William Amos Hough High

12420 Bailey Road

School District

Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

public

School Map for Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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 September 28, 2024

This school allowed three racist white boys to bully me everyday until I moved. They would do nothing to help! I talked to the principal, counselor, teachers, everyone! Nobody did anything. They would say racial slurs, one of them screamed “I hate Africans” on the bus! They would throw things at me! This is the most racist school I’ve ever been in!
Submitted by other on May 16, 2024

some teachers teach. others do not care for the achievement of the student, but more for the rating they receive. very unhealthy environment for students who actually want to achieve bigger things other than drugs and popularity. Overall this school is a depressing, heavily toxic environment.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2024

My children had a wonderful experience at William Hough H.S. They attended all CMS public schools in our town and were accepted into highly selective schools, including the Ivy League. The school offers 30 AP courses taught by outstanding teachers and great college preparation from grade 6 to 12. The district may lack resources in staffing, technology, and space but make it for it in generous initiatives like paying for all college admission testing, AP exams, and even having free applications for state schools. When looking at the stats for this school, like the average SATs scores (1250), ACT scores (28) and AP Exam passing rates (69%), keep in mind that EVERY student takes these tests from special ed to ESL students, so those scores are impressive and about the same as the very expensive private schools with selective testing results. From hundreds of clubs to sports and arts and mental health programs, Hough offers an amazing array of resources for their students.
Submitted by other on June 09, 2023

Some teachers are good and care, some don’t. Many long term subs. My freshman daughter was able to walk out multiple times, the security needs to be better. Only seniors can park at the school, so others have to park at Bailey Road Park and walk or pay for parking at private homes nearby. The morning car line is awful for the Senior lot because so many people pass the line and make a u turn to come in from the other direction and cause the people from the left to have to wait longer. I did notice police handling that toward the end of the year. Busses pick up nearly an hour before school starts less than 2 miles away. Very large and crowded school. Communication is fair from the school, but there is very little communication from the teachers. My daughter’s English teacher resigned at the end of the 3rd quarter, and there was no communication about this and her replacement to the parents. Guidance counselors are nice, but seem to be too busy to do much to help with your child. Cell phone rules do not seem to be enforced at all except by one teacher my daughter had. Homework Assignments are accepted late, which I know may be an after effect of Covid, but it’s really not teaching the children about deadlines and staying on task. It just seems like the school is very apathetic about everything and spills over for those students that aren’t very motivated. I did have a few phone calls with the new AP Katie Dean and found her to be very kind and helpful.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2022

It the best high school in Mecklenburg
Submitted by teacher on September 15, 2020

Rosenbach ruins it. She wants the school to get rid of the North students and make it as white as possible.
Submitted by teacher on April 23, 2019

Not a good environment for staff or most students.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2018

I do not understand how this school has such high ratings. The majority of the teachers are apathetic. They do not teach! They test students on information not given to the students. This is the consensus of many students. This is my daughter's first year after transferring from a small private school to experience a bigger environment. She is a junior and takes AP and honors classes. With the exception of one or two all of the teachers have been horrible. Talking to her guidance counselor did no good. We can wait to pull her out of Hough. I absolutely do no recommend this school.
Submitted by student on May 12, 2017

Really good, This Is the best school
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2017

I cannot stand Hough. The principal is rude and condescending. The counselors are difficult to reach, and do not disseminate information to all of the students regarding items such as college visits, scholarships or SAT/ACT prep. The administration doesn't care about what the students think or feel, only what the teachers say. It is so overcrowded you literally feel like cattle walking through the halls, with your chest in the backpack of the person in front of you, and someone's chest up in yours. It is extremely clique-y and difficult for new or transfer students to make friends. They start ten minutes earlier in the morning to supposedly make up for snow days or something, but that just creates an earlier morning for the students. Side note, there is not enough student parking. Who builds a school where the students from affluent neighborhoods are attending and doesn't expect all of them to have their own cars?
Submitted by parent on March 27, 2017

I love Hough! I have a rising Junior and unlike some of the parents on this page, I appreciate the anxiety, stress and struggle the teachers give my son. He's learning life tools and this will better prepare him for college. I enjoy his teachers and faculty.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2017

My family moved to NC in June 2016 and so far Hough High School has been a disappointment. My husband and I moved mountains so that our girls (16 & 13) could attend Hough High and Bailey Middle. I was a bit concerned at the enrollment process for students coming in from the outside, but I had heard such great things that I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Now that we have been baptized by fire I feel completely confident that my concerns in the beginning were justified. Hough High has a wonderful website; however, the staff falls back on it so much that it's being used as an excuse not to develop relationships with the students and parents. Very little effort is given to helping students adjust to their new environment. It's the throw them in to see if they sink or swim method. I keep hearing that the teachers are trying to prepare the students for college, but what we are experiencing is stressed teachers lashing out if the students don't understand classroom instruction the first, and typically only time they are spoken. In some cases the instructions are incorrect or critical points are left out and when it's brought to their attention the students are mocked for "not knowing" the "other way" of finding links and study guides on the teachers website. The school may be attempting to prepare its students for college but they forget that the students ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL..... Pushing a 16 year old kid to the point of daily anxiety and fear of asking a question is not preparing them for anything except the expectation that they are going to hate college as much as they hate school. Our experience has been that unless you enter this school district in 5th grade don't bother because you and your children will ultimately be treated as an inconvenience when you need assistance. It would benefit the school and it's students to develop a program that provides tools to assist families coming into the district after 5th grade.This area has been expanding and growing for the past three years but the school hasn't kept up with the growth which is shining a negative light on its reputation and its staff.
Submitted by other on August 31, 2015

The students will be well prepared at this school for college with homework, and projects.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2015

As my last of 3 kids is graduating from CMS, I wanted to write and thank the staff and teachers a Hough for supporting and preparing my kids for college. While no school is perfect, I feel my kids had a great experience and are well prepared for college. Schools work best when the community and staff work together, and we see that at Hough. My only complaints are with things that are more an issue of the legislature and school board tying the hands of the school or gerrymandering the school zone. HUGE kudos to Dr. Laura Rosenbach who leads with skill and a true respect for students and teachers alike. I have great respect for her as a leader and only hope she does not leave.A shout out too to teachers Ms. Ciccarelli, Ms. Brang, Ms. McConnell, Ms. Andrews, Mr. Whitesides (gone) and Ms. Downey (gone).I also have to say that the counselors at Hough are so bright and supportive, especially Ms. Graves and Ms. Colbert from our experiences. They always go above and beyond.Thank you to all of you. I will continue to fight for NC public schools and amazing leadership like you all. Please know how much you are appreciated.
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2015

My child is a freshman and as a parent I found that the faculty & staff are engaged in the education & success of my child.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2014

This high school is a fantastic school. Apparently this website has not been updated the scores since the school opened.
Submitted by parent on May 09, 2014

There are two types of teachers at W.A. Hough HS- those who are more concerned with the sports teams they coach, then with the academic improvement of the students and those who believe their mission is to politicize the classroom, mock any questioning (making sure to isolate the offenders) and stifle debate. So if you have really good athlete and/or practice identity polictics, by all means enjoy W.A. Hough HS.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2013

I am a parent, My older son graduated last year in 2012 from Hough High. I now have a son who is n 9th grade. My older son started at North Mech for two years and when they opened went to Hough two years, It was nice to have a school closer to us. It is a nice school and has good teachers.