Research White Station High School public Schools in Horn Lake, Mississippi

“WSHS has indeed taken one step forward and two steps back. However, I still believe it has proven itself to be a good school, if more than fairly overcrowded. It is NOT for the squeamish, I will say that. Students are coming from harsh, real world backgrounds. So if you want a pretty, prissy, 'curtsy and say thank you sir' school, then get out and search elsewhere.”

“Most recent events at this school are disheartening such as their taking the books before exams so we cannot properly study or changing the locks on the lockers without proper warning before the end of the school year. The 'Freshman Academy' is not really high school, but elementary school making this year's freshman just have to adapt to high school a year later. However, it is still the best school in the city, especially out of public schools. It should be said though that not all of the students are smart. That seems to be the most common misconception. It has the smartest students, but that is really only about 10%. Everyone else ranges widely in intelligence. Its resources are very good however. The only sub par program is drama, but it isn't horrible; the auditorium is the main problem there. We do well in every competition. It is very well rounded.”

“My ninth grade year, I attended White Station for about a month or two and I was utterly disappointed. First and foremost, the school was so crowded that the I could barely walk the halls. The standard classes were absolutely tedious and the teachers acted as if they did not care about teaching us. All of the students- even the honor students- used horrendous language to converse and I believe that it was completely repulsive. Everyone hypes up this school as if it is beyond extraordinary, when in actuality it's worse because it has an great optional program to cover up the bad. Teachers pass students just to get them out of their classes and some student deal drug in or near the school. It' is just atrocious”

“previous student.. great school!”

“WSHS is a tremendous asset to the City of Memphis. Mr. Brown has put just the right infrastructure in place to build this already outstanding school into a nationally recognized place of teaching and learning. The teachers are committed to the students and the parental involvement is unrivaled. I have one child in the program and cannot wait to send my younger child to WSHS too.”

“There was a lot to do and the classes were great. You learned a lot and other than the usual stuff of kids getting into trouble it's a decent school for kids to attend.”

“As a former White Stationer, I have to agree with the majority of the opinions expressed here. White Station was an excellent school, if you're in the Honors program. Having gone to the junior and senior highs, I was more than prepared for college, more so than others I met in college. To be quite honest, college was easy for me and I was much further along than many of my classmates. Sure there are issues with violence, race, under paid teachers, etc, but hello, how many high schools can say they don't? It's a building filled with teenagers, there's bond to be issues. There are less than desirable teachers everywhere. You just gotta balance and work harder. That's life folks!”

“Admittedly, I'm not a parent, but a former WSHS student. But, to review the school: wonderful. As an honors student, I took mostly AP classes, most of which were not offered at the other Memphis City Schools, and honors classes. The teachers were wonderful, and I felt very challenged academically. Granted, the are MANY failings with this school. It's too crowded, there are a lot of racial tensions (Hello! This IS Memphis - what do you expect?), the buildings are in terrible shape, and not all the teachers are great (mostly the teachers who didn't teach honors or AP - I think they're just burned out). But with the costs of college today, if this school is an option, I say save your money to pay for college and not high school.”

“White Station High School has an honors program and an accelerated students program that is probably the best in our city. I would put it up against any private school curriculum in Memphis. The standard program, however, has much to be desired. I'm not sure where it falls apart. Some teachers care, some teachers are just trying to make it through the day....alive. My daughter is in the standard program and on the honor roll. She studies very hard and has two parents who go over homework and help when requested. I never hear about teacher interaction. I usually hear about teachers who are hiding and passing students just to get to the next set of students. The school pours all funds and interest into the optional/honor program. The rest are left to fend on their own. You decide what kind of grade the school deserves.”

“This School has an expected quality of education for our children. There is better learning in the honors classes. There are very excellent extracurricular activities. In short, parents get involved for the love of their children.”

“From the mouths of the students and my own children, White Station has a major problem with some of the quality of their teachers. They also have a major drug problems that seem to be overlooked rather than dealt with in order to provide a safe and drug free environment.”

