High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Michelle Nelson4 said:

I was just sitting here thinking about how quickly the season seems to be slipping through our fingers. It feels like only yesterday we were discussing spring plans, and now suddenly we’re staring down the heat of July. I find myself caught in this strange loop of wanting to soak up every last bit of sunshine while simultaneously craving the relief of an air-conditioned room! It reminds me of that conversation Michelle Nelson4 was having earlier regarding the local weather patterns. She made such an interesting point about how unpredictable the humidity can be this time of year. I completely agree; one minute you're enjoying a lovely breeze, and the next, it feels like you're walking through a warm sponge. Anyway, I hope everyone is staying cool and finding some way to enjoy these long evenings. Does anyone have any good recommendations for light summer reading? I feel like my brain is turning to mush from the heat, so nothing too heavy, please! kaže:
I honestly have to wonder—do they just have no idea how many babies were born recently, or are they completely ignoring the data on how many kids will actually be enrolling this year? It feels like such a massive oversight.
🤔

They certainly know what's going on... but it’s the teaching staff that really tells the story here. It feels like there's just no real appetite to get things organized properly. I've mentioned this before—it isn't necessarily that we're running short on teachers (well, maybe if you count math and physics), but rather that there is a total lack of will to consolidate schools and actually distribute the faculty where they're needed most. Since these are schools focused on minority language programs, I suspect the whole situation is a bit too politically sensitive for anyone to want to touch it.

We are facing a real shortage of math, physics, computer science, and tech teachers in many areas, along with foreign language instructors.

This is most likely a mix of politics and the simple reality that history, religious studies, and geography teachers won't have anywhere to go if they reduce class sizes or total instruction hours.

In plenty of smaller towns—honestly, as soon as you leave the Washington, D.C. area—math and physics classes are being taught by people without specific certifications. They end up using temporary substitutes for two months at a time because regulations won't let them hire someone long-term. Instead of taking math teachers from underfunded schools with fewer students and moving them to where they are actually needed, they're essentially wasting time and taxpayer money just to protect the jobs of religious studies instructors.😠

Just wanted to jump in here with a quick correction because some of this info is a bit off—unqualified substitutes actually get hired within five months, and then we see the exact same job openings popping up every single five-month cycle. The absolute longest anyone should be stuck waiting for an emergency substitute position before a formal job posting goes live is two months, or about 60 days... though honestly, that "emergency" loophole is being abused way too often in a lot of school districts lately.

And seriously, if we just keep shutting down schools and vocational programs in smaller towns, we can't act surprised when everyone moves away. We need to build things in places where fifteen-year-olds don't have to spend three or four hours every single day just commuting on public transit and waiting around just to get their high school diploma.

We could honestly just implement school busing for high schoolers too, and it would be such a win. It’s way more cost-effective than trying to build out massive infrastructure just to accommodate tiny classes of five students. Plus, kids would actually have more options to choose from. There are plenty of other countries that have already figured this out. As for people moving away, I’m really not going to mourn anyone who feels they’re better off elsewhere; if anything, I’m happy for them. Let's be real—if there aren't any jobs waiting for them once they graduate, they're probably going to head out in four years regardless.

In a democracy, every state gets exactly what it deserves. Ultimately, the people are responsible for the leadership they choose to put in power.

P.S. If you look at the current demographic trends, it's pretty obvious why teachers are seeing fewer and fewer students in their classrooms. Each new generation is smaller than the last, and that's compounded by everyone leaving the country.

Sarah Hall53 said:Just wanted to jump in here with a quick correction because some of this info is a bit off—unqualified substitutes actually get hired within five months, and then we see the exact same job openings popping up every single five-month cycle. The absolute longest anyone should be stuck waiting for an emergency substitute position before a formal job posting goes live is two months, or about 60 days... though honestly, that "emergency" loophole is being abused way too often in a lot of school districts lately.

And seriously, if we just keep shutting down schools and vocational programs in smaller towns, we can't act surprised when everyone moves away. We need to build things in places where fifteen-year-olds don't have to spend three or four hours every single day just commuting on public transit and waiting around just to get their high school diploma.

