Salado High School

Shameful treatment of students has become a tradition under the current administration. Salado is a school that likes to play it by the numbers. They do excel with their Gifted and Talented programs and Student Athletes and are given a different set of teachers than the general population. If you aren't in one of those categories - you will be treated as a second class student. If you are a student with a handicap expect the current administration to fail at meeting federal regulations unless you bring in an outside governing entity to advocate for you. Currently Salado ISD is graduating classes that have never had a textbook in Math (Grades k-12) I agree with other comments that it is one of the safer high schools in the area. There is a drug problem, but it is mainly prescription abuses. Drinking is a major issue, with a higher rate seen among the student athlete population. There is a very high teen pregnancy rate, but those students are often forced to leave school or transfer through ridicule from teachers and administrators. Blatant homophobia from some of the teaching staff forced several students to walk out of class in 2010.
--Submitted by a parent

I attended this school. In high school, exactly two of my teachers were not and had never been coaches. The principal and assistant were quick to believe to believe rumors about the students and the counselor was a joke. Some of my teachers were excellent, about 3 of them. But many worked for only one year before moving on to higher paying schools. I don't feel that there was racism at the school as I saw in another review. The vice principal did endorse homophobia (when a gay student went to him about bullying he said the student had "brought it on himself"). Without independent study I would not have been prepared for college. The best that can be said for this school is it is not dangerous, not full of drug users, and it provides opportunity to participate in athletic and educational competitions.
--Submitted by a student

How can the parents of those children have their own opinons if the only place they havwe heard these comments are from their children.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a current SHS student, currently in the first school year of the new high school facility. As a parent previously said in these reviews, the general level of classes is fairly standard. No classes at SHS are sup-par by any means. I am an honors student, and can tell you that the honors and AP classes at Salado are second to none. Also, there was a complaint of coaches also teaching. This should be a praise. The coaches (excluding one), are very dedicated to their subject. Furthermore, as being coaches, usually a coach taught class is much better behaved and more productive. Someone also mentioned some sort of racism. Not so, SHS has a very large hispanic population that is not mistreated in any way. There is not much of an african american population, but these students are well treated also. Salado High School is a fantastic school.
--Submitted by a student

i am a current student at Salado High School, and i find that it is an honor to go to this school. The teachers here treat their students with respect and truley want to help us. I have many friends of all shapes, sizes, colors, and beliefs. I am very happy to go to this school, it is a terrific school, that everyone should attend.
--Submitted by a student

I moved here so my children could attend this school . The teachers are comitted and most are leaders in the community. Yes they promote Christianity and they should. I'm happy with my choice. There are some discipline issues that they could take a firmer stance on but basically I made the right choice! Salado is a great place to grow up!
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent who put my children in this school district. They have told me they feel the quality of their overall education is much lower than the previous schools they attended. There are a few excellent teachers in math, science, and english if you are an honor student,if not your education will be poor if in the general class. If you are not Christian and if you are non- white then you are an outcast. The mentality is that of the 1950's. I do not recommend this school. They choose coaches to teach because the administration is more interested in athletics. They do not prepare their students for college but for blue-collar jobs unless in the honors classes. There are better schools to choose from in the area.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a former student at SHS. I would not trade my time there for anything, if only because my isolation truly helped me to grow as a person by observing the psychological behavior of my peers. From my experiences I have learned that life is hard at SHS if you are different in any way. The harsh social life is devastating for some, and many are suppressed in an unhealthy manner. Salado is only a good school if you are willing to conform and turn a blind eye to discrimination. Also, I did not learn much from my years there. I often envied friends from other schools, who took part in a curriculum which actually challenged them. I only truly respected 3 people as teachers, and was often frustrated at the incompetency of the majority of the staff. Salado is an excellent school, if you're just like everyone else there.
--Submitted by a former student

I am also a student here at Salado High. I understand fully what the parent very heavy emphasis on being basically Christian, and yes the other ethnicities are treated poorly. I do not like the school atmosphere, as it is crowded by cliques fighting inside of each other and the outcasts finding at a hard fight to even be accepted. Being basically a non-Christian, I am treated as an outcast and something of a 'freak' as I have been called, but I continue here as I have no other choice. All and all, there a few teachers here who are wonderful, but many are coaches, which means playing favorites, and the heavy emphasis on athletics is rather annoying. If you plan on going here, better be up to the challenge.
--Submitted by a student

My daughter spent one miserable year at Salado. The atmosphere is very small-town and cliquish, and if you're non-white, non-Christian, or non-preppy, you'll do better elsewhere. She encountered some real, blatent discrimination on the part of teachers and admin at the school. She's now at another public school where mixed-race students aren't told they are 'mongrels' by teachers and administration. Some teachers are excellent, but the high percentage of coaches teaching as a sideline lowers the overall quality.
--Submitted by a parent