Submitted by a parent