Oh, I didn't realize that! I actually just figured it out from talking to someone else—apparently, if you pause the exchange for a few days, you can just pick them right back up again.
I’ve been wondering lately when we might see more math or computer science teachers entering the classroom, especially considering how many students are actually enrolling in those programs right now.
It honestly feels a bit absurd that they won't just close down that specific program for a few years. If they actually increased the enrollment quotas for math and related fields instead, they could finally make up for all the talent we've lost to hands-on industry roles or people moving away from the States.

I completely agree with Michelle Nelson4 on this one. For smaller towns, increasing the bus routes is definitely the way to go—it’s just much more cost-effective than trying to hire more teaching staff. Since all those teachers are funded through the federal budget, once you divide that pool of money among everyone, there isn't much left over to provide decent salaries for the teachers managing standard, if not overcrowded, classrooms.
I honestly don't get why a teacher would bother putting in all that extra effort for just a handful of students, especially since they’ll be heading off to different colleges or starting jobs the second graduation rolls around anyway. 🤷

By the way, speaking of travel:
There are some really fantastic vocational schools over in Annapolis, Sioux Falls, and Madison. It makes me a little sad to think about it, but honestly, it’s just such a bummer that Amtrak can't seem to level up. I’d love to see more frequent service, high-speed options, and actual air conditioning in the cars! It would be so much better for the environment and a lot safer, too. Plus, if we had better rail connections, it would take so much pressure off the traffic in Washington, D.C.
Honestly, I think trains are such a better way to travel than buses. I was reading about how they handle things in the Netherlands—apparently, it’s completely free for all students there! It makes me think that if we had something similar here in the US, where train travel was just ten minutes away from everywhere, it would be a total game changer for everyone.

Chicago - Memphis 12 miles
Chicago 17 miles

Kids living in big cities like Chicago often have much longer commutes to high school than this distance to Memphis. Honestly, I’d bet there are more high schoolers living in Chicago than those actually attending that specific school.

Also, just looking at the numbers for the Town of Edut (which includes Chicago)
In 2011, the population was 7,300
By 2021, it dropped to 5,500

So, it’s really no mystery why they don't even have enough students to fill three classes, even if everyone stayed local—but we all know a good chunk of them are heading off to Memphis or Chicago instead.

It feels completely irrational to even advertise three separate tracks if there aren't even enough kids to fill one. Unless, of course, they think they can lure people in from out of town with some sort of "super-premium" curriculum? But looking at how they teach economics or agricultural tech, I just don't see what makes those programs particularly irresistible.

It’s not just kids from that specific town enrolling in that school—students from all the neighboring areas sign up too.
And honestly, you just can't compare the public transit situation in Washington, D.C. to what it's like out in the middle of nowhere near Memphis. Seriously, I mean it—sometimes you literally only have three buses showing up all day, like one at 7, one at 2, and one at 8... so good luck trying to get anywhere.

I’m not really trying to make a case for public transit itself; it's more about the sheer distance involved. My point was simply that it's far more cost-effective to run a bus route than to fund an entire high school facility just to accommodate three classes and maybe ten students per grade level. 12 miles It's only a 20-minute ride by bus.

If you look at the geography—from the Napa Valley area out to the borders of the Barrios and Indianapolis (which most people there likely commute toward), then down to Gary (which leans more towards Memphis), and finally the Rural township that might gravitate toward a smaller town while the rest heads toward Indianapolis or Memphis because of its location—you realize how spread out things are. All together, those areas in the Rural counties don't even hit 20,000 residents, and I have no idea how many of those are actually high school-aged kids.

A school bus would probably solve all of this

Sarah Hall53 said:It’s not just kids from that specific town enrolling in that school—students from all the neighboring areas sign up too.
And honestly, you just can't compare the public transit situation in Washington, D.C. to what it's like out in the middle of nowhere near Memphis. Seriously, I mean it—sometimes you literally only have three buses showing up all day, like one at 7, one at 2, and one at 8... so good luck trying to get anywhere.

That’s exactly why we need to focus on improving transportation. It isn't just about the students, either. I think it's pretty ridiculous to expect every teacher to own a car and commute long distances every single day.

