Nicolet High School

Nicolet is a good and bad school at the same time. Its my first year here and its wonderful. Hopefully they will only grow to be a even better school!
—Submitted by a teacher

I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. My child is not in that so-called "Honors bubble" but has committed, caring teachers who really go out of their way to support her. The curriculum is creative and challenging --- I really love the fact that all kids participate in activities like National History Day -- and the teachers I've met really know their stuff. As for the other comments about the hallways and other problems, I'm not sure we were at the same school! The times I've been there, I've seen nothing more than kids walking to class, teachers standing outside of their doors joking with kids -- my daughter is not an outgoing girl, but she feels safe and encouraged there. Tons of activities, an overall AP passing rate of 75% -- this is a fantastic school! I would never pay for a private school with this option.
—Submitted by a parent

It is not as diverse as everyone says it it and as far as ethnicity go it is very limited. There are many Caucasians and Blacks and honestly, there is ignorance to different ethnicity's, as I am experiencing. Teachers do not follow the code of conduct as they are extremely lenient with the regulations and policies set. The profanity and inappropriate behavior from both the staff and the students is a shame and also very frustrating as there is such a high tolerance for it. The staff is very narrow-minded and snotty if you are not in the Honors program or they suspect you do not understand certain concepts. Another matter, is the distinct separation of students who are taking Accelerated, Honors or College Prep classes. There is a high level of competition and there is no trace of teamwork. I am very disappointed in this school. My family came to this country for a better life; getting me into a successful school. If the rest of the US exemplifies what I am experiencing in Nicolet, then I am ashamed to be here. I have felt nothing but isolation here, as I previously noted about the lack of be including to those not of one's financial position, race, or intellectual desires.
—Submitted by a student

This is a great school IF you can keep your child safe within the "Honors Bubble". The rest of the students are tolerated, left to fend for themselves. The atmospere in the halls is hostile, gross, and ugly. There is little school spirit, no sense of community. We made a huge mistake sending our child there, are scrambling to find an alternative, and will not send our younger child there. The teachers union has the place in a stranglehold -- burned out teachers remain, the new teachers are gone. Most resources and attention go to the misbehaving/failing students (many) and the Honors/gifted/ talented students (also many, some by the grace of tutors and prescription meds). If your student does not fall in either of these categories, beware.
—Submitted by a parent

great academics. great extracurriculars. great student resources. a lot of diversity. overall, a very good school that should be mentioned as one of the top in the state. with declining enrollment and lowered budgets, it will be interesting to see how the administration can keep it from declining.
—Submitted by a student

I sent 4 through this school. All received an excptional education and got into their choice college. Course selection is great. All learned to write well which put the ahead of most of their freshman college classmates. They all underestimated the value of their HS experience until they got to college and saw how far ahead of most of their classmates they actually were. The parent's are active, the school board is responsive, the ahtletics are strong with many sports having a no cut policy. Three of my children lettered in sports including swimming, cross country and track. As with any school, you as a parent, must remain involved and active with conferences and other engagement. If you do, it will be a good experience. The student body is diverse and take school seriously.
—Submitted by a parent

When people ask me where I go to school, I say 'Nicolet High' and I always get a response that it is a very good school. It is the most diverse school in Wisconsin, or so I've heard. It's just like any regular high school with homework, projects, and those stinkin' exams but all in all, I couldn't ask for a better high school.
—Submitted by a student

Nicolet is a great school. My experience there has been amazing. While, some people have issues with the administration, I think many people have high hopes for the new principal. Overall, Nicolet's sports, theatre, clubs and other extracurriculars are wonderful and a perfect supplement to their great academics. The variety of classes there are amazing, and plenty of honors level and AP classes are available. My experience there has been very enjoyable, and I wouldn't change schools for the world...
—Submitted by A., a former student

As far as traditional high schools go, I give it a four out of five. On the positive side, there's just tons of resources: art and drama materials, sports facilities, technology etc... if a student wants to learn and make the most of his time there, he definitely can. On the negative side, there is little sense of an overall community. There seems to be a general sense of 'us vs. them' between students and administration. There was a sizable population of alienated students, and it didn't seem like much was done about it. When I went there, the teachers seemed very competent, but also very tired. There's much that I would change about Nicolet (or any traditional school), but as far as schools go today, it has a fantastic track record.
—Submitted by a former student

