South Kitsap High School

I'm a current student at SKHS, this is my first year attending the school, and I do not have a good first impression of it. There are two things that stick out the most when I started going to this school: One, it's overwhelmingly crowded and two, other students. The first one is very self explanatory, but when you come to other students...there are several teens that look like druggies, are noisy, and use obscene language. There's PDA going on in every corner. I try to make friends, but I just feel unwelcome and exiled from a majority of students. It's hard to come across good friends now a days. Everyone just seems to want to stay with people they only know...Then when it comes to the Guidance Office! Ugh, I feel that they don't promote students that really care about their education too well when it comes to class changes.
--Submitted by a student

I am a former student who just graduated. Sure, sports are a big part of the school, as it should be. High school isn't all about academics. If you want an academic challenge at this school you have to find it. If you need help, teachers and staff were always willing to help me out. I had fun there. It surely isn't for everyone. And as for bad teachers: every school has them, you have to expect more in a school where there are 2500 students!!

Very scary place. A scary school in a scary town. Do not send your children there.
--Submitted by a student

I am a 2003 graduate of South Kitsap High School. The 3 years that I spent at South were not always the best. However it was not until my Junior and Senior years of high school That I found teachers and people that really cared about what my long term goals for my future were. Mrs. Gabrielle Nelson who taught my Junior and Senior English courses was absolutely amazing! She is an amazing encourager and was one of my key influences when I chose to become a teacher. The others that have greatly influenced me were not at South but at West Sound Technical Skills Center in Bremerton. I found my time there to be fruitful and it ultimatly underscored my immense passion for teaching this next generation and to call them to a higher standard of not only academic excellance but immense pride in themselves.
--Submitted by Mandi Lizama, a former student

The school didn't care about students or anything other than sports and money. Even if you had a club or other group that made money, they took it for sports. Academia was completely ignored unless you were lucky and got some of the great teachers.
--Submitted by a former student

My son started at this school 7+ months ago. This is his second year of HS but first year at the HS, since they spend the first year of HS at the JR High because there isn't room. Every trimester his teachers change. I haven't had much luck with getting responses via email from any of his teachers. Since there is a lack of feedback from teachers except at conference, there isn't much a parent can do to monitor progress. SKHS isn't likely to turn an unmotivated child into one that is. The short time a teacher spends with your teen doesn't allow for teacher involvement. It appears from my son's comments that his piers don't take the electives seriously even though there does seem to be a variety.Bottomline, an overcrowded school spells trouble for teens needing additional help. They just get lost in the crowd.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent class selection and good technical department. Good at transition resources. Not good teachers attitudes. Some do not choose to be involved with parents. Some teachers flat out will not be supportive, like they are only there because they have to be. Others teachers are great. It's a cultural attitude you get hit with that is disappointing.
--Submitted by a parent

In my opinion, part of SKHS's overcrowding is due to the fact that we don't want to lose our 'cream of the crop' athlete choices. When we have so many choices, we can create a winning team. State Championships are important- enough books for each student?- Well, that's on the backburner. This school is much more concerned about how we end up at the end of the season than what our WASL results reveal. If we could spend as much money on academic excellence- enough books, enough desks, enough space, enough teacher/student time, we would have more than half of our SKHS students passing the WASL Math. Heck, if we had the same ratio of coach/player to teacher/student contact, I would be happy. Bottom line, my junior passed the WASL. That was her achievement- not the school's. BTW, my older daughter and I are both SKHS graduates. -Disheartened
--Submitted by a parent

I loved going to South Kitsap High School. Considering how many people went to that school with me, everyone seemed to get along with each other swimmingly.
--Submitted by Chris Nelson, a student

excellent school,excellent teachers
--Submitted by a parent