Honestly, people are leaving these rural areas for a reason. Just because there's a high school in a tiny little town doesn't mean it'll stop the exodus; it might keep teachers there until retirement, but the local government needs a better strategy than that.

Besides teacher salaries (and those massive commuting costs since not everyone lives locally), you also have to factor in the utility bills for the building, which are going to be sky-high this coming winter.
That total cost eventually trickles down to everyone's taxes, so I don't really get the complaining about closing schools.
For elementary schools, sure, maybe. But for high schools? It doesn't make sense.

If I were to add anything, I'd say the problem is also keeping vocational programs that aren't even in demand anymore (since kids learn things differently now). Some schools stay open just to keep jobs available for teachers across the entire USA.
(Like a photography major, for example)

You don’t live in a sleepy little town like I do, so you're probably looking at this whole emigration thing through a pretty simplified lens. We aren't just talking about twenty-somethings looking for adventure here. We’re talking about people in their thirties and even forties who end up packing up entire families—both spouses and all the kids—to head overseas. It’s usually an incredibly gut-wrenching decision, too, and most of the time, the hardest part is the kids—having to pull them out of their schools, their classrooms, and away from all their lifelong friends...
When that same kid has to spend an hour and a half commuting to school every single day with multiple transfers—whereas somewhere else abroad, everything is just more organized and efficient—the choice becomes a no-brainer. And that leads to a situation where it isn't just one person leaving the US, but four or five at once. Once two or three of those children stop seeing America as home after such a short time, they are essentially lost to us forever.

But hey, if a country views education as nothing more than a drain on the budget, then maybe it doesn't even deserve them.

It’s pretty obvious from an aerial view that a middle school with only about 10 kids per grade isn't really contributing much to anyone's development.
In my opinion, having reliable school bus service to a larger town with a wider variety of schools is definitely a better deal for students than staying at a local school with a lackluster curriculum. At the end of the day, keeping things local often just feels like an excuse to avoid organizing transportation—they act like it doesn't matter which school you attend, as long as there's one nearby, but that leaves any student who wants a different path completely on their own to figure out the logistics and costs.

Personally, I would absolutely advocate for moving more elementary grades into larger school districts. Honestly, I don't think there's anything worse than being stuck for eight years with the same four or five kids, especially if you don't particularly click with them. That kind of social isolation can be incredibly frustrating. On the other hand, in a classroom of 20 students where there are actually extracurricular activities available, your chances of finding people and interests that truly resonate with you increase exponentially.

At the end of the day, what exactly is education to the government if not an expense? Or perhaps, should we view it as an investment?
Any sensible person looks at how to squeeze the maximum value out of the minimum spend.
That’s what being a "good steward" of resources means. Our leadership spends money like a billionaire on a bender—not because they actually care about people surviving and thriving in this country, but because they use public funds to give local bureaucrats a political lever. It’s a way to hand out jobs and essentially "buy" political loyalty. In short, it's just corruption fueled by taxpayer dollars.

Besides, in a place like Washington, D.C., there’s a school on every corner. I personally know plenty of families who packed up and moved away with their kids, and having plenty of schools didn't stop them for even a second.

And I notice you're persistently dodging the actual point of our discussion. The argument is that instead of throwing money at empty classrooms and teachers lecturing to vacant chairs, that capital would be much better spent improving our public transit or school bus systems. Yet, you keep circling back to talking about transit commute times.
Look, we already covered the part about how the transit system needs to be reorganized. Is there anything else besides "hours spent on the bus" that you can offer as a counterargument to the idea that high schoolers should actually have full classrooms and a decent variety of programs that match their interests?

Sarah Hall53 said:You don’t live in a sleepy little town like I do, so you're probably looking at this whole emigration thing through a pretty simplified lens. We aren't just talking about twenty-somethings looking for adventure here. We’re talking about people in their thirties and even forties who end up packing up entire families—both spouses and all the kids—to head overseas. It’s usually an incredibly gut-wrenching decision, too, and most of the time, the hardest part is the kids—having to pull them out of their schools, their classrooms, and away from all their lifelong friends...
When that same kid has to spend an hour and a half commuting to school every single day with multiple transfers—whereas somewhere else abroad, everything is just more organized and efficient—the choice becomes a no-brainer. And that leads to a situation where it isn't just one person leaving the US, but four or five at once. Once two or three of those children stop seeing America as home after such a short time, they are essentially lost to us forever.

