Binghamton High School

31 Main Street

School District

Binghamton City
Grade

PK, 9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for Binghamton City School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by student on February 22, 2025

I am a current BHS sophomore. I’ve dealt with multiple incidents where school staff did not intervene. Recently I talked to my school social worker about how I’ve been dealing with a student calling me slurs (one used towards gay people) along with telling me to end my own life (I have a string of mental health issues) and my school social worker did not do anything to tell admin or help me. The situation has snowballed to now me getting kicked out of the school musical (because someone lied saying how I missed rehearsals on purpose when i just get sick a lot) and being harassed by a senior via Snapchat. I feel like I can not adequately speak up to admin about how I’m treated by my peers due to what I see as lack of care in the school. I don’t feel safe there, I don’t feel welcome. There has been so many threats at the school, people vape, smoke weed and one time someone brought in a knife. In addition there’s also so many fights. The bathroom (a common human function, and a NEED for survival) are locked off with a gate and a bathroom monitor because a few years ago someone set the bathroom ablaze. Human needs should not be impossible to access. In addition the school nurses are also rude and don’t seem like they actually wanna help kids (if you don’t wanna work around kids DONT WORK AT A SCHOOL!) Overall my 2 years at BHS has been very unpleasant and traumatic. I’ve been in the BCSD for 11 years, I endured a lot of trauma from my 11 years in the BCSD. From a student, please don’t send your kiddo here.
Submitted by parent on July 06, 2022

The bottom of the barrel. Don't listen to the administrations defensive spiel about how well they do with so little. It's a really lousy school. A really lousy curriculum. There is nothing the good teachers can do to make it a better place. The curriculum is terrible. The longer your kid is in the Binghamton school system the further behind the kid will be compared to those enrolled in school districts in communities that are not failing. Binghamton City is an economically depressed dump with no hope for anything better and that rubs off on the kids too. It's is dead end for kids. Kids who would have gotten into the best colleges in the country had they been enrolled in a decent school system end up at BCC if they are lucky or as DO's if they aren't. The kids classified as poor and underserved in other communities do better than those from wealthy homes in Binghapit. Kids learn nothing there. The longer your kid is in the Binghamton school system the further behind they are compared to kids in reasonable communities outside the Southern failing tier. Vestal isn't better. All the schools are deficient but Binghamton is the most deficient. if you care about your kid, you'll put your child into a better system. Unfortunately it's nearly 100 miles to any that are better. Failing communities have failing schools and failing kids. Binghamton schools are backwoods, backwards and horrific.
Submitted by other on November 11, 2019

As a student, it’s clear some changes need to occur regarding bullying policies and irrational or somewhat immoral teachers.
Submitted by other on July 20, 2017

My experience in Binghamton School District was spectacular. As with anything in life opportunity is there you simply have to take it. I and many others who grew up in the district have been very successful. In academia it is up to you to put in the effort on an individual level to succeed with what is given. There are no shortages of ways to better yourself in this district, take advantage of the tools and opportunities given and you will succeed.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2013

Binghamton schools are horrible. Believe the test scores, not the excuses of the school administration (who blame poverty for their atrocious scores). The district's curriculum is pitched as such a low level of mastery that by high school kids lack basic skills needed to master high school level material. The kids who start in the district with good preparation are kept from learning until the least prepared is ready to learn-never. By high school all are so ill prepared to accomplish grade level material that the kids in the highest classes can't pass tests nailed by low achieving kids in other districts-including those from upper middle class educated households. Each year a couple of kids are accepted to competitive colleges which the school uses as evidence that the school is adequate. "enriching" your child's education will not prevent them from falling behind. Don't listen to the PC babble of the school administration. It's not about poverty-its about a failing curriculum and lousy schools that prevent capable children from moving ahead. On average, Broome County schools are terrible-but Binghamton Schools are the worst.
Submitted by other on March 23, 2013

As a group, the BHS kids underperform on all aspects of the curriculum. Talented teachers can't help them overcome an elementary and middle school curriculum which keeps them years behind peers.. Low expectations and simplistic material ( K-8) have a devastating impact on later achievement levels. No blinders here. I've watched cohorts of kids start K ready to learn but kept from doing so by a backwoods curriculum. They end up below grade level despite, as you mention, hard work. Look at the AP scores, Regents scores, SAT scores. All the objective indices show the system to be failing the kids. School isn't all about scores but what does it mean when all scores are so low. I'm not referring only to high failure rates. I am talking about motivated kids from educated families who value education in a system that gives As for work years below grade level and keeps kids from achieving at high levels. I'm talking about the straight A students incapable of getting 3's on APs & doing poorly on IBs and tanking on SATS. The biggest adversity faced by the kids is a curriculum that holds them back in early grades so the lack the foundation to tackle more difficult material later on.
Submitted by teacher on March 08, 2013

First and foremost as a parent of 3 lovely children of this district I can say I have complete faith in the teachers that my children have had the privilege of working with. Second, as a teacher working in this district at the highest levels (AP and IB classes for juniors and seniors) let me share some facts. In my 13 years in the district, I have seen students go on to universities such as MIT, Princeton, Cal Tech, and NYU just to name a few. The misnomer that the district is such poor shape that students cannot achieve is way beyond false. The previous review must have been made by someone wearing blinders who obviously had a bad experience. Does BHS have issues, you bet. Does BHS provide an environment where students can thrive....absolutely. Like anything else in life, you must work hard and overcome adversity. At BHS kids do it every day......