Personal opinions on Holly Springs High School (Raleigh, Murphy: house, transfer)

[nc1987]

I am considering a home purchase that is district to go to Holly Springs High School. I know that it is a new high school with no data yet. I was wondering if any one had an opinion on it?

Thanks,

[lifeguard_bss]

Let's bump this back up. We are looking at Holly Glen and the High School *looks* beautiful. I am just wondering how actual experiences have been there.

[CAKD]

I can't speak from personal experience but my neighbors kids attend HSHS as well as the other new one. They have shared no complaints with me what so ever. Both sets of kids are very involved in school activities (golf, drama,chorus,baseball) as well as the parents being part of the PTA (I know it is called something else in HS but as I don't have a Hich schooler yet I am not familiar). The schools look incredible don't they? I have driven by and I thought they were a college campus! We are only one school year away from HS so I will soon know first hand!

[urbywan]

I substitute teach there HSHS, No issues, it will be a fine place. A good suburban school. Next year they will add another class, so it will house 9,10 and 11th grade students and the following year it will add the fourth year and have 9 thru 12th grades.

Good young staff, seriously these are very good teachers.

[captaink5]

My son attends Holly Springs HS and is in the 10th grade there. I can't express enough my extreme disgust with the school..Last year the principle made sure the athletic facilities were ready for the opening of school, yet disregarded the other activities such as drama, band and chorus. Secondly the administration did not order enough text books for the students and did not have enough books to meet their needs until February.

This year there are not enough buses and bus drivers to take all the kids home. They take the kids home in shifts. As the final cherry on the top of this rotten sundae, the first non musical play the school is doing only has 4 roles available.

The principal Luther Johnson is unwilling to hear any comparisons to other schools in the area. His excuse is the other schools are more established. IN the words of Steve Martin, WELL EXCUSE ME!!!!!, Wake COunty did not pay Luther Johnson only a partial salary because he only has a partially full school and Wake County did not give me a rebate on my taxes because the school is only partially full.

[sacredgrooves]

My son and daughter attend HSHS and we have not had any problems like mentioned above. My son was in a play last year that went off without a hitch,we personally had no book shortage, the bus was punctual...maybe we got lucky. I am sure there were some growing pains as there would be with any new school that hits the ground running, but it is a nice facility with alot to offer. My .02.

[rin]

I cannot speak for how the school is now, as i have transfered out to a magnet school in Raleigh, however I remember what last year was like. I don't know how these people have such nice opinions of that school- I wonder if I attended the same HSHS that we are talking about.
The teachers were nice, they were most definitely not the problem- save that several quit because of the atmosphere created by the administration. In fact I spent three weeks without a biology teacher as another teacher quit and Mr. Murphy had to cover their class.
LJ, or "Luther Johnson" as he is properly known, the principal is one of the largest problems that exists at the school, however the assistant principals are no doubt not without blame. The schools motto last year was "failure is not an option" because LJ imposed several sever policies that detracted from the alloted time for lunch that punished students both for doing poorly and doing well in class. Also the administration was not in anyway understanding. I have a medical condition that requires me to wear dark glasses. To avoid trouble I carried a note from my mother for the first month of school. Unfortunately a note from my mother was not sufficient and I got in trouble several times before I got a notarized note from my ophthalmologist. This was after I was pulled out of class twice by one of the assistant principles who called my mother.
I know my reply is a bit late as I only just stumbled upon this post, but my advice, if you choose to live in an area that feeds into HSHS apply to all the magnet and charter schools that you can. My friends and I (as well as a significant portion of the student population) referred to transferring or moving so as to attend a different school as "getting out," several of my friends as well as myself managed to get out, but I still have friends at HSHS and they still despise the school.
If I have failed to represent how truly reproachful this school is(was) then I appologize.

-Becca C.
currently in 11th grade at Enloe GT/IB Magnet High School

[saturnfan]

And I thought Millbrook had issues.

[lamishra]

You are quite a mature writer Becca C.

[Matt Johnson]

Holla Sprangs be wack. Dis crap ain't be gonning on foever. Me hasn't learned nothing. Ma teachers be crazy.