But hey, if a country views education as nothing more than a drain on the budget, then maybe it doesn't even deserve them.

First off, migration is just a natural part of life and something every country deals with. My own sister actually moved abroad, and she didn't exactly leave because she had to—she already had a great career lined up and wasn't living in some tiny, isolated town. 🤷
My parents actually came from out in the middle of nowhere. To get through high school, they had to move to Washington, D.C. At first, they were commuting every single day from their small hometowns just to get to class, but eventually, their parents helped them out by paying for some boarding houses nearby. Once they finished their education, they decided to stay in the city—mostly because there just wasn't any way to practice their professions back home in the sticks. 🤷 Well, honestly, what can you do? Things happen.
It’s a bit of a different story compared to them. For the last thirty years, we've seen massive numbers of people moving to Washington, D.C. to train as doctors, dentists, and speech therapists, and once they settle in, they rarely head back to their hometowns. It’s a shame because places like Indianapolis, Savannah, Des Moines, or even Asheville are practically starving for those kinds of specialists. I haven't really seen anyone making a big push to open up new universities just to train a handful of doctors who might stay in a place like Asheville—and honestly, there's no guarantee they will. 🥳
Third point: all those countries we keep hearing about—and even Washington, D.C., if they don't end up relocating to a different region entirely—are investing heavily in infrastructure. That includes public transit, of course, but if we’re really talking about what makes a family decide to stay put, it’s not just about high schools. For me, it always comes down to the basics: having reliable childcare and making sure there's a pediatrician within a reasonable driving distance. 19 miles)

Gas prices are climbing again, and honestly, it feels like they aren't going to stop anytime soon. It makes me wonder: if that tiny percentage of teachers who drive to work every day can't cover their own commuting costs, what happens next? I have a feeling it won't be enough. Will we end up seeing people turning to the teachers' union to demand travel reimbursements? Or will the district just try to push more online learning as a workaround? That’s the thing—in a lot of areas, that isn't even a realistic option. We still haven't solved the issue of reliable, high-speed internet infrastructure in many communities, let alone making sure every school is actually equipped with the right tech. It’s a tough spot to be in.

I still can't shake the feeling that this is mostly about protecting jobs for history, religion, and art teachers. It feels like they're just trying to keep people employed in those roles until they hit retirement age. Once everyone reaches pension age, then maybe they'll finally feel comfortable letting some of these majors be phased out.

By the way, I’ve noticed that school buses work pretty seamlessly in some of our smaller towns to get elementary students around. Honestly, I don't see why we couldn't do the exact same thing for high schools. It feels like there should be much more momentum behind an initiative to roll this out for older kids, too.
Beyond just making life easier for high schoolers when they're commuting, opening up more school options would be a huge win for everyone involved—plus, local transit companies could finally see some decent revenue. I honestly think we’d even see plenty of teachers opting for the school bus over dealing with the headache of buying a car, paying for repairs, and constantly hitting the gas station.

I honestly feel pretty bad about how Amtrak has fallen apart. It’s such a shame that we don't have reliable, well-covered rail routes anymore, especially out in the Midwest where the flat terrain would be absolutely perfect for it.
Beyond being better for the environment, it's actually safer and much faster, too. But honestly, with so many different options out there, that’s rarely been the priority.

Michelle Nelson4 said:We could honestly just implement school busing for high schoolers too, and it would be such a win. It’s way more cost-effective than trying to build out massive infrastructure just to accommodate tiny classes of five students. Plus, kids would actually have more options to choose from. There are plenty of other countries that have already figured this out. As for people moving away, I’m really not going to mourn anyone who feels they’re better off elsewhere; if anything, I’m happy for them. Let's be real—if there aren't any jobs waiting for them once they graduate, they're probably going to head out in four years regardless.

In a democracy, every state gets exactly what it deserves. Ultimately, the people are responsible for the leadership they choose to put in power.

