Westland High School

146 Galloway Road

School District

South-Western City
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:20
Type

public

School Map for South-Western 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 other on February 05, 2022

I attended Westland from 2013 to 2017. As others have mentioned, it's a very diverse school and can seem a bit rough around the edges depending on who you're talking to. Fights did sometimes break out and there were definitely instances of bullying and students showing prejudice towards others. However, with all that being said, Westland can 100% be a great school to attend. There's a myriad of ways for students to get involved, ranging from sports and organizations to afterschool clubs. There are also a handful of fun events that Westland holds such as talent shows, pep rallies, etc. In terms of preparing students for their next step, whether that be a trade, vocation, or college, this school does a decent job. They offer AP/IB courses as well as dual-enrollment and SAT/ACT prep. The district also offers the South-Western Career Academy, which helps prepare students for careers in fields like cyber security, culinary arts, engineering, media, etc. In terms of community, I can't speak for everyone, but I personally was surrounded by a lot of great students who were either just as driven and passionate as me, if not more. However, that brings me to my next point. One thing I did notice while attending was there were mainly two types of students who I'll call group A and group B. The "A" kids were almost all involved in extracurriculars i.e. music, drama club, National Honor Society, sports, etc., and AP/IB courses. People in this group tended to populate the same classrooms, and would only mix with the "B" kids in the more gen ed courses like psychology, Spanish, art, etc. The "B" group contained a lot of students that were equally as talented but either didn't care about school or just didn't want to put in the extra effort to succeed. Depending on which group you fell into your experience as a whole and in the classroom could likely be very different. The final thing I'd like to touch on is staff. The teachers, guidance counselors, etc. I personally interacted with were, for the most part, great. You knew they wanted you to succeed, and many of them would and did go above and beyond for their students. They are 100% one of the reasons I think of Westland so fondly. Again though, a lot of it is just how much you're willing to put into it. If you're willing to work for things and try then this school will meet you in the middle.
Submitted by parent on December 30, 2021

I’ve lived in Galloway my entire life and had a child at Westland High School and one at Norton Middle School when I made the decision to move my family to an acceptable school district outside of South-Western City Schools. I’ve witnessed the Westland area of the district deteriorate, I’m a Westland alum by the way, for the past 20 years. This segment of the district is overwhelmed by poverty and ESL students and families. The leadership is inept, refusing to acknowledge the real issues facing the district and unwilling to take any accountability for the role they’ve played in destroying the school. Take for example the recent riot that broke out at the school in 2021. The leadership at the school took ZERO responsibility for they’re inability to provide a safe environment for their students and had the nerve to issue a statement that the issue was, “an unfortunate neighborhood beef”. You would think a doctor of education could come up with a more reasonable and responsible statement. Please do your own research and determine if this school is an environment that you would feel comfortable sending your child to on a daily basis. I worked with the administration at the district for years, and did many things to give back to the community in Galloway, but it became an insurmountable task and I decided that my children deserved to be safe and receive a higher quality education than Westland can provide. Westland will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope that one day soon, they can begin to turn things around.
Submitted by other on May 11, 2020

Attended (2015-2019). While I had some awesome experiences,enjoyed the diversity,and met some genuinely amazing teachers I was disillusioned by general classes that were boring and unfocused, an administration that failed to take responsibility, and a lack of school spirit and academic pride. While my experience is unique to me, a white man who passed twelve AP exams (five of which were self studied), some general feelings (such as poor school spirit and atmosphere, poor academic achievement, yet amazing AP teachers and diversity) are shared by many other students. Westland faces many problems (poor surroundings, lack of parental support, students who do not have ESL support, lack of funding and choice in how state and federal aid money is spent), more than a high school catering to the upper or middle-class has to face. Still, these factors should not be an excuse to allow kids to fail and administration to do nothing. It was not the worst school to attend, just worse than most.
Submitted by student on March 03, 2017

This school is a disgrace. The students dont have any respect what so ever. I feel like they dont even know the definition of respect. I attend this school but after only being there for 5 months, I plan on going back to my old high school. There is fights every single day, even when the staff threatens to expel them (which they only really suspend them for at least 3 days). They fall one year or more behind on their academics. I have learned nothing new this year and its pretty sad. The only thing they MAY be accelerated on is Math..maybe? They say that this district is better than "inner city schools" but believe me, its not. I shouldn't be re-learning everything I did in 7th grade (I am a junior, so that was a while ago), or at least a year ago. That is just sad! Also, the school being way over crowded is something they really need to deal with. I was walking in the hallway and I got shoved and dropped some of my notebooks. Instead of someone helping even when asking, they all just stepped on them and pushed me when I went to pick them up myself. I threw away 2 new notebooks because they were completely destroyed. I had to wait for the halls to clear, before I could even pick them up and was late. I cried that whole day because it was like the 3rd day and it was beyond overwhelming. When you first talk to the counselors they tell you how much you'd love the school and how diverse it is, but they are b-sing. I get up every morning dreading having to walk into the building and look at the same a-holes everyday. It is beyond terrible here...update 3/3/2017 The school didnt get any better....
Submitted by other on October 10, 2016

Westland receives a bad representation and a huge misinterpretation due to the area of Columbus it is located in and the diverse amount of students that attend. As a proud graduate, and alumni of this school, there are not enough great things for me to say about it. Westland has a very diverse culture, and I was so appreciative of it when I was in school. It exposed me to different ethnicities so when I went away to college, I didn't judge other people based off of how they were dressed or what language they were speaking, compared to some of my friends who had never been around that. You are surrounded by so many teachers who care, and want their students to succeed far beyond high school. You will get out of it what you put in, and it is all about who you decide to surround yourself with. My friends and I all took AP classes and participated in extra curricular activities that I believe shaped us into the people we are today. Some of my best memories came from this school, and we have had very successful people come from these hallways. So please, do not judge a book by its cover. (Or its ratings.)
Submitted by other on September 07, 2016

Apparently the front desk is aloud to make snarky comments through the intercom as they're buzzing you in... Student : "Can U Let Me In???"Front Desk : "Can You Not Be Late???"Maybe I've not been properly informed but I thought your job was to push a button or sign a hall pass not make smarty remarks to my student who is actually trying...
Submitted by other on May 19, 2015

Westland High School is a very diverse school. Some people might consider it to be a little rough. The teachers and councilors are amazing and truly care about their students. AP classes are taught by wonderful teachers and will really help prepare students for college reguardless if they get college credit for the course or not.