“I've gone to private schools in memphis all my life. Now i'm in my freshman year at white station. It's my first time to be in a public school and i absoultly love it. White Station is a great school. I'm in the optinal program and I am really being challenged more than I was at Briarcrest. White station is a big racially diverse school. It may freak people out at first, but once you get into the swing of things, high school will be the best time of your life. I already love it and we've only been in school 6 weeks!”

“I transferred from a Memphis private school to White Station to find a more diverse environment and a higher level of independence. I took more AP classes per year than most of my private school friends and excelled on all AP exams, SATs and standardized tests. The most important thing to me, however, was the learning environment of the school. Students in the optional program are intellectually curious, diverse in opinions as well as background and above all self-motivated. Most private school students I know are motivated by a dictated level of 'achievement' they are expected to attain. The top students at WSHS work hard because they want to learn. They choose to take AP classes rather than being forced into it. At WSHS, each student truly decides how difficult or easy an educational path to take. That is what makes it so unique.”

“I attended the Honors Program at WSHS and felt that it prepared me very well for college and graduate school. The best public school in Memphis, if you're in the Honors Program. I'm sure the standard program isn't too great, but nobody really cares about that. WSHS is so well known because of the great students that are pumped out of the Honors and AP classes.”

“When I first came to White Station, I honestly didn't like it. But now that I am about to graduate from this school, I have gained so much from it. High school is what you make of it. The standard program could use work, but that is with any high school city or county! The honors and AP classes offered are excellent and the teachers I have had work with me throughout my entire high school education. WSHS not only helps you to learn, but to grow. Also the diverse enviroment helps studnts to grow. Being a black student, I was not restricted to the black clubs or hanging out with that race, but I hung out with all types of people. WSHS is truely a great school. Maybe the parents who are complaining didn't take a more active role in their childs education and thats why they hate it.”

“White Station isn't the school you think it is. If you want your child to go to White Sation put them in honors classes. They might be tough but they will learn alot more. My daughter was in a standard class all through high school and she didnt really learn anything because the teachers weren't willing to take the time to help anyone. But like I said before put your kids in honors if you can. It's a really great school, if you get into the sports and stuff.The prep-rallys are a lot of fun also. Thats all I have to say.”

“this school was awful, so many gangs and cursing and awful language I pulled my child out before she could be influenced by it”

“I graduated from White Station a few years ago. White Station is definitely the best public school in the state and could rival almost all of the private schools. I've been all over the state for various reasons talking to kids in Tennessee High School and I am astounded at how little these kids are educated. What seems like common knowledege to me is not known at all by kids from all the other schools in the state. White Station prepares the youth for a college career and by the time they are freshmen in college, they have more knowledge than sophomores in college do. White Station is the best school in the state.”

“I cannot say enough in 150 words to express all the incredible aspects of White Station. From a nationally ranked basketball team to a dominant Knowledge Bowl team to an incredible average SAT score of over 1200, this school is simply the best in the area. White Station students work hard in advanced honors and AP classes but also know how to have fun. The student body is intellectually diverse which results in tolerance for minorities and majorities of every kind. Of couse the standard program is probably horrible, but anyone who wants to put in some effort could easily get into the top-notch honors courses. Students in the Memphis area who desire to learn and work hard to prepare for college should definately look at White Station.”

“I'm a student at WSHS, and all I have to say is Wow. I come from a private school, and I was totally unprepared for the challenges they set for me. I have to work to make A's now, but that just makes the A's that much sweeter. I also love the people, there are so many I've found plenty who are just as crazy as I am. I have nothing but good things to say about WSHS! The teachers are, for the most part, excellent, and those who are disappointed just aren't up for the challenge.”

“This is a great school. It is one of the best schools in the U.S. When colleges come to Memphis White Station High is their first stop. Our parent involvement is amazing if we need parents we always have more than enough. I will give WSH a full grade on everything.”

“I definately agree with the student that found White Station High School to be depressing as a learning facility. The standard classed have poor instructors and the level of learning is lowered greatly when it should be raised. As a parent, I was extremely disappointed and I would never send my child to this school had I known what I now know. It school was a big mistake and ruined her desire to learn. I have often heard that the classes for the 'intelligent' students are good. But let's not forget the importance of learning for the average student. White Station seems to have forgotten this. I strongly recommend that any parent sit in on classes and get other parents opinions before enrolling their child in this school.”