P.S. If you look at the current demographic trends, it's pretty obvious why teachers are seeing fewer and fewer students in their classrooms. Each new generation is smaller than the last, and that's compounded by everyone leaving the country.

I’m totally with you on this. Honestly, it blows my mind that reliable school transportation is such a non-issue in America. For elementary schools, it’s pretty hit-or-miss, and for high schools? It’s basically nonexistent. If we had a solid, well-organized bus system, we could solve so many problems for those tiny rural schools struggling with low enrollment and staffing shortages. It would also give high schoolers much more freedom to choose the school that actually fits them best.

The only exception would be places like Hawaii or remote island communities—they’ll always need their own unique solutions.

Look, Rhino, unless you were actually riding the school bus—I mean, leaving the house at 7:00 AM and crawling back home around 2:00 PM just to get four hours of class in—maybe don't lecture us on how the school bus system works. 😢

Honestly, that’s exactly how universities operate. Once it becomes glaringly obvious that nobody from the local area is ever coming back after heading off to study in Washington, D.C., they start scrambling—literally clawing at the ground—to launch those specific programs right here in Indianapolis, Miami, or Seattle. It worked for us in Indianapolis; we got psychology and pedagogy programs started about twenty years ago, and in record time—well, maybe five or six years, once the first few generations finally graduated—we fixed that chronic shortage of qualified staff in our local High Schools.
It’s the same story with dentistry in Indianapolis, which launched relatively recently. I really believe dental clinics there will fill up much faster now that students aren't all fleeing to Washington, D.C.
The current approach is just completely senseless and totally counterproductive. ☕

Honestly, you could find studies on this topic all day long if you really wanted to.
But what does any of that actually matter when you look at the local high schools? We’re talking about places that set aside three different tracks for just 20 students each, yet they can't even manage to fill those spots with more than 15 kids total.
Beyond just making sure the teachers and staff have enough job security to keep things running smoothly, what actual crisis is this supposed to be solving? ☕

Isn't dentistry in Indianapolis basically just a private college? It’s mostly for kids who can't make the cut at a state school.
$10k a year. That's $60k total.
They aren't even local students; they're just rich kids from all over the US.
I know a few from San Diego whose parents are dentists, so they just pay the tuition since they couldn't get in through the standard state admissions process.
They'll just inherit their parents' practices, though I really hope the quality of their work doesn't tank.
I agree—it's better to have decent school buses than a half-empty school with questionable teaching quality.

Kudos to Smalltown, USA. It’s actually quite a shame—if you ask me—that they won't let them open that extra grade level they're asking for. I mean, there's a massive surge in enrollment, so I don't really see where the issue lies...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, they're practically forcing classes with only a handful of students in them...

Susan James said:That’s exactly why we need to focus on improving transportation. It isn't just about the students, either. I think it's pretty ridiculous to expect every teacher to own a car and commute long distances every single day.

Honestly, people are leaving these rural areas for a reason. Just because there's a high school in a tiny little town doesn't mean it'll stop the exodus; it might keep teachers there until retirement, but the local government needs a better strategy than that.

Besides teacher salaries (and those massive commuting costs since not everyone lives locally), you also have to factor in the utility bills for the building, which are going to be sky-high this coming winter.
That total cost eventually trickles down to everyone's taxes, so I don't really get the complaining about closing schools.
For elementary schools, sure, maybe. But for high schools? It doesn't make sense.

If I were to add anything, I'd say the problem is also keeping vocational programs that aren't even in demand anymore (since kids learn things differently now). Some schools stay open just to keep jobs available for teachers across the entire USA.
(Like a photography major, for example)

There are as many career paths as you want. Salesperson, waiter, tailor...

One interesting point. A guy I know wanted to start his own photography business, but he couldn't pull it off because he doesn't have a degree in photography—he’s got an Electrical Engineering degree instead. Even his high school was technical.