In my opinion, Nicolet has high and low points. Academically they are fairly good, I think that if the teachers listened to the students a little better, there would be less problems and miscommunication. I know that some students have had grade issuses with some teachers, but many were later clarified. For the music, arts, sports, and extracurricular activities there is nothing BAD to say. They offer so many and all of them are great quality. For sports I wouldn't suggest getting your sons (or daughters) involved in their football team, they really aren't that great. Parent involvement could increase, but i understand that many parents are busy, so I don't blame them. Administration is a little bit different story though, they are a little uptight, but some parents like that. The principal does have a few things to work on, but he's working on it. I hope...
—Submitted by a student

I have had one son graduate and one son currently in 9th grade at Nicolet high school. I have been very pleased with their education at Nicolet. They offer a wide range of subjects to fit any child's needs. Their counseling staff is first rate. Both of my sons had excellent help in choosing the academic classes suited for their individual needs. They offer a wide variety of extra curricular activities. Also their sports programs at Nicolet are among the best in the state. Both of my sons were involved at the sports programs at Nicolet and both had a great experience. Their is a very high parent involvement at Nicolet. Nicolet also has great communications with parents. I would highly recommend Nicolet High School to anyone moving to this area.
—Submitted by a parent

Many teachers are great quality, but I would not wish the torture of my time at Nicolet on my worst enemy. Bullying is a constant, yet not acknowledged problem, and to an extent it is encouraged by the school's beuracracy. Some great teachers have been laid off, due to the school's pathetic 'last hired, first fired' policy. The academics are good, but the social life and overall experience is terrible.
—Submitted by a former student

The favoritism and tracking at Nicolet is reprehensible. An extremely intelligent student can be prevented from the challenging classes in which they deserve to be in, due to the schools tendency of putting students on tracks without ever measuring their abilities. The school only praises national merit semi-finalists, instead of students who try their best and improve constantly, but may have a disability. Students with disabilities are constantly discriminated against, and I have examples to back this up. As a previous reviewer laid out clearly, the concern is more on students going to Harvard or other Ivy League schools, than hard-working students who do good for society. The school is stuck in its secular views, and has a very prevelent liberal bias. The negative aspects of this school have no end in sight. I know as a recent graduate.
—Submitted by a former student

The acedemics at Nicolet are great you really learn there.I attend Nicolet this years and I am really earning my education. I have not yet experienced any type of drug interation and I have been there two years. Before I was enrolled there I heard a lot of bad thins to but I found that you can't go by what you hear it's really a great place to learn and it does not make an MPS school look good not even close because I came from MPS to the Nicolet school district!
—Submitted by Mercedes, a student

When it comes to opportunities for students I say Nicolet is the place to be. Unfortunately, besides the wonderful academic and extracurricular options the students are also exposed to illegal activities. My child was exposed to all sorts of drugs, and not just marijuana. Many kids that attend Nicolet are wealthy and have the money to buy brand name drugs. If you allow your child to attend Nicolet keep a watchful eye and look for signs.
—Submitted by a parent

'Overridded': I don't believe that is actually word. Nicolet is a relatively good school, and like any school it has various problems, but many factors outweigh those. For example, 89% of Advanced Placement test scores were a 3 or above in 2002. The school has received numerous awards from newspapers, magazines, and the state itself. It was featured in a special with Tom Brokaw. This year's graduating class included two accepted to Harvard, one to Stanford, one to North Carolina on a prestigious full scholarship, several to Northwestern, Cornell, and many others to other outstanding universities. The administration of the school is not of the greatest quality, but the teachers are some of the most educated and qualified individuals in Wisconsin. More than 80% of them have advanced or terminal degrees in their field. There are countless extracurricular activities, and although the focus is sports-oriented, there is still a wide variety of programs. The fine arts are exceptional. The school has lost a few of its better teachers to retirement, but new teachers (who definitely last more than one month) are being and were hired. If the previous individual cannot offer concrete evidence for his/her dismal review of Nicolet, then the comment is useless and simply biased. I am actually a parent of a student who graduated from Nicolet this year--not just speaking on wha I have heard.
—Submitted by a parent

Nicolet is a sad excuse for a public school. This school makes MPS look like a great option. The people I've talked to say that this school is overridded with corruption. Maybe if they could keep their staff members around for more than a month, there would be less confusion.
—Submitted by a parent