“White Station is an overcrowded, underfunded, and understaffed school. Students are unmotivated by an unqualified faculty. If this is the pest that the Memphis City School system has to offer, I suggest that parents consider private education.”

“I am a former student of White Station High School, and I am troubled by the negative comments by parents. Those who bash White Station are either upset that their kids could not keep up in the honors program (in which nearly anyone can succeed with a touch of hard work), or they are anti-intellectuals, scared of their children failing in such a challenging environment. I feel that by attending WSHS, I have been given a head start in academics (college lit. classes are reading the same works as WS's 10th grade Pre-AP English class), as well as life, in that I have learned how to work together with a diverse group of people, fostering understanding and respect. I am not sure that there is a better school in the country, and I know there is not a better one in Shelby County.”

“I have had two children graduate from White Station and I can honestly say that the experience was very rewarding. One of my children has learning disabilities and needed an environment that was geared more toward one on one teaching. The teachers and principals were very helpful and as a result my child graduated on time with her class.”

“I graduated from White Station in 1989. As a former student, I have nothing but positive things to say about WSHS. I feel it prepared me for college and my career. I recently received my doctorate degree and feel that I could not have acheived this feat without the foundation I received at White Station. If I ever have children I plan to do whatever is necessary to send them to White Station.”

“I'm sorry that standard education disappointed one White Station graduate. If he felt underchallenged as a standard student, hmm, yes, maybe, he/she could have challenged himself/herself to enroll in the optional program. My guess is that, there, he/she would flounder and miss the inadequacy of the standard program. The bottom line is that White Station is one of the top public high schools in the state, if not the top. With more national merit scholars than all other schools in Memphis combined, White Station is reputed as the best of the best. I would agree that the Board of Education lacks effective leadership and that does pose several problems for the future of White Station, but, at this point, I'm firm in my opinion.”

“I, like one of my fellow peers that has already posted their comments on White Station, feel that the quality of this school is unsurpassed by any other. The negative comments of some of the parents are completely ungrounded and give off the wrong impression about the best school in Memphis. I am entering my sophomore year and loving every minute of it.'Jake F.'”

“White Station has provided an outstanding educational opportunity for our two sons, but you won't want to send your children here if you don't want them to be academically challenged in a diverse environment.”

“I graduated from White Station in 2003. I was disappointed in the education I got there. Sure, the optional program is great, but the standard classes are depressing. Most students in the class do not wish to learn, so the teacher must bring the curriculum down to their level, causing those who want to learn at a normal pace to become bored in their classes. Also, the leadership is lacking, but so does the Board of Education itself. Frankly, when I have children, I am living in a Shelby County School district.”

“I have had one student graduate from White Station, another who is a sophomore. I believe that the Honors program is challenging and prepares a HS student well for college. Having classes with intellectual peers is an important aspect of the program that is often overlooked. The faculty members, for the most part,are very interested in stimulating the students,and provide excellent mentoring and leadership.The kids are very proud that they attend this school, well know for it's academics locally as well as nationally.When it's time to apply for college, a good GPA from the honors program means something. I cannot comment on the Standard program.”

“Hello, I am a student starting my fourth year at White Station in the fall. I can honestly say that I could not imagine going to a different school and having the same experience. Although White Station has its faults, I have such incredible pride in my school. And many of the other students at White Station share this same pride. The teachers and administration are very supportive of the students. I have always felt like I could go to any of my teachers and ask for extra help. Therefore, it upsets me to read this negative comment about the school that I love so much and speak so favorably of everywhere that I go. Not only does this person give my school undeserved criticism, but he/she does not offer any possible reasoning behind the comments. White Station is a wonderful school and is known throughout the city as one of the top schools, public and private, in the city of Memphis. Thank you for your time. Amelia Thompson”

“I purchased a home to be in this district. This was a hugh mistake. I now have it up for sale to pull my child out of this school. I would encourage any parent to home school before they send their children to this school.”