Sarah Hall53 said:You don’t live in a sleepy little town like I do, so you're probably looking at this whole emigration thing through a pretty simplified lens. We aren't just talking about twenty-somethings looking for adventure here. We’re talking about people in their thirties and even forties who end up packing up entire families—both spouses and all the kids—to head overseas. It’s usually an incredibly gut-wrenching decision, too, and most of the time, the hardest part is the kids—having to pull them out of their schools, their classrooms, and away from all their lifelong friends...
When that same kid has to spend an hour and a half commuting to school every single day with multiple transfers—whereas somewhere else abroad, everything is just more organized and efficient—the choice becomes a no-brainer. And that leads to a situation where it isn't just one person leaving the US, but four or five at once. Once two or three of those children stop seeing America as home after such a short time, they are essentially lost to us forever.

But hey, if a country views education as nothing more than a drain on the budget, then maybe it doesn't even deserve them.

How else should one view emigration? If not like this? I'm not happy here; I'm going where things will be better. All that nonsense about "home" and "motherland" is for the patriots. It's easy to talk about patriotism when you aren't facing major problems.

Sarah Hall53 said:You don’t live in a sleepy little town like I do, so you're probably looking at this whole emigration thing through a pretty simplified lens. We aren't just talking about twenty-somethings looking for adventure here. We’re talking about people in their thirties and even forties who end up packing up entire families—both spouses and all the kids—to head overseas. It’s usually an incredibly gut-wrenching decision, too, and most of the time, the hardest part is the kids—having to pull them out of their schools, their classrooms, and away from all their lifelong friends...
When that same kid has to spend an hour and a half commuting to school every single day with multiple transfers—whereas somewhere else abroad, everything is just more organized and efficient—the choice becomes a no-brainer. And that leads to a situation where it isn't just one person leaving the US, but four or five at once. Once two or three of those children stop seeing America as home after such a short time, they are essentially lost to us forever.

But hey, if a country views education as nothing more than a drain on the budget, then maybe it doesn't even deserve them.

And what's the alternative?

Schools? Is there any real damage? You think they'll miss anything vital? The geography of Kazakhstan, an alphabetical list of those fallen at Thermopylae, the reproduction cycles of Precambrian plants...?
Friends are fine, but they aren't the ones feeding their children, nor can you live off them.

Sarah Hall53 said:You don’t live in a sleepy little town like I do, so you're probably looking at this whole emigration thing through a pretty simplified lens. We aren't just talking about twenty-somethings looking for adventure here. We’re talking about people in their thirties and even forties who end up packing up entire families—both spouses and all the kids—to head overseas. It’s usually an incredibly gut-wrenching decision, too, and most of the time, the hardest part is the kids—having to pull them out of their schools, their classrooms, and away from all their lifelong friends...
When that same kid has to spend an hour and a half commuting to school every single day with multiple transfers—whereas somewhere else abroad, everything is just more organized and efficient—the choice becomes a no-brainer. And that leads to a situation where it isn't just one person leaving the US, but four or five at once. Once two or three of those children stop seeing America as home after such a short time, they are essentially lost to us forever.

But hey, if a country views education as nothing more than a drain on the budget, then maybe it doesn't even deserve them.

What else? We can baby ourselves by calling it an "investment" or whatever, but the return is uncertain and highly questionable.

nimblelynx7 said:There are as many career paths as you want. Salesperson, waiter, tailor...

One interesting point. A guy I know wanted to start his own photography business, but he couldn't pull it off because he doesn't have a degree in photography—he’s got an Electrical Engineering degree instead. Even his high school was technical.

How else should one view emigration? If not like this? I'm not happy here; I'm going where things will be better. All that nonsense about "home" and "motherland" is for the patriots. It's easy to talk about patriotism when you aren't facing major problems.

And what's the alternative?

Schools? Is there any real damage? You think they'll miss anything vital? The geography of Kazakhstan, an alphabetical list of those fallen at Thermopylae, the reproduction cycles of Precambrian plants...?
Friends are fine, but they aren't the ones feeding their children, nor can you live off them.

What else? We can baby ourselves by calling it an "investment" or whatever, but the return is uncertain and highly questionable.

Maybe we shouldn't even bother sending kids to school. I mean, why would they need an education if all they're going to do is play soccer or clean vacation rentals?
They don't even need to grasp what they read or hear; it's much easier to pull the strings when people aren't thinking critically. Isn't that just the kind of society we're